The Meaning of Psalms 118:8 Explained

Psalms 118:8

KJV: It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

YLT: Better to take refuge in Jehovah than to trust in man,

Darby: It is better to trust in Jehovah than to put confidence in man;

ASV: It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to put confidence in man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[It is] better  to trust  in the LORD  than to put confidence  in man. 

What does Psalms 118:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 118:1-14 - Trust In God Brings Strength
It is generally agreed that this psalm dates back to the restoration from Babylon. It was probably used as a processional hymn for the first time at the great Feast of Tabernacles mentioned in Nehemiah 8:13-18. The structure of the psalm is as follows: Psalms 118:1-4, the summons of the full choir to the constituent parts of the procession; Psalms 118:5-14, the song of the soloist; Psalms 118:15-16, the answer of the choir; Psalms 118:17-19, the soloist. At this point the procession reaches the Temple gates. Psalms 118:20 is the response of priests and Levites, the custodians of the sacred edifice, who lay stress on the character of those who tread its courts. Psalms 118:21, the soloist; Psalms 118:22-27, the full chorus; Psalms 118:28, the soloist; Psalms 118:29, the concluding doxology.
Luther says of this psalm: "This is mine, the one which I love." As it was included in the great Hallel we infer that our Lord sang it as He went forth to die, Matthew 26:30. It will be sung once more on that coming day for which we wait. See Isaiah 25:9; Matthew 23:39. When we identify ourselves with God's great cause, we may absolutely count on God as our strength in the conflict, and our song in assured victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 118

1  An exhortation to praise God for his mercy
5  The psalmist by his experience shows how good it is to trust in God
19  Under the type of the psalmist the coming of Christ in his kingdom is expressed

What do the individual words in Psalms 118:8 mean?

[it is] better to trust in Yahweh Than to put confidence in man
ט֗וֹב לַחֲס֥וֹת בַּיהוָ֑ה מִ֝בְּטֹ֗חַ בָּאָדָֽם

ט֗וֹב  [it  is]  better 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לַחֲס֥וֹת  to  trust 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חָסָה  
Sense: (Qal) to seek refuge, flee for protection.
בַּיהוָ֑ה  in  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִ֝בְּטֹ֗חַ  Than  to  put  confidence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
בָּאָדָֽם  in  man 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.

What are the major concepts related to Psalms 118:8?

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