Of the authorship of this psalm, and the occasion on which it was composed, nothing can now be ascertained with certainty. The common opinion has been that it is a psalm of David, and that it was composed when his troubles with Saul ceased, and when he was recognized as king. Some, however, have referred it to Hezekiah on the occasion of his restoration from sickness; others to the time of the return from the Babylonian exile; and others to the time of the Maccabees. It would be useless to examine these opinions, as they are all of them mere conjecture, and as no certainty can now be arrived at.
What is apparent on the face of the psalm is, that it was a psalm of thanksgiving, to be employed in the temple when an offering or sacrifice was led up to the altar Psalms 118:27 to be presented as an acknowledgment of mercy from God, on some occasion of deliverance from danger, by someone whose claim to rule had been rejected, but who was now victorious over his enemies, and recognized as the rightful leader and ruler of the people. The psalm is in a measure dramatic. The author is the speaker in the first twenty-one verses; in the remainder of the psalm the priests and the people speak, and at the close, the psalmist again utters praise.
The psalm consists of the following parts:
I. The author of the psalm speaks, Psalms 118:1-21.
(1) he calls on all to praise the Lord, and to unite with him in the expression of thanks, because what had occurred was a matter of interest to all the people; to Israel, to the house of Aaron, to the priesthood to all that feared God, Psalms 118:14.
(2) a description of his peril and deliverance, Psalms 118:5-18. He had been in distress; he had called on the Lord; he had seen the benefit of trusting in the Lord rather than in man. All nations had compassed him about as bees; they had thrust sore at him; they had sought his life; but he had not been dismayed; he had felt, even in the midst of his dangers, that he would live to declare the works of the Lord, Psalms 118:17-18
(3) The speaker approaches the temple. He asks that the doors may be opened that he may enter and praise the Lord. He addresses those who have charge of the temple - the ministers of religion - and desires leave to come and present his offering,Psalms 118:19-21 Psalms 118:19-21.
II. The priests and people speak, Psalms 118:22-27.
(1) they recognize him now as the Ruler - the cornerstone - the foundation of the nation’s prosperity, and its hope. He had been rejected by those who were professedly laying the foundation of empire, but he had now established his claims to being regarded as the very cornerstone on which the whole edifice must rest, Psalms 118:22.
(2) they recognize this as a marvelous work of God, and as suited to excite the deepest admiration, Psalms 118:23.
(3) they recognize this as a joyful day, as if God had created a day for the very purpose of celebrating an event so joyous, Psalms 118:24.
(4) they pronounce him blessed who thus came in the name of the Lord; they bless him out of the house of the Lord, Psalms 118:25-26.
(5) they direct him to bring his offering, and to bind it to the horns of the altar preparatory to sacrifice. He is permitted freely to come. His offering is recognized as proper, so that he can approach with an assurance of acceptance, Psalms 118:27.
III. The author of the psalm again speaks, Psalms 118:28-29. He acknowledges God as his God, and calls on all to praise him.
Portions of the psalm are, in the New Testament, applied to Christ; and it has been made a question whether it had, or had not, an original reference to him. Thus in Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:11; Luke 20:17, it is quoted by the Saviour as illustrating a truth in regard to himself In Acts 4:11, the twenty-second verse of the psalm is applied by Peter to the Saviour, as having been fulfilled in him - or, as meaning that the language of the psalm would properly describe the fact which had occurred in the treatment of Jesus of Nazareth. Many of the Jewish rabbins regarded the psalm as referring to the Messiah, and not a few Christian interpreters have supposed that it had such an original reference.
It seems clear, however, from the psalm itself that it could not have been composed primarily with reference to him. There are portions of it which cannot, without a very forced use of language, be applied to him, as for example, the allusion to the attack made by “all nations” on the person referred to in the psalm Psalms 118:10, and in the allusion to the danger of death Psalms 118:17-18. The person referred to in the psalm was in danger of death, but he was not given over to death. He had the assurance in the very midst of the danger that he would not die, but would continue to live Psalms 118:17. The Redeemer, however, did die. His enemies accomplished their purpose in this respect. They put him to death, though he rose again from the dead.
It is clear, therefore, I think, that the psalm had not an original reference to the Messiah. Still, there is much in it which is applicable to him, and which might be used as expressive of what occurred to him. It contains principles also which may be as applicable to him as they were to the psalmist; and, therefore, it is used by the Saviour to enforce the moral of his own parable in reference to himself, as having had a counterpart in their own history, in a case which must have been familiar to them all. As such, it is right to use it now, as illustrating what occurred in the treatment of the Redeemer.