Mazmur 118:8-9

118:8 It is better to take shelter ¹  in the Lord

than to trust in people.

118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

Mazmur 118:17-18

118:17 I will not die, but live,

and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. ² 

118:18 The Lord severely ³  punished me,

but he did not hand me over to death.

[118:8]  ¹ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[118:17]  ² tn Heb “the works of the Lord.”

[118:18]  ³ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.