his hesed [sic] endures forever!
2. Let Israel say: his ḥesed endures forever.
3. Let the house of Aaron say; his ḥesed endures forever.
4. Let Yahweh-fearers say; his ḥesed endures forever.
King 5. Out of distress I invoked Yah;
Yah answered me with largesse.
6. When Yahweh is with me I have no fear.
What could a mere mortal do to me?
7. When Yahweh is with me as my helper,
then I look with confidence at my enemies.
People 8. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh
than to trust in humans.
9. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh
than to trust in princes!
King 10. All nations surround my;
in the name of Yahweh I cut them off.
11. They surrounded me, they were all around me;
in the name of Yahweh I cut them off.
12. They surrounded me like bees,
they blazed like thorns on fire;
in the name of Yahweh I cut them off.
13. I was hard pressed about to fall,
but Yahweh helped me!
King and people 14. Yahweh was my strength and my song;
he was with me as salvation.
All 15. A shout of joy and salvation
throughout the tents of the righteous:
the right hand of Yahweh acts valiantly,
16. the right hand of Yahweh is exalted,
the right hand of Yahweh acts valiantly.
King 17. I shall not die but shall live
to recite the deeds of Yah!
18. Yah disciplined me sorely,
but he did not hand me over to death.
19. Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them,
I shall give thanks to Yah!
Priests 20. This is the gate that belongs to Yahweh;
only righteous may enter through it.
King 21. I give thanks to you for you answered me;
you were with me as salvation.
People 22. The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23. This is Yahweh’s own doing;
it is a marvel in our eyes.
24. This is the day on which Yahweh has acted;
let us rejoice and be glad in him.
25. Pray, O Yahweh, grant salvation;
pray, O Yahweh, grant prosperity.
Priests 26. Blessed by the name of Yahweh be he who enters!
We bless you from the House of Yahweh.
People 27. Yahweh is God and he has given us light!
Priests Bind the festal sacrifice with ropes
onto the horns of the altar.
King and People 28. You are my God and I do give you thanks,
O, my God, I extol you.
All 29. Give thanks to Yahweh for he is good;
his ḥesed endures forever!
(pages 183-84)
He goes on to address how we should read the text, “In all such passages modern readers who have responsibility for the traditioning of Scripture, both preserving and presenting it, should by dynamic analogy identify with their appropriate counterparts in the Scriptural narratives, so as to experience and hear the message conveyed. This is as much the case in reading the gospel accounts of this prophetic enactment as in reading the prophets. With the priests, scribes and elders in Mark 11:27, Matt 21:15 and 23, and Luke 20:1, we should be induced by our reading of this offensive act to ask by what authority Jesus did ‘these things.’ The precious psalm was not to be read and enacted in that way until Messiah came. Would there be a single judicatory of any Christian community today that would haven been on those temple steps to recite the ‘Blessed be he …’? I dare say not. It is not until Christians learn to monotheize while reading the New Testament, that is, refuse to engage in good-guys-bad-guys hermeneutics, that they will be able to read it for what it canonically says.” (pages 189-90; emphasis added)
I am very much of the opinion that when we understand the witness of God in the Old Testament and see how the story moves forward in longing and anticipation of the Messiah that will have a beautiful, but also challenging, picture of the Gospel announcement that Jesus is Messiah, Lord and God. Recent works by N.T. Wright (How God Became King 2011) and Scot McKnight (King Jesus Gospel 2011) both strongly argue this point. Although Sanders' comment point more directly to the New Testament, it is just as true for the Old Testament. The narrative of the Old Testament cannot be reduced to this character did well and this character did poorly. There is a much grander story and narrative at play, namely the revelation of God.
~ chris
Reference:
Sanders, James A. "A New Testament Hermeneutic Fabric: Psalm 118 in the Entrance Narrative." Pages 177-90 in Early Jewish and Christian Exegesis, edited by Craig A. Evans and William F. Stinespring. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987.