Psalms 118:17
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 118:17
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The most striking part of this verse is the reason why the psalmist expects to live: not just for personal comfort, but to actively recount or declare God's deeds. This isn't just a statement of survival, but a declaration that life's purpose is to be a witness to God's powerful and loving actions.
The psalmist, speaking for Israel, has just recounted how the nation faced imminent destruction and ruin, crying out to the Lord for deliverance. Now, assured of God's powerful intervention and salvation, they express a profound certainty of continued life, not just to survive, but to actively proclaim all the amazing things God has done for them. This declaration of life and praise flows directly from God's decisive victory against overwhelming odds, as verses before and after describe His right hand acting valiantly and the opening of righteousness' gates.
Ever felt like you were close to the end of your rope, or even your life? This verse speaks powerfully to moments of profound crisis.
The psalmist, likely David or Israel, proclaims, "I shall not die, but live." This isn't a denial of mortality, but a declaration of deliverance.
A Breath of Fresh Air
What do you do when you're pulled back from the edge? This verse tells us exactly what the purpose of that renewed life is.
The immediate follow-up to "I shall not die, but live" is a powerful mandate: "and recount the deeds of the LORD."
The Purpose of Preservation
Understand the original words
mût · Hebrew Verb
The cessation of biological life or spiritual separation. In the Psalms, it often represents the threat of destruction or the state of being cut off from the presence of God.
sāpar · Hebrew Verb
To recount or proclaim the works of God. It implies bearing witness to God's character and salvation so that His fame is spread among others.
maʿăśeh · Hebrew Noun
The acts, accomplishments, or wondrous works of God. It refers to His interventions in history to save, judge, or sustain His people.
This verse expresses a profound certainty of survival and a commitment to praise God, born from intense experiences of being brought to the brink of death, whether for an individual like David or for the nation of Israel during times of crisis and restoration.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign and Persecutions
King David experiences numerous life-threatening situations due to political intrigue, rebellion, and conflict throughout his reign, often feeling near death.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Near-Death Experiences
David frequently faced existential threats, feeling as though he was on the brink of death, yet was preserved by God's intervention.
Post-Exilic Period (c. 5th-4th century BC)
Restoration and Rebuilding
After the Babylonian exile, the returned Jewish community experienced a period of rebuilding and restoration, seeing God's hand in their renewed national life.
This verse echoes the sentiment of Psalm 118:17, as Jesus states that Lazarus' illness is 'not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.' This highlights how even in apparent death or dire circumstances, God's ultimate purpose is life and the declaration of His glory, just as the Psalmist anticipates living to recount God's deeds.
Romans 6:4Paul speaks of being 'buried with him therefore by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.' This connects to the theme of not dying but living, signifying a spiritual resurrection and a life dedicated to declaring God's transformative power.
2 Corinthians 4:10Paul describes how 'always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.' This passage parallels the Psalmist's declaration of 'not dying but living,' suggesting that present sufferings are endured so that Christ's life can be powerfully revealed through believers, enabling them to declare His works.
Isaiah 38:19In his own account of deliverance from death, Hezekiah declares, 'The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day.' This directly resonates with Psalm 118:17, as both passages emphasize that life granted by God is a gift to be used for praising and recounting His mighty works.
clarkePsalms 118:17: "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD."
I shall not die - I was nigh unto death; but I am preserved, - preserved to publish the wondrous works of the Lord.
gillPsalms 118:17: "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD."
I shall not die, but live,.... Not that he should never die, David knew he should; but that his present afflictions would not issue in death; or he should not die by the hands of his enemies, he sometimes feared he should; but now believed he should live, as he did, to a good old age: he knew he should live spiritually and eternally, and not die a second death; and so may all true believers and members of Christ say.…
The most striking part of this verse is the reason why the psalmist expects to live: not just for personal comfort, but to actively recount or declare God's deeds. This isn't just a statement of survival, but a declaration that life's purpose is to be a witness to God's powerful and loving actions.
The psalmist, speaking for Israel, has just recounted how the nation faced imminent destruction and ruin, crying out to the Lord for deliverance. Now, assured of God's powerful intervention and salvation, they express a profound certainty of continued life, not just to survive, but to actively proclaim all the amazing things God has done for them. This declaration of life and praise flows directly from God's decisive victory against overwhelming odds, as verses before and after describe His right hand acting valiantly and the opening of righteousness' gates.
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The psalmist, speaking for Israel, has just recounted how the nation faced imminent destruction and ruin, crying out to the Lord for deliverance. Now, assured of God's powerful intervention and salvation, they express a profound certainty of continued life, not just to survive, but to actively proclaim all the amazing things God has done for them. This declaration of life and praise flows directly from God's decisive victory against overwhelming odds, as verses before and after describe His right hand acting valiantly and the opening of righteousness' gates.
"I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD." — The most striking part of this verse is the reason why the psalmist expects to live: not just for personal comfort, but to actively recount or declare God's deeds. This isn't just a statement o…