The Horn of Salvation
Psalm 118:15-27
Psalm 118:15–27 (NRSV): 15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;
16the right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”
17I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18The LORD has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.
19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
20This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!
O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27The LORD is God,
and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.*
Most scholars believe Psalm 118 was composed during the Second Temple period, which lasted from around 516 BC to 70 AD because of the Hebrew language being heavily influenced by Greek words (Hellenizing). Hebrew, because of Greek influence, transformed into Aramaic.
*Verse 27 has also been translated as saying “bind the festal sacrifice with ropes and take it to the horns of the altar.
Exodus 27:1–2 (NRSV): 27 You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and it shall be three cubits high. 2 You shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.
1 Kings 1:49–53 (NRSV): 49 Then all the guests of Adonijah got up trembling and went their own ways. 50 Adonijah, fearing Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar. 51 Solomon was informed, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; see, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ” 52 So Solomon responded, “If he proves to be a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent to have him brought down from the altar. He came to do obeisance to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go home.”
Leviticus 4:29–30 (NKJV): 29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. 30 Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar.
Luke 1:67–69 (NIV): 67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David