Psalms 118:17 (KJV)

What does Psalms 118:17 mean?

Psalms 118:17 expresses a speaker’s confidence that a threat to life will not be the end. The speaker expects to remain alive and tell others what the LORD has done, giving the LORD credit for the outcome.

The words “I shall not die, but live” set death and life against each other. After the victory language in verse 16, the speaker turns from what the LORD has done to what the speaker will do: speak about those deeds.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 118:17

• “declare” — סָפַר (safar): This word can mean to recount or tell. Here it suggests giving an account of the LORD’s deeds, not merely naming them.
• “works” — מַעֲשֶׂה (maʿaseh): This word refers to actions or deeds. In this verse, the speaker has in mind what the LORD has done.

Why Psalms 118:17 matters

• The speaker’s confidence comes amid hardship, not in a story without suffering. Verse 18 says the LORD had “chastened” the speaker severely, meaning that the speaker had undergone painful correction.
• The speaker’s story is meant to be heard by others. The words “declare the works of the LORD” turn a personal experience into a public account of the LORD’s actions.