John Calvin Commentary Psalms 118:1

"Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever." — Psalms 118:1 (ASV)

Praise you Jehovah. In this passage, we see that David does not merely render thanks to God in a private capacity, but he loudly summons the people to engage in the common exercises of piety.

He does this not simply because of his divine appointment as the captain and teacher of others, but because God, having invested him with royal power, had thereby manifested his sympathy with his distressed Church.

Therefore, he exhorts the Israelites to magnify the grace of God, under whose kind protection he evidently re-establishes them in safety. In the beginning of the psalm, David alludes generally to the goodness and mercy of God, but he soon points to himself as an evidence of God's goodness, as will be seen in its proper place.

We should now recall what I mentioned in the preceding psalm: a reason for praising God is given to us because of his mercy, rather than his power or justice. For although his glory also shines forth in his power and justice, we will never promptly and heartily sound forth his praises until he wins us by the sweetness of his goodness.

Accordingly, in Psalm 51:17, we found that the lips of the faithful were opened to praise God when they perceived that he was truly their deliverer.

In restricting his address to Israel and to the children of Aaron, David is guided by a consideration of his own times, because, until that time, the adoption did not extend beyond that one nation.

He again resumes the order observed in Psalm 116:1. For, after exhorting the children of Abraham, who had been separated from the Gentiles by God's election, and also the sons of Aaron, who by virtue of the priesthood should take precedence in leading the psalmody, he directs his discourse to the other worshippers of God. He does this because there were many hypocrites among the Israelites who, though occupying a place in the Church, were still strangers to it.

This is not inconsistent with David speaking here by the Spirit of prophecy concerning the future kingdom of Christ. That kingdom, undoubtedly, extended to the Gentiles, but its commencement and first-fruits were among God’s chosen people.