John Calvin Commentary Psalms 118:17

"I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of Jehovah." — Psalms 118:17 (ASV)

I shall not die; David speaks like one emerging from the tomb. The very same person who says, I shall not die, acknowledges that he was rescued from death, to which he was as near as one condemned to it. For a series of years his life was in imminent danger, exposed every moment to a thousand deaths, and no sooner was he delivered from one than he entered into another.

Thus he declares that he would not die, because he regained life, all hope of which he had entirely abandoned. We, whose life is hid with Christ in God, ought to meditate on this song all our days (Colossians 3:3).

If we occasionally enjoy some relaxation, we are bound to unite with David in saying that we who were surrounded by death have risen to newness of life. In the meantime, we must constantly persevere through the midst of darkness; since our safety lies in hope, it cannot, therefore, be very visible to us.

In the second part of the verse, he points out the proper use of life. God does not prolong the lives of His people so that they may pamper themselves with meat and drink, sleep as much as they please, and enjoy every temporal blessing, but so that they may magnify Him for His benefits, which He is daily heaping upon them. We have spoken of this subject in our comments on Psalm 115.