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This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Psalms 118:23 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB This is Yahweh’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.
  • BSB This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
  • NKJV This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
  • NASB This came about from the Lord; It is marvelous in our eyes.
  • NLT This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

This reversal is the Lord's doing, marvelous in our eyes. It matters because God's saving work astonishes and exceeds human expectation.

Overview

The exaltation of the rejected stone is attributed wholly to God and received with wonder. What seemed defeat becomes God's marvelous triumph. Applied to Christ, it celebrates the cross and resurrection as God's astonishing work, marvelous in the eyes of all who believe.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Job 5:9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
  • Eph 1:19–22And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
  • Acts 13:41Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
  • Acts 4:13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
  • Acts 5:31–32Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
  • Acts 2:32–36This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
  • Acts 3:14–15But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 118:23YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 118:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.