What Psalm 118:24 Means
Psalm 118:24
What Psalm 118:24 means
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Every day is a gift from God's hand, an invitation to rejoice, whatever it holds.
Psalm 118:24 is an invitation to receive today as a gift and to respond with gladness. "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." The day is not random; it is something God has made, which means this particular day, with all it holds, comes from His hand. Because it is His gift, the fitting response is to rejoice and be glad, not to grumble our way through it. Gratitude here is a decision as much as a feeling: "we will rejoice," a choice to celebrate the day we have been given rather than despise it. It does not deny that a day can hold hard things; it lifts our eyes to the Giver behind the day. To live this verse is to wake up and say, this day is a gift, and I will not waste it on complaint.
Psalm 118:24 in different translations
Understanding Psalm 118:24
Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving, likely sung as worshipers approached the temple, and it repeatedly declares that God's mercy endures for ever. The verses just before verse 24 are striking: "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." So "the day" the psalm celebrates is specifically the day of God's saving act, the day He rescued and reversed what looked like defeat. The rejoicing is not vague positivity; it is the response of people who have seen God deliver, standing at the gates of praise.
This verse does not simply mean "cheer up because it is a nice day," and it is not a command to fake happiness while ignoring pain. Its joy is tied to what God has done, especially the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone. That is exactly how the New Testament reads it: Jesus applied the rejected-stone verse to Himself, and the early church saw His resurrection as the day the LORD had made. So the deepest gladness of this verse is resurrection gladness, rejoicing in the day God turned rejection into rescue through Christ, which is why every ordinary day can now be received with thanks.
Psalm 118:24 in context
A prayer
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 118:24 mean in simple terms?
It means each day is a gift from God, so we should choose to rejoice and be glad in it. The day did not just happen; God made it. Because it comes from Him, gratitude and gladness are the fitting response.
Who is speaking in Psalm 118:24?
It is the voice of God's worshiping people, likely sung as they came to the temple to give thanks. The psalm is a corporate song of praise, so it says "we will rejoice." It celebrates God's saving mercy together.
Is Psalm 118 in the Old or New Testament?
Psalm 118 is in the Old Testament, in the book of Psalms, the Bible's collection of songs and prayers. It is a thanksgiving psalm that celebrates God's steadfast mercy. The New Testament later quotes it about Jesus.
Which "day" is the verse talking about?
In its original setting it celebrates the day of a specific deliverance, described in the surrounding verses as God's marvelous doing. It is the day the rejected stone became the cornerstone. Christians have long connected it to the day of Christ's resurrection.
What is the context of this verse?
It sits in a thanksgiving psalm right after the famous line about the rejected stone becoming the head of the corner. The worshipers are marveling at what God has done and approaching Him with praise. Verse 24 is their glad response to His saving work.
How can I apply Psalm 118:24 to a hard day?
You can still receive the day as God-given even when it is difficult, choosing thanks for His presence rather than only reacting to circumstances. The gladness rests on who God is and what He has done, not on everything going well. It reframes an ordinary or painful day as one still held in His hands.
Why is this verse connected to Jesus?
The verses just before it speak of a rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, which Jesus applied to Himself. Early Christians saw His resurrection as the great day the Lord had made. So the joy of this verse points beyond a single sunrise to God's decisive act of salvation in Christ.
Let this verse become part of your life
Read it in the app, keep it, and let it lead you to Christ.
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