Psalms 118:5 (ASV)

Passage

Out of my distress I called upon Jehovah: Jehovah answered me [and set me] in a large place.

Nearby Context

Psalms 118:3 Let the house of Aaron now say, That his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever.

Psalms 118:4 Let them now that fear Jehovah say, That his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever.

Psalms 118:5 Out of my distress I called upon Jehovah: Jehovah answered me [and set me] in a large place.

Psalms 118:6 Jehovah is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?

Psalms 118:7 Jehovah is on my side among them that help me: Therefore shall I see [my desire] upon them that hate me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "distress", "upon", "jehovah", "answered", "large", and "place". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "distress", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Let them now that fear Jehovah say..." into verse 6's "Jehovah is on my side I will...", so "called" and "distress" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "distress" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.