Psalms 118:5 (DBY)

Passage

I called upon Jah in distress; Jah answered me [and set me] in a large place.

Nearby Context

Psalms 118:3 Oh let the house of Aaron say, that his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever.

Psalms 118:4 Oh let them that fear Jehovah say, that his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever.

Psalms 118:5 I called upon Jah in distress; Jah answered me [and set me] in a large place.

Psalms 118:6 Jehovah is for me, I will not fear; what can man do unto me?

Psalms 118:7 Jehovah is for me among them that help me; and I shall see [my desire] upon them that hate me.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Oh let them that fear Jehovah say..." into verse 6's "Jehovah is for me I will not...", so "called" and "upon" 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 "upon" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.