In this section of Psalm 118, we transition from the description of distress and salvation to the thanksgiving itself. The Malbim explains the entire psalm as referring to the days of King Chizkiyahu and the downfall of Sancheiriv. Alongside him, the commentators present a second approach: that the psalm speaks of the Jewish people in exile and the future redemption, while the Sages even expounded it as referring to King David and his anointing. Let us follow the order of the verses and see how all these directions interweave.
אוֹדְךָ כִּי עֲנִיתָנִי וַתְּהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה׃ - I will thank You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation.
In its plain sense, "I will thank You for You have answered me" corresponds to what was mentioned earlier: "Hashem answered me with expanse." Hashem answered me and brought me out of distress into broad relief, and for this I thank Him. "And You have become my salvation" corresponds to the fact that I was previously in distress, and now I have salvation and am in an expansive place. "Anitani" here is in the sense of answering and responding.
However, a significant and broad group of commentators explain that "anitani" does not stem from answering, but rather from affliction (inui). Do not assume this is merely a homiletic interpretation (derash), for even the Malbim, who interprets the verses adhering closely to the peshat and does not take a derash approach, explains it this way: "I will thank You" - he now begins to give thanks at the entrance of the gate from within, offering gratitude that You afflicted me with suffering. And through that suffering, "and You have become my salvation" - through the power of the suffering, salvation arrived, and through it came atonement. As it says, "I will thank You, Hashem, for You were angry with me" - because You were angry with me, Your wrath has turned back and You comfort me; through that anger, wrath departed from me and Hashem comforts me.
These matters are profound: if a person is not cleansed and refined of his sins, it may well be that, on the contrary, harsher suffering and even death will come upon him, reaching a point where nothing more can be done. But here he says: I thank You, Hashem, that You afflicted me, and through that very suffering You brought me forth to salvation.
אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה׃ - The stone the builders despised has become the cornerstone.
What is a "rosh pinah" (cornerstone)? As in the liturgical phrase "the corners (pinot) of the hosts who exalt the Almighty," referring to the commanders of the hosts; "pinah" denotes importance. That very stone which was lowly and despised is placed at the top of the prominent building, in a place where everyone sees it. A nation that was lowly among the nations has become the chief cornerstone.
Ibn Ezra explains this metaphorically: the nations despised him, but ultimately he prevailed over them. Alternatively, the words were spoken through ruach hakodesh regarding the Jewish people in exile, which is the direction Rashi takes. Radak explains similarly that these words refer to the entirety of Israel, who are called "stone," as it says, "from there, the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel."
And where else do we find Israel compared to a stone? In the vision of the statue. How did the statue that Nevuchadnezzar saw in his dream collapse? We must return to the Book of Daniel: a small stone came and struck its feet, shattered them, and brought the entire great statue crashing down on its face. Who is that small stone? The Jewish people. One small stone brings down the entire colossal statue.
The Radak explains this by way of an allegory: The Jewish people are the essence of the world, sustaining the structure of the world through their laws and statutes for humanity. Yet in exile, the kings reject them; they despise this stone so much that they do not want it to be even one of the ordinary building stones, let alone the cornerstone. In other words: What need is there for the Jewish nation? Are they even needed as part of the world? And according to the "doctrine" of Germany, not only are they unnecessary for the building of the world, but they represent destruction to the world and must be eradicated so they do not ruin it.
At the time of salvation, it will be revealed to all: that very stone which you rejected even as part of the building - it will become the cornerstone. Just as a person, says the Radak, builds the corners of a house with large, beautiful stones, because the cornerstone holds both walls and the entire angle together. Anyone who wishes to see this can observe on the way to the Kotel: looking at the surrounding wall, down to the right toward the excavations below, one sees giant stones several meters long - the cornerstones. So too, in the future to come, the Jewish people will be the cornerstone; they will be the very foundation and preservation of the world.
The Malbim, in his characteristic approach, continues to explain this regarding Chizkiyahu: The monarchy is compared in allegory to a building, and the king is the foundation of the building, as it is written, "Behold, I lay a stone in Zion." And the builders rejected him back then - they did not view him as fit to reign over them, and Shevna and his faction arose to dispute his kingship. Yet despite all this, he became the chief cornerstone.
מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה הָיְתָה זֹּאת הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ׃ - This was from Hashem; it is wondrous in our eyes.
This did not occur through the natural order, but from Hashem - by way of miracle and wonder. Chizkiyahu was worthy of this, and thus miracles and wonders were performed for him. Rashi explains: "This was from Hashem" - this is what everyone will say. For it is not specified here who is speaking, rather everyone will recognize and say: That stone which we rejected has now become the cornerstone; the people of Israel whom we despised are now the head over us all.
And the Ibn Ezra explains: That stone which became the cornerstone - it did not reach this status through its own strength or might, but rather "this was from Hashem"; that strength and that elevated stature came from Him, blessed be He. "It is wondrous in our eyes" - niflat (wondrous) is related to pele (wonder), a marvelous thing, meaning hidden from us: we have no comprehension of how these things came to be, and therefore it is in our eyes a wonder and a hidden matter.
זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ׃ - This is the day Hashem has made; let us exult and rejoice in it.
The Radak says: This is what everyone will answer and say about the day of salvation - this salvation was wrought by Hashem and no one else. Consequently, the nations will say: We have no reason to be sorrowful; rather, let us exult and rejoice together with them. For if the Jewish people had subdued the nations through their own strength, the nations might feel resentful, aggrieved, and driven to subjugate us in return. But when "this was from Hashem," there is a recognition that this is the Creator's will, and if it is His will, they have no reason to be grieved. On the contrary, there is reason to rejoice: it was not a rival nation that rose against them and overpowered them, but rather Hashem Who elevated them.
The holy Alshich cites the words of Chazal on the verse, "I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it" (be'itah achishena): If they merit it - I will hasten it (achishena); if they do not merit it - in its time (be'itah). If we are worthy and deserving, Hashem will hasten the redemption for us before the appointed time; and if not, it will arrive in its time, be'itah. As a homiletical play on words, it has been noted: if they merit - achishena; if not - they receive a be'itah (a kick). It is fitting, then, that we merit achishena. The Alshich explains: The day of the End is known before Him, blessed be He, and we yearn for Him to bring the End earlier - how? By repenting and becoming worthy of an early redemption. And regarding the redemption that arrives in its time, it is said: "This is the day Hashem has made" - Hashem has already prepared and established that designated day. About this the prophet declared, "Behold, a day is coming for Hashem," and we know that "let us exult and rejoice in it": though the coming day will burn up the wicked, the righteous will surely rejoice - "and the sun of righteousness shall rise for you who fear My Name."
And even though we know that the day Hashem established in advance will be a day of joy, we nevertheless pray that it will not arrive merely in its time, but that He hasten it, and this is what follows: "Please, Hashem, save us now!"
The Malbim explains: "This is the day Hashem has made" - this day is attributed to Hashem. And notice the precision in the phrasing, "let us rejoice and be glad in Him": it is in Hashem that we rejoice, not in the salvation itself. A person can experience a salvation that extracts him from distress, and he can rejoice in it - Baruch Hashem, I am no longer in trouble, I am no longer suffering. But there is a far higher level: to rejoice in Hashem. When one sees that Hashem brings about salvation, it means Hashem is with him; the Holy One, blessed be He, accompanies him, has given him a banner to raise high, and through this His Name is magnified and sanctified in the world - and that is the essence. We rejoice more in the Creator, blessed be He, in the closeness to God that we perceive, in the Divine Providence and miracles, than in the salvation itself.
The Malbim further explains, as he does in several places, the difference between gilah (exultation) and simchah (joy): gilah is always over something newly introduced, while simchah is over something ongoing and permanent. A person who suddenly merits salvation, who acquires something new, experiences gilah; afterward, he experiences simchah, which accompanies him continuously. Therefore, "This is the day Hashem has made" - at first "let us exult" (nagilah) over the newly manifested salvation itself, and afterward "be glad in Him" (venismechah vo), because exultation occurs only at the outset, whereas moving forward it becomes an enduring state of joy.
Incidentally, some cite the popular adage, "It is a great mitzvah to be joyous always." While there is no formal mitzvah formulated in those exact words, the underlying intent is true: a person should rejoice in Hashem, blessed be He. In the Torah, it says, "And you shall rejoice on your festival" - meaning that the service of Hashem on the festivals must be accompanied by joy. This is explained by the commentators and in Sefer HaChinuch: the specific mitzvah is to rejoice on the festival, whereas on ordinary days there is no specific formal mitzvah of joy. Certainly, one must fulfill Hashem's commandments with joy in Hashem, but that is not the formal mitzvah of "and you shall rejoice" throughout the entire year.
In Sefer Tehilot Maharitza, it is explained why the Redemption remains concealed: because the greatest joy comes from surprise. With something known in advance, the element of surprise is lost. We all know that when someone wants to bring joy to a friend, they surprise him; when it arrives unexpectedly, there is immense joy. But if he knows in advance what he is about to receive, the momentum is lost, and consequently the joy is not nearly as profound. This is the meaning of "This has come from Hashem" - the Redemption has already been prepared from antiquity by Him, blessed be He. Why then is "it wondrous in our eyes"? Because Hashem concealed it. Pele (wondrous) denotes hiddenness, as in "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is hidden?" and "It is not hidden from you, nor is it far off." Why did He conceal it? So that when the time comes, "let us rejoice and be glad in Him," experiencing complete joy, since true jubilation is felt only when that which was hidden is revealed.
אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הַצְלִיחָה נָּא׃ - Please, Hashem, save now! Please, Hashem, grant success now!
What is the meaning of na? The Targum consistently translates it as ke'an - meaning "now." As noted on several occasions, Rashi and the Targum generally diverge on the meaning of the word na: Rashi usually explains it as an expression of entreaty ("please"), whereas the Targum translates it as "now." That is what is being expressed here: "Please, Hashem, save now" - I am not waiting for the Redemption in its slow, fixed time; I want it now. Save us at this very moment, hasten it, do not wait until the appointed day of redemption arrives, but bring it forward!
And what will be gained through this? First, we will have salvation: currently we endure affliction and subjugation under the nations, and regarding this we plead, "save now!" Second, we will also have prosperity and success, which is "Please, Hashem, grant success now!" While currently we are distant from both salvation and success, when the Redemption arrives now, we will possess both.
Radak explains: "Please, Hashem" - Israel will say: Grant salvation and grant success to all those who now come to take shelter under the wings of Hashem and return to His service, blessed be He. For we are speaking of a state in which the Jewish people are redeemed: that very stone rejected by the builders has become the chief cornerstone, and all the nations acknowledge us and rejoice in this. At that point, we pray that Hashem save and grant success also to those who join us.
And the Malbim explains that here everyone is praying: "Please, Hashem, save now" - that He save them from Sancheriv, who is besieging Jerusalem; "Please, Hashem, grant success now" - that He grant them success in all their handiwork from now on, from this time forth and forevermore.
Rav Ezra Attia, the Rosh Yeshivah of Porat Yosef, used to ask: The preceding verse implies that he is immersed in joy - "let us rejoice and be glad in Him" - so why does he suddenly plead for salvations, which implies that he is in dire straits? He explained: Any day on which a miracle was performed for Israel becomes an auspicious time for all generations. It is a special day wherein we witnessed how salvation arrives, as it is said, "As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders" - they were redeemed in Nisan, and salvation occurred then; therefore, throughout all generations, it remains a fitting and auspicious time for salvation.
Even more than this, the holy Ari explains: Every year during the days of Pesach, a profound rectification occurs in the upper worlds, and exalted, holy spiritual lights radiate on Pesach just as they did then; everything depends on the preparation we make. For at that time, an immense illumination was bestowed upon the Jewish people in the manner of pesichah (leaping or skipping over) - as discussed in the discourses on Pesach - enabling them to attain sublime spiritual heights in a very short time, by leaps and bounds. The Jewish people were at the lowest spiritual nadir, close to the forty-nine gates of impurity, yet within fifty days they received the Torah. One sees that they received this through a supernatural leap, without having to undergo the standard processes that would normally take generations. So it is for all generations: the time of Pesach is an auspicious period in which a person can attain great spiritual heights in a very short time.
And this is what is written here: "This is the day Hashem has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" - every year we rejoice on that same day. And if you ask, what difference does it make? What happened, happened; what was in the past is done, so how does it concern us today that there was joy then? Regarding this it is said, "Please, Hashem, save us now!": on that day every year, the time is auspicious to bring forth salvation, and on that date the heavens are open to bestow salvation. Therefore we ask - Master of the Universe, save us now just as in earlier days.
A beautiful story is told about Rav Tzadka: a young man came to consult him, wishing to transfer yeshivot. Rav Tzadka asked him, "Why? Do you feel you are not learning well enough here?" He answered, "No, Baruch Hashem I am learning excellently here, but I believe that in the other yeshiva I will achieve more success and elevate myself further." Rav Tzadka told him: "Consider this: in Hallel we say, 'Please, Hashem, save us now; please, Hashem, grant us success now.' When reaching 'save us now' - we wave the lulav; but at 'grant us success now' - we do not wave. And what do we learn from this? In order to merit salvation, when a person needs a salvation - wave, move from place to place, shake yourself up. But for 'grant us success now' - we do not wave: merely for the sake of more success, stay in your place; do not start moving around and do not transfer elsewhere. Where you are is fine. And how do you know your success there would be any greater?"
בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה בֵּרַכְנוּכֶם מִבֵּית יְהֹוָה׃ - Blessed is he who comes in the name of Hashem; we bless you from the House of Hashem.
Rashi explains that "Blessed is he who comes in the name of Hashem" was said to those bringing the firstfruits (bikkurim) and to the festival pilgrims, and "berachnukhem" means: we have blessed you. Radak explains: anyone who came to serve Hashem would be greeted with "Blessed is he who comes in the name of Hashem," and they would bless him in His blessed Name, since the Name of Hashem is blessed. And they come to the Temple to receive blessing, which is why it says "we bless you from the House of Hashem" - the blessing emanates from the place where Hashem's Name resides. For blessing flows from His Name, and from His place - from the place where the Shechinah dwells, the Beit HaMikdash - from there He blesses them. This corresponds to "May Hashem bless you and safeguard you," and as we will see, the other expressions in these verses also correspond to the other blessings of Birkat Kohanim.
אֵל יְהֹוָה וַיָּאֶר לָנוּ אִסְרוּ־חַג בַּעֲבֹתִים עַד־קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃ - Almighty is Hashem, and He has illuminated for us; bind the festival offering with cords until the horns of the altar.
"E-l," Ibn Ezra explains, denotes mighty and powerful: Hashem is the Mighty One Who has brought light to us. And why "He has illuminated for us"? Because the passage speaks of sacrifices, and offerings may only be offered by day. No sacrifice is brought at night at all; at night, only the fats and limbs are consumed upon the altar. Therefore, "He has illuminated for us" - it now refers to daylight, during which the sacrifices are brought.
Then the Kohanim say to the Jewish people: "Bind the festival offering." Note an expression whose original meaning is completely different from how people commonly use it today: nowadays, "Isru Chag" refers to the day following a Yom Tov, a poetic borrowing based on this verse. But its true meaning is: bind the festival offering (chagigah). "With cords" - with thick ropes. "Until the horns of the altar" - for it was their custom, when they wished to guard the sacrifice so it would not wander off and remain secured, to tie it to the bedposts, an expression found in several places. That is: bind the festival sacrifice with thick cords until you bring it to the horns of the altar, so that they may slaughter it there and sprinkle the blood on the horns of the altar. Similarly, as Scripture says, "festivals shall cycle" ("chaggim yinkofu"), where "chaggim" also means festival sacrifices. "Until the horns of the altar" - until it is brought right beside the altar's horns, for that is where the blood application takes place, which is the essential service of the sacrifice.
And Rashi explains likewise: the sacrifices and festival offerings that were free and inspected from any blemish were tied to their bedposts until they brought them into the Temple Courtyard (Azarah) to the horns of the altar. And where else do we find tying the offering to the bedpost? With the Korban Pesach in Egypt, which they took on the tenth of the month, and our Sages teach that they tied it to their bedposts.
אֵלִי אַתָּה וְאוֹדֶךָּ אֱלֹהַי אֲרוֹמְמֶךָּ׃ - You are my God and I will give You thanks; my God, I will exalt You.
The holy Alshich says: The King Messiah says - If You hasten the redemption and treat me with lovingkindness, "I will give You thanks" (odecha), I will thank You for this. And this is "E-li" (You are my God), for the Name "E-l" represents lovingkindness (chesed), as one of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is "E-l, merciful and gracious." As we have noted, "Elokim" represents strict justice (din), whereas "E-l" represents chesed; while with the Four-Letter Name, it is the reverse: the full Name represents mercy (rachamim), while "Y-ah" represents din. And if You relate to me through the attribute of "Elokai", which is din - meaning that You do not bring the redemption swiftly (achishena, "I will hasten it"), but rather at the time it must come according to justice (be'itah, "in its due time") - even then, "I will exalt You" (aromimeka), I will exalt and praise You. And then the Holy Spirit responds: "Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever" - whether you merit it or not, know that Hashem always acts with kindness. Whether it comes in its time, which is through the attribute of "for He is good," or whether it comes early through achishena, which is also certainly from His blessed goodness - whichever way it unfolds, know that ultimately, it is for the best.
Someone once asked one of the Gedolei Yisrael: Why is the redemption delaying so long? He replied: Do the math. Look at our situation forty years ago in terms of spirituality and Judaism among the people - the situation was very low. In the past, one needed courage just to wear a kippah in the army, and in many other places as well. Minyanim, Torah classes, soldiers going out to battle wearing tzitzit and crying out "Hashem is God!" - where did one see such things in the past? We see that there is a general awakening among the people, and even if there are fringes that have become more extreme and progressive, overall there is an awakening. The teshuvah movement, which began over the past thirty years, has created a tremendous shift compared to the attitude toward Torah-observant Jews forty or fifty years ago. The older among us remember: a person had to send his son to secular schooling just to get a "red booklet" of party membership, to be given a job, to receive ration stamps - he had to fall in line with those who denied the way of Hashem. Today, the majority of the nation are believers. He said to him: What do you want, that Hashem should hasten the redemption - and where will everyone be? The Holy One, blessed be He, wants one more person to draw close, and another to draw close.
Someone once framed this with the parable of a descending bulkhead door: just as on ships, there are watertight doors that descend and partition the ship, so that if water enters, it will not pass from one side to the other and sink it. The moment the door descends fully, it seals shut. And what does everyone do before it descends? They run, enter, and cross through. That is what we are doing today: bringing one more person inside, pulling in another person and bringing them in. Because when the door closes - it is over; Mashiach has arrived, and whatever you have attained, you have attained. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, in His abundant mercy delays the redemption, in order to grant people another opportunity to draw near and fulfill His will.
Ibn Ezra explains that the one saying "You are my God, and I will give You thanks" is the person bringing the sacrifice. Even though it is not explicitly stated here who is speaking, do not wonder at this, for this is the poetic style of songs, such as "I have taken off my tunic" (Shir HaShirim 5:3) and many similar verses: often the action is mentioned without explicitly naming the actor.
Radak explains: "You are my God, and I will give You thanks" - this is spoken by the Jewish people: It is fitting for me to give thanks more than all the nations. Why? Because "You are my God" - You demonstrated Your strength, Your might, and Your power in rescuing and saving me; You took me out of exile with Your great power, and I have witnessed the aspect of "E-li." And You are also "Elokai", the attribute of strict justice, for You executed judgment upon the nations and exacted retribution from those who afflicted me - and therefore "I will exalt You," I will exalt You with my mouth.
The Malbim, as will be recalled, interprets these verses as referring to King Chizkiyahu: they went out to greet him with flaming torches as he approached the Beit HaMikdash, as it says, "Honor Hashem with lights" (Yeshayahu 24:15), and to this he responds, "Hashem is God, and He has illuminated for us" - corresponding to "May Hashem shine His face toward you" (Bamidbar 6:25). Then the king commands the Kohanim, "Bind the festival offering" - to bring the sacrifice he offered up to the horns of the altar to sacrifice it, and Hashem will lift His countenance toward them to accept the offering; this corresponds to "May Hashem lift His countenance toward you" (Bamidbar 6:26), for the acceptance of a sacrifice is the lifting of His countenance.
הוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי־טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ׃ - Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever.
Radak notes: This is addressed to all the nations. At first we said, "You are my God, and I will give You thanks" - I am the one thanking, for the personal salvation You performed for me, particularly through the aspect of "E-l." And now all the nations give thanks and say: "Give thanks to Hashem, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever" - give thanks to Hashem, for He is good to all, and His kindness is eternal, for He constantly performs chesed with His creations.
Here Radak also explains the psalm according to Chazal, who expounded it as referring to David. "The stone that the builders rejected" - this is David. When Shmuel came to anoint him, Yishai presented his sons before him, and Shmuel told him: No, the king is not here; you cannot have brought all of your sons. Yishai said to him: There remains one more with the sheep - surely he is not the one being spoken of. Shmuel told him: I will not sit down until you bring him here. So he went and brought David, and the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Shmuel: My anointed one is standing, and you are sitting? Arise and anoint him! So he arose and anointed him. "The stone that the builders (bonim) rejected" - the "builders" were the sons (banim); they all rejected him, saying: This is David, let him go tend the sheep, and he was even suspected of illegitimacy, as is well known. And specifically this rejected one became the chief cornerstone.
"I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me [or: afflicted me]," David said, "and You have become my salvation" - especially according to what we explained, that anitani carries the connotation of affliction (innui): that very affliction that I viewed as terrible, being cast out to tend the sheep, was itself the source of my salvation. For the Holy One, blessed be He, chooses His chosen leaders from the flock: He took Yaakov from the flock, He took Moshe from the flock, and He took David from the flock - whoever knows how to shepherd the flock, let him come and shepherd My people.
"The stone the builders despised" - Yishai said: That stone which the sons despised has become the chief cornerstone, for David was a young shepherd boy, of no account in their eyes, and it never entered their minds that he would be king. "This was from the Lord" - his brothers said; "it is wondrous in our eyes" - the matter is from Hashem, and it is a wonder in our eyes how such a thing came to pass. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it" - Shmuel said. "Please, Lord, save us!" - his brothers said. "Please, Lord, grant success!" - David said. There are explanations for why they specifically said "Save us" and why he said "Grant success," but we will not delve into that here, presenting Chazal's midrash in its straightforward sense. "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" - Yishai said when David came in from the sheep. "We bless you" - Shmuel said. "The Lord is God, and He has illuminated for us" - they all said. "Bind the festival offering with cords" - Shmuel said, as he called them to the sacrifice, meaning: bind the offering that will be sacrificed. "You are my God, and I will thank You" - David said. "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His kindness is forever" - they all said.
The conclusion of the psalm teaches us the path of complete thanksgiving: to give thanks not only for the salvation, but also for the affliction that brought it about, and to know that the stone the builders despised - David, the youth among the shepherds; Chizkiyahu, whom others opposed; and the Jewish people, despised among the nations - is destined to become the chief cornerstone. This happens not through its own strength, but because "this was from the Lord," and therefore all the nations will rejoice in it. "Let us exult and rejoice in Him" - in Him, blessed be He, and not merely in the salvation itself; jubilation over the newfound wonder, and continuous joy that follows. And as long as the redemption has not yet arrived, we plead, "Please, Lord, save us!" - that He hasten it and that it not arrive merely in its fixed time; and in the meantime, the Holy One, blessed be He, in His abundant mercy waits so that more and more people may draw near and merit it. And in whatever way it comes, whether through kindness or through judgment, everything concludes with a single thanksgiving: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His kindness is forever."