Psalm 118:8
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Psalm 118 celebrates deliverance and the security found in God. Verse 8 distills a central lesson of that deliverance: God is a more reliable refuge than any human help.
What Does Psalm 118:8 Mean?
This brief verse makes a clear comparison and renders a verdict: trusting in God is "better" than putting confidence in people. It does not say human help is worthless -- people can and do help one another. But it ranks the two sources of confidence and declares God the safer foundation. People are limited, changeable, and mortal; God is none of these. When the chips are down, trust placed in God will not fail the way trust placed in even the best people can.
The wisdom here is practical. We are constantly tempted to lean our ultimate confidence on human strength -- on powerful allies, on our own abilities, on the assurances of others. Those things have their place, but they make a poor foundation for the soul's deepest trust. The psalmist, having just declared that the LORD is on his side, draws the natural conclusion: better to rely on God than on man. This verse is sometimes noted as standing near the very middle of the Bible, and its placement seems fitting, for it captures a central theme of the whole of Scripture. Where we place our final confidence shapes everything. The verse gently redirects us, again and again, to anchor our trust in the One who cannot fail.
In the Original Language
"Trust" renders the Hebrew chasah, to take refuge or seek shelter; "confidence" is batach, to rely on -- the verse contrasts taking refuge in God with leaning on human strength.
Cross References
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”
- Jeremiah 17:5
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
- Psalm 146:3
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
- Proverbs 3:5
Application
Examine where your ultimate confidence rests: value human help, but place your deepest trust in the LORD, who is a surer foundation than even the most reliable people.