The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
What does Psalms 118:6 mean?
The account the psalmist here gives of his troubles is very applicable to Christ: many hated him without a cause; nay, the Lord himself chastened him sorely, bruised him, and put him to grief, that by his stripes we might be healed.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 118:6
" The Lord is with me. He is my helper. He defends my cause. I will not fear - I have nothing to be afraid of. God is more mighty than any or all of my foes, and he can deliver me from them all. Compare Psalm 56:4 , Psalm 56:9 , Psalm 56:11 . What can man do unto me? - Any person; all people. They can do no more than God permits. They cannot destroy me when he means to save me; they cannot defeat his gracious designs toward me. I am safe if God is my Friend. Compare the notes at Romans 8:31 .
Context in Psalms 118
Show chapter context
Psalms 118 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book IV. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Bible verses about anxiety and fear
Verses for readers searching for biblical language about fear, worry, troubled thoughts, and the call to trust God under pressure.
Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Bible verses about thankfulness and gratitude
Passages on thanksgiving to God, grateful worship, and the discipline of remembering God’s goodness in ordinary life.