Friday, September 15, 2023
Middle Verse in the Bible - Submitted by Kay Crumley
Some of you, like me, have seen the “Did You Know That:” list of things about the Bible. I was curious to see if there is any truth to that list.
I found, according to GotQuestions.org, some discrepancies. The middle Chapter is Psalm 117, not Psalm 118. Maybe because Psalm 117 is also the shortest Chapter. The longest Chapter is Psalm 119. While the list being circulated on social media says that Psalm 118 is the middle Chapter and that Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse, GotQuestions.org calculates the middle verse to be Psalm 103:1-2. Since there are an even number of verses there isn’t ONE middle verse.
Well, all that is very interesting but has little to do with the study of The Word. I believe the calculation of the these “facts” can be disputed based on the version of the Bible being used, etc. However, I am interested in looking into these two reported “center verses” to see if there is anything we can learn.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. KJV
Psalm 118 has 29 verses. Commentators believe it was written by King David. It is also the Psalm sung in Jesus’ day as part of the Passover ritual. The passage in Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 tells us that Jesus sang a song with His disciples at the last supper. That refers to the group of Psalms used during Passover that includes Psalm 118. If you read the first four verses of this Chapter, we see that it is calling the children of Israel to give thanks to the Lord for only one reason, “His mercy endures forever.” That phrase is repeated in each of the first four verses. As we continue reading toward verse 8, we see that we can trust that when we call to the Lord in our distress, He hears us and that He helps us. Verses 8-9 assures us that it is better to place our confidence in the LORD than in man or in princes. We find in verses 10-14 that even when he was surrounded by his enemies, God helped him. Then in the next set, verses 15-18 he is rejoicing because God delivered him from death, followed by verses 19-20 that give praise to the Great Deliverer. He is our cornerstone, the foundation of our faith in verses 21-24. Those who come to the Lord are blessed and give praise to God, verses 25-28. I wanted to lead you through the entire chapter to get to the final verse. 29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. The author ended the chapter as he begins it. His mercy endures forever.
Since all that is true, we can be assured that indeed it is better to trust in the Lord than in man, regardless of his power or position.
What does the other “middle of the Bible” verses say? Psalm 103:1-2 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
This Psalm is also attributed to King David as the author. One commentator stated that “It is perhaps the most perfect song of pure praise to be found in the Bible.” This is not a long chapter but is full of the many reasons we should honor Him. We should bless Him from our inmost being, our soul and remember all the many benefits He has blessed us with.
3-5 – He Redeems; forgives, heals, saves, satisfies.
6-7 – He is Righteous
8-10 – He is Gracious; slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
11-12 – He Forgives; He takes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west.
13-14 – He shows Sympathy to His children.
15-18 – He is Everlasting
19 – He Rules of ALL
20-22 – All creation Bless, Honor the Lord
Just as King David began and ended Chapter 118 with the same concept, he began and ended Chapter 103 with the same concept; Bless the Lord, oh my soul.
It doesn’t matter if these verses are physically located in the center of the Bible or not. The concepts are certainly central to our faith in God. Bless His Holy Name because His mercy endures forever. There is no earthly person or power that can compare to the all-encompassing love of God for His children. It is our act of obedience, worship, and love to give Him all glory and honor then to place our confidence in Him alone.
