"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
— Psalm 118:24 (KJV)
Psalm 118:24 is the "this is the day the Lord has made" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Psalm 118, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about rejoicing, Bible verses about gratitude, and Bible verses about joy.
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The verse
The current NIV says, "The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad." Many other translations, including the ESV, keep the familiar wording: "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
"Day" is yom (H3117). "Made" is asah (H6213), to do or make. "Rejoice" is gil (H1523), to be glad or joyful, and "be glad" is samach (H8055).
Where it sits in Psalm 118
Psalm 118 opens and closes with the same line: "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever" (Psalm 118:1, 29). In between, the singer tells how he was hard pressed and the LORD helped him.
Right before verse 24 comes, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:22-23). Jesus quotes those lines about himself in Matthew 21:42. Two verses later the psalm says, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD" (Psalm 118:26), the words the crowds shouted when Jesus entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9).
What the verse is saying
In context, "the day" is the day God acted: the rejected stone made the cornerstone. The response is to rejoice and be glad because of what the LORD has done.
Christians often read it as a word for any morning too, since every day comes from God. Both readings point the same way: notice what God has done today and thank him for it. For more, see Lamentations 3:22-23, Bible verses about thanksgiving, and Bible verses about new beginnings.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 118:24 say?
In the KJV it says, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." The ESV says, "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." The current NIV says, "The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad."
Why does the NIV word Psalm 118:24 differently?
The Hebrew can be read as "this is the day the LORD has made" or "this is the day the LORD has acted." The current NIV follows the second reading, tying the verse to God's act in verses 22-23. The meaning stays close: rejoice in what God has done.
What is "the day" in Psalm 118:24?
In the psalm it is the day God turned the rejected stone into the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22-23). Jesus applies that cornerstone line to himself in Matthew 21:42.
Who wrote Psalm 118?
The psalm has no heading naming an author. It is the last of the Hallel psalms (Psalms 113–118), sung at Passover.
What verse goes with Psalm 118:24?
Lamentations 3:22-23 says God's mercies "are new every morning." Psalm 118:1 says, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."
