Psalm 118:8-9 – “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
A literal translation renders these scriptures as:
8. Better to take refuge in Yahweh than to trust in man,
9. Better to take refuge in Yahweh, Than to trust in princes.
The word trust comes from the Hebrew word, chacah (khaw-saw’), which can mean: properly: to flee for protection; figuratively: to confide in — have hope, make refuge, (put) trust.
The word confidence derives from the Hebrew word, batach (baw-takh’), which can mean: properly: to hie for refuge; figuratively: to trust, be confident or sure — be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
I will give one more definition for these scriptures. One of the definitions for the word prince in Noah Webster’s 1913 Revised Unabridged Dictionary is: a title belonging to persons of high rank, differing in different countries. So, a prince is not necessarily the son of a king.
The keys to these two scriptures are trust and confidence, and to whom that trust and confidence should be directed.
As the scriptures indicate, it is very important to trust in the LORD. Trusting in the LORD will not be like chasing the wind. The word of the LORD will not return void. Those who trust in the LORD will be like Mount Zion. They will not be moved. It says in the 40th Psalm that, “Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
The ways of man are fallible, no matter who they are (for a man only has an arm of flesh, but God has a mighty and supernatural arm). This even applies to men and women chosen to be leaders or in a position of high rank (or princes). In the sight of man, they may be favored and looked upon to deliver the people of their influence from a difficult or troubling situation (i.e. financial crisis, division, conflict, protection, etc.). However, if their trust is not firmly set in the LORD, their plans will not succeed. The deliverance will be in vain, as the 108th Psalm says. Not only will the deliverance be in vain, but seeking deliverance from man angers the LORD—as it says in the 17th chapter of Jeremiah: “…Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.”
In The Book of Isaiah, the LORD instructs us to, “Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils…” Since man’s breath is in his nostrils, his life is frail. If the nostril is stopped, the breath is stopped, and the man returns to the dust.
Trust in the LORD, where deliverance may be found. Do not allow your trust to be in princes or man, in whom there is no deliverance. Like the breath in his nostrils, the life of mortal man comes into the world and then leaves; he is temporal. Trust in the God immortal, whose breath is eternal. Man will fail and ultimately perish, but God is a refuge, a safe haven, a strong tower—never failing.
References and related scriptures: 2nd Chronicles 32:8; Psalm 40:4, 108:12, 125:1, 144:4, 146:3; Proverbs 3:5, 16:3, 18:10; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Isaiah 2:22, 55:11, 57:13; Jeremiah 17:5; 2nd Corinthians 4:18; 1st Timothy 1:17.
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