Les Psaumes 118:5 Midrash : Midrash Tehillim

"A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah." This is the one that the scripture says (Isaiah 26:16), "Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them." When do the Israelites seek the Lord? When they are in distress, as it says (Psalms 18:7), "In my distress, I called upon the Lord." When they are in trouble, they seek the Lord, as it says (Psalms 3:1), "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son." And it says (Psalms 142:1), "A prayer of David, when he was in the cave." And it says (Psalms 54:1), "A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?" And it says (Psalms 57:1), "A Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave." And likewise, here when he was in the wilderness of Judah. And it also says (Psalms 18:7), "In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears." And it says (Psalms 118:5), "I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place." Therefore, it is said in the wilderness of Judah....

From Egypt I called out to God. "Mitzrayim" is what the Jewish people call the Lord in all languages, and He answers them. They called Him "Shaddai" in the fields, as it says, "May El Shaddai bless you" (Genesis 28:3), and He answered them in the fields, as it says, "I am El Shaddai; be fruitful and multiply" (ibid. 35:11). They called Him "Elohim," as it says, "O Lord, what can You give me?" (Exodus 2:22), and He answered them, as it says, "And their cry for help rose up to God" (ibid. 2:23). They called Him "Hashem," as it says, "And we cried out to Hashem" (Deuteronomy 26:7), and He answered them, as it says, "Hashem heard our voice" (ibid. 26:8). They called Him "Yah" from Egypt, as it says, "From Egypt I called out to Yah, and He answered me in the expanse of Yah" (Psalms 81:6). Similarly, it says, "For what great nation is there that has a god so close to it as Hashem our God whenever we call upon Him?" (Deuteronomy 4:7). Another meaning of "Mitzrayim" is "speaking of Egypt," as it says, "And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks" (Exodus 1:14). "In the expanse of Yah" means that God broadened His kindness to me, as it says, "The wings of a dove are sheathed with silver" (Psalms 68:14). Another meaning is in reference to David. When David left his brothers and they left him, all of Israel at that moment lifted their eyes to heaven, and David said, "A song of ascents. I will lift my eyes to the mountains" (Psalms 121:1). The Holy Spirit answered him and said, "Do not let your foot slip; your Guardian does not slumber" (ibid. 3). In the expanse refers to how God broadened the way for David, and all of Israel followed him until they arrived at the Philistine camp, as it says, "And the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines" (1 Samuel 17:53).