Praise Yahweh, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
For his loving kindness is great toward us. Yahweh’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah!
Parallel Translations
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Praise Yahweh, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
For his loving kindness is great toward us. Yahweh’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah!
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O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
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O praise the LORD, all ye nations; laud Him, all ye peoples.
For His mercy is great toward us; and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Hallelujah.
Cross-references (22)
- Isaiah 25:1 (v2) Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete…
- Psalms 103:11 (v2) For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.
- Revelation 15:4 (v1) Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your…
- Psalms 89:1 (v2) I will sing of the loving kindness of Yahweh forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
- Psalms 100:4-5 (v2) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name. For Yahweh is good. His…
Show all 22 cross-references
- 1 John 5:6 (v2) This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who…
- John 14:6 (v2) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
- Romans 15:11 (v1) Again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Let all the peoples praise him.”
- Psalms 67:3 (v1) let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
- Psalms 85:10 (v2) Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
- Micah 7:20 (v2) You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
- Romans 15:8-9 (v2) Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the…
- Revelation 5:9 (v1) They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your…
- Luke 1:54-55 (v2) He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
- Psalms 66:1 (v1) Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
- Psalms 86:9 (v1) All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name.
- Psalms 66:4 (v1) All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.”
- Psalms 148:11-14 (v1) kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children: let them praise…
- Revelation 7:9-10 (v1) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and…
- Psalms 150:6 (v1) Let everything that has breath praise Yah! Praise Yah!
- Isaiah 24:15-16 (v1) Therefore glorify Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea! From the uttermost part of the…
- Isaiah 42:10-12 (v1) Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (25 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv1–2 1 Praise Jehovah, all ye nations. The Holy Spirit…
1 Praise Jehovah, all ye nations. The Holy Spirit having, by the mouth of the prophet, exhorted all nations to celebrate the praises of God’s mercy and faithfulness, Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, very justly considers this as a prediction respecting the calling of the whole world, (Romans 15:11.) How can unbelievers be qualified for praising God, who, though not entirely destitute of his mercy, yet are insensible of it, and are ignorant of his truth? It would therefore serve no purpose for the prophet to address the heathen nations, unless they were to be gathered together in the unity of the faith with the children of Abraham. There is no ground for the censorious attempting, by their sophistical arguments, to refute the reasoning of Paul. I grant that the Holy Spirit elsewhere calls upon the mountains, rivers, trees, rain, winds, and thunder, to resound the praises of God, because all creation silently proclaims him to be its Maker. It is in a different manner that he is praised by his rational creatures. The reason assigned is, that God’s mercy and truth furnish materials for celebrating his praises. Besides, the prophet does not mean that God shall be praised everywhere by the Gentiles, because the knowledge of his character is confined to a small portion of the land of Judea, but because it was to be spread over the whole world. First, he enjoins God to be praised, because his goodness is increased, or strengthened, for the Hebrew term admits of both meanings. Secondly, because his truth remains steadfast for ever How, then, are those qualified to celebrate his praises, who, with brutal insensibility, pass over his goodness, and shut their ears against his heavenly doctrine?
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v2 That is, the most certain and continual testimonies of…
That is, the most certain and continual testimonies of his Fatherly graces.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv1–2 Psa 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations:…
Psa 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
Ver. 1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations] viz. For Christ, that gift, Joh 4:10, that benefit, 1Ti 6:2, that desire of all nations, Hag 2:7, that good tidings of great joy to all people, Luk 2:10, who are by him received into the glory of God, Rom 15:7; Rom 15:11, where the apostle thus applieth this Scripture; and the Jewish doctors confess that this short and sweet psalm is to be understood de beneficiis Messiae, of Christ and his benefits (Kimchi).
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Praise him, all ye people] Laudationibus commendate emn, so Tremellius rendereth it; praise him with a force, and, as it were, with a violence, with all your might; ye cannot possibly overdo.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv1–2 Acknowledge the true God, and serve him only, and…
Acknowledge the true God, and serve him only, and cast away all your idols.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v1 There is a great deal of gospel in this…
There is a great deal of gospel in this psalm. The apostle has furnished us with a key to it (Rom 15:11), where he quotes it as a proof that the gospel was to be preached to, and would be entertained by, the Gentile nations, which yet was so great a stumbling-block to the Jews. Why should that offend them when it is said, and they themselves had often sung it, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and laud him, all you people. Some of the Jewish writers confess that this psalm refers to the kingdom of the Messiah; nay, one of them has a fancy that it consists of two verses to signify that in the days of the Messiah God should be glorified by two sorts of people, by the Jews, according to the law of Moses, and by the Gentiles, according to the seven precepts of the sons of Noah, which yet should make one church, as these two verses make one psalm. We have here,
I. The vast extent of the gospel church, Psa 117:1. For many ages in Judah only was God known and his name praised. The sons of Levi and the seed of Israel praised him, but the rest of the nations praised gods of wood and stone (Dan 5:4), while there was no devotion at all paid, at least none openly, that we know of, to the living and true God. But here all nations are called to praise the Lord, which could not be applied to the Old Testament times, both because this call was not then given to any of the Gentile nations, much less to all, in a language they understood, and because, unless the people of the land became Jews and were circumcised, they were not admitted to praise God with them. But the gospel of Christ is ordered to be preached to all nations, and by him the partition-wall is taken down, and those that were afar off are made nigh. This was the mystery which was hidden in prophecy for many ages, but was at length revealed in the accomplishment, That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, Eph 3:3, Eph 3:6. Observe here, 1. Who should be admitted into the church - all nations and all people. The original words are the same that are used for the heathen that rage and the people that imagine against Christ (Psa 2:1); those that had been enemies to his kingdom should become his willing subjects. The gospel of the kingdom was to be preached to all the world, for a witness to all nations, Mat 24:14; Mar 16:15. All nations shall be called, and to some of all nations the call shall be effectual, and they shall be discipled. 2. How their admission into the church is foretold - by a repeated call to praise him. The tidings of the gospel, being sent to all nations, should give them cause to praise God; the institution of gospel-ordinances would give them leave and opportunity to praise God; and the power of gospel-grace would give them hearts to praise him. Those are highly favoured whom God invites by his word and inclines by his Spirit to praise him, and so makes to be to him for a name and a praise, Jer 13:11. See Rev 7:9, Rev 7:10.
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II. The unsearchable riches of gospel-grace, which are to be the matter or our praise, Psa 117:2. In the gospel, those celebrated attributes of God, his mercy and his truth, shine most brightly in themselves and most comfortably to us; and the apostle, where he quotes this psalm, takes notice of these as the two great things for which the Gentiles should glorify God (Rom 15:8, Rom 15:9), for the truth of God and for his mercy. We that enjoy the gospel have reason to praise the Lord, 1. For the power of his mercy: His merciful kindness is great towards us; it is strong (so the word signifies); it is mighty for the pardon of mighty sins (Amo 5:12) and for the working out of a mighty salvation. 2. For the perpetuity of his truth: The truth of the Lord endures for ever. It was mercy, mere mercy, to the Gentiles, that the gospel was sent among them. It was merciful kindness prevailing towards them above their deserts; and in it the truth of the Lord, of his promise made unto the fathers, endures for ever; for, though the Jews were hardened and expelled, yet the promise took its effect in the believing Gentiles, the spiritual seed of Abraham. God's mercy is the fountain of all our comforts and his truth the foundation of all our hopes, and therefore for both we must praise the Lord.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv1–2 O praise the Lord, all ye nations,.... The Lord…
O praise the Lord, all ye nations,.... The Lord having chosen, and Christ having redeemed, some out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and the Gospel being sent and preached to all nations, and some of each being called and converted by the Spirit of God; they are excited to praise the Lord, Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit, for their several acts of divine grace and kindness towards them, in choosing, redeeming, and sanctifying them; and in favouring them with the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, and with his gracious presence in them; and in supplying them with his grace, and giving them a right unto and meetness for eternal glory; for all which praise should be given to the Lord;
praise him, all ye people; ye people of God in the several nations of the world; not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also: the same thing is repeated in different words, for the greater certainty and confirmation of it; that this should be, the work and exercise of the Gentiles in Gospel times, and expresses eagerness and vehemence to stir them up to it. A different word is here used for "praise" than in the former clause; and which is more frequently used in the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic languages; and signifies the celebration of the praises of God with a high voice.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v1 An exhortation to all nations to praise God for…
An exhortation to all nations to praise God for his mercy and truth, ver. 1, 2.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv1–2 The psalmist calls upon the nations of the world…
PSALM CXVII
The psalmist calls upon the nations of the world to praise the
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Lord for his mercy and kindness, and for the fulfilment of his
promises, 1, 2.
NOTES ON PSALM CXVII
This is the shortest Psalm in the whole collection; it is written as a part of the preceding in thirty-two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and is found thus printed in some ancient editions. The whole Psalm is omitted in one of Kennicott's and in two of De Rossi's MSS. It celebrates the redemption from the Babylonish captivity, the grand type of the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus.
The Syriac says: "It was spoken concerning Ananias and his followers when they came out of the furnace; but it also foretells the vocation of the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel." In this way St. Paul applies it, Ro 15:11.
Verse 1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations] Let all the Gentiles praise him, for he provides for their eternal salvation.
Praise him, all ye people.] All ye Jews, praise him; for ye have long been his peculiar people. And while he sends his Son to be a light to the Gentiles, he sends him also to be the glory of his people Israel.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v1 Psa 117:1-2. O praise the Lord, all ye nations…
Psa 117:1-2. O praise the Lord, all ye nations — Let not the praises that are due to the great Lord of all, be confined to our nation; but let all people upon the face of the earth praise him. For his merciful kindness is great toward us — Toward all the children of Adam, whether carnal or spiritual, for he hath done mighty things for all mankind; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever — The Lord, who changes not, will not fail to perform his faithful promises to the world’s end. Therefore let us all join in praises to our common Benefactor.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv1–2 O praise the Lord, all ye nations - The…
O praise the Lord, all ye nations - The idea is that God has a claim to universal worship, and that all the nations of the earth are under obligations to adore him as the true God. He is not the God of the Hebrew people only, but of all people; his praise should be celebrated not merely by one nation, but by all. This is one of the passages in the Old Testament, anticipating what is more fully disclosed in the New Testament, in which the sacred writer extends his vision beyond the narrow boundaries of Judea, and looks to the world, the whole world, as the theater on which the true religion was to be displayed, and for which it was designed. It is language such as would be indited by the Spirit of inspiration on the supposition that the time would come when the barrier between Jews and Gentiles would be broken down, and when all the nations of the earth would be in the possession of the true religion, and would unite in the worship of the same God. This doctrine, however, was not fully made known until the coming of the Redeemer. The announcement of this was made by the Redeemer himself (compare Mat 8:11; Mat 12:21; Mat 28:19); it was the occasion of no small part of the trouble which the Apostle Paul had with his countrymen (compare Act 13:46; Act 18:6; Act 21:21; Act 22:21; Act 26:20, Act 26:23); it was one of the doctrines which Paul especially endeavored to establish, as a great truth of Christianity, that all the barriers between the nations were to be broken down, and the Gospel proclaimed to all people alike, Rom 3:29; Rom 9:24, Rom 9:30; Rom 11:11; Rom 15:9-11, Rom 15:16, Rom 15:18; Gal 2:2; Eph 2:11-18; Eph 3:1-9. It is under the gospel that this language becomes especially appropriate.
Praise him, all ye people - People of all lands. The word here rendered “praise” - שׁבח shâbach - means properly to soothe, to still, to restrain - as, for example, billows Psa 89:9; and then, to praise, as if to soothe with praises - mulcere laudibus, Pacuv. The idea of soothing or mitigating, however, is not necessarily in the word, but it may be understood in the general sense of praise. We may in fact often soothe or appease people - angry, jealous, suspicious people - by skillful flattery or praise - for there are few, even when under the influence of anger or hatred, who may not thus be approached, or who do not value praise and commendation more than they do the indulgence of passion; but we cannot hope thus to appease the anger of God. We approach him to utter our deep sense of his goodness, and our veneration for his character; we do not expect to turn him from anger to love - to make him forget his justice or our sins - by soothing flattery.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v1 Psalms 117
Psalms 117
1 Oh praise the Lord, all ye nations:
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Praise Him, all ye people.
2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us:
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
Praise ye the Lord.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Contents and Composition.—This Psalm, which occupies exactly the middle place in the Holy Scriptures, is the shortest, as far as words are concerned, but is highly important in its Messianic meaning. It contains the lyrical expression of the consciousness of the Old Testament Church, (1) that it was the object of the special and everlasting care of God; (2) that the former proceeded from His mercy, the latter from His truth; (3) that for this very reason (not Israel, but) Jehovah is the worthy object of praise for all peoples. The truth that all nations should yet worship Jehovah, as the God who has revealed Himself to the world by means of what He did for Israel, is unfolded by the Apostle Paul (Rom_15:11) from the germs herein contained. The special occasion of the composition of the Psalm cannot be ascertained. The supposition (Hitzig) that it was the victory of which the preceding and following Psalms are supposed to treat, has nothing for its support. The style is liturgical, and therefore this is often called a Temple–Psalm, sung either at the beginning or at the end of the service (Rosenmüller), or, by separate choirs or by the whole people, in the interval between longer psalms (Knapp). Many MSS. and editions annex it to the following Psalm.
Instead of the Heb. form אֻמּוֹת, Gen_25:16, Num_25:15, the Chald. form אֻמִּים3 occurs here in Psa_117:1. The closing word of the same verse, לְעוֹלָם, does not further define גבר (Luther) but is the predicate of אֶמֶת (Sept.).—“Mercy and truth are the two divine forces which, once unveiled and unfolded in Israel, shall go forth from Israel and overcome the world” (Del.). The heathen are called upon to praise the Lord on account of His great deeds in behalf of Israel in Psa_47:2; Psa_66:8; Psa_98:4 (Hengstenberg).
[Delitzsch: “כְּל־גּוֹים are all nations without distinction. כָּל־לִאֻמִּים are all nations without exception.”—J. F.M.]
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
What God does in His Church tends to the good of the world.—The expectation of salvation for all peoples: (1) whither it is directed; (2) on what it is based; (3) by what means it may be realized.—The worship of God on earth: (1) its meaning; (2) the place where it is to be offered; (3) its elements and mode.—The influence of God’s mercy, as a means of preserving and extending His Church among all nations, in accordance with His eternal truth and faithfulness.
Starke: Others may praise and boast of the glory of the world; let Christians praise God’s mercy and truth.—Where God’s priceless mercy is rightly understood, there follows a hallelujah to God the Lord.—Rieger: Any Jewish child could learn this little Psalm by rote, but when it comes to be fulfilled, it is just as hard for that nation to learn it inwardly.—Diedrich: Mercy and truth are the deepest need of mankind; let them then praise Him who answers such a need.—Taube: When we read of mercy, that it is powerful, and of truth that it is eternal, we are told to look for a royal march of victory through the world. But there is much to be overcome, not only in the hearts of heathen before they are brought from raging to praising, but also in the hearts of the Jews, before they become willing instruments of the divine counsels and embrace the far-reaching love of God.
[Matt. Henry: The tidings of the gospel being sent to all nations should give them cause to praise God; the institution of gospel ordinances would give leave and opportunity to praise God, and the power of gospel-grace would give them hearts to praise Him.—J. F. M.]
Footnotes:
[3][May this not have been an alternative Heb. form less frequently used? So Green, Gr. § 200 c. Boettcher, Gr. § 642, note I., thinks that כָל־לְאֻמִּים ought to be read. Perowne calls this latter word another and more frequent form of אֻמּוֹת. It is, of course, an entirely different word.—J. F. M.]
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv1–2 1. Nations… people—Terms which, in the widest sense, comprehended…
1. Nations… people—Terms which, in the widest sense, comprehended the whole heathen world. The apostle quotes it literally— “Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people”—as a proof that the gospel is to the Gentiles only a confirmation of the covenant promise made to Abraham. Rom_15:11. Compare Psalm 117:8, 9; Gen_17:4-5; Gen_22:18
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv1–2 1. Praise Jehovah, all ye nations,
1. Praise Jehovah, all ye nations,
Laud him all ye peoples.
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Two different words for praise are used.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v1 This, shortest of all the psalms, might well be…
CXVII.
This, shortest of all the psalms, might well be called multum in parvo, for in its few words it contains, as St. Paul felt (Rom_15:11), the germ of the great doctrine of the universality of the Messianic kingdom. That it was intended for liturgical use there can be no doubt, and possibly it is only one of the many varieties of the Hebrew Doxology. What is also very noticeable, is the ground on which all the world is summoned to join in the praise of Jehovah—His covenant kindness and the fulfilment of His promises to Israel. The idea latent under this is shown in the second word rendered praise; properly, to soothe. The nations are imagined coming to make their peace with Israel’s God after seeing His display of power for their sakes; but a wider and nobler truth emerged out of this.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv1–2 IT has been doubted whether this exceedingly short psalm…
IT has been doubted whether this exceedingly short psalm can ever have been in tended for a separate composition, and was not rather written as a conclusion to Psalm 116. or an introduction to Psalm 118. In Hebrew manuscripts it is often attached to one or other of these two psalms; but in the versions and in the best manuscripts it is always separate. The writer calls upon all the nations of the earth to laud and praise Jehovah, on the ground of his great mercy and faithfulness to Israel. The solidarity of the rest of mankind with Israel is assumed. (comp. Psa_47:1 Psa_66:1, 8 98:4 100:1, etc.)
O praise the Lord, all ye nations; or, "all ye Gentiles," as in Rom_15:11. The goim are especially the heathen nations of the earth. (comp. Psa_2:1, 8 9:5, 15, 19, 20, etc.) Praise him; rather, laud him (Revised Version). The verbs in the two clauses are different. All ye people; rather, all ye peoples.
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Vers. 1, 2. The kingdom of God.
The psalmist, consciously or unconsciously, anticipates the glories of the kingdom of God, as that is now being established under the reign of Christ. We have
I ITS STRONG FOUNDATION. It is founded on mercy and truth. Not on irresistible power, not on unchangeable law, but on Divine mercy and truth.
1. God"s mercy to mankind, secured by the redeeming work, and promised by the unchanging word, of Jesus Christ, is one stone of that foundation.
2. The other is the whole body of truth spoken by him or by his apostles under his inspiration. Those who go everywhere preaching "the gospel of the kingdom" are charged to make known God"s abounding grace to all men, from the best to the worst, from those "near" to those that are "afar off." They are also charged to declare the will of God in the righteousness, the truthfulness, the purity, the charity, the peacefulness, of those who give themselves to his service. These two great principles may never be disjoined. With the message of mercy carried to the worst of the children of men must be closely and inextricably associated all that utterance of God"s mind and purpose which requires holiness, wisdom, love.
II ITS BOUNDLESS RANGE. "Praise the Lord, all ye nations," etc. (ver. 1). It is difficult to understand how a Jew, under the Law, could expect all the heathen to be worshippers of God. The psalmist"s must have been a pious wish rather than a serious expectation. Not such is the Christian"s hope; he looks forward to the time when God will be honored under every sky, and his praises sung in every language. He sees islands, communities, nations, that were once barbarous and idolatrous now con-vetted to the truth; he sees the hoary systems of antiquity honey-combed with doubt and distrust; he sees groups and companies of men and women, as well as individuals, inquiring at the feet of Jesus Christ. He sees the Churches of Christ "putting on their beautiful garments" of faith and zeal, and sending out their messengers to the ends of the earth. He sees the truth and mercy of God printed in every known language on the globe; he sees the prophecies of the Old Testament and the New in the very act of fulfillment; he has reason to say, with a heart full of hope and joy, "Praise the Lord, all ye nations.
III ITS PERPETUITY. "To all generations;" or, "forever." At least seventy generations have come and gone since this psalm was written, and eighteen centuries have passed since Jesus Christ brought grace and truth" to the world in his own Person. And this Divine wisdom shows no other signs of age than those of maturity and advancement. There is no fear as to its future; for it comes from God, and it meets the deep needs of man. It brings pardon for his sin, peace to his burdened heart, comfort in his sorrow, sanctity to his joy, steadfastness for the time of temptation, nobility to his life, hope in the solemn hour of death. With whatever humanity can dispense, it cannot do without the mercy and the truth of God as these are revealed and secured by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
HOMILIES BY S. CONWAY Vers. 1, 2. The doxology.
This is the shortest psalm, but it is long enough to show
I THAT THERE IS ONE SUPREME OBJECT OF WORSHIP FOR ALL MEN. It is Jehovah, the Lord. He and he alone. Three times in this short psalm is this affirmed.
1. The atheism by whatever name it is called of the day denies this, saying, either God does not exist, or, if he does, we cannot know it.
2. False ideas of the Trinity practically deny this. Many Christians are tritheists, though unconsciously. But such error is not the less harmful on that account.
3. The doctrine of God as given in the whole Bible never teaches other than the unity of God. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord." The human race is one in its moral condition sin; in its need a Savior; in its consciousness of both these facts. One God, one Savior, should be worshipped by all.
II THAT THERE IS ONE DUTY INCUMBENT ON ALL THE PRAISE OF THE LORD. It is not in many things that all can unite; but they can, and one day will, in this. And we should seek to begin this now.
It is due to God; he deserves as well as desires and demands it. It is full of blessing to ourselves. Prayer is good, but praise is better still. And it blesses others. The spirit of praise is winsome, for "praise is comely." In the walls of the city of God its gates are praise. (Isa_60:18) We go in that way, and draw others to go in with us.
III THAT THERE IS ONE ARGUMENT AND MOTIVE WHICH WILL CONVINCE ALL WHAT OUR GOD IS. He has not merely kindness, but merciful kindness. And it is great; no insignificant and occasional thing. And it is "toward us;" not a mere abstraction, but a positive reality. And he is ever faithful and true; his righteousness endureth forever. Not mercy without truth, nor truth without mercy. Alone, neither would have saved us. But together they constitute the salvation of God. They who know will praise the Lord. S.C.
HOMILIES BY R. TUCK Ver. 1. God in national life.
"Laud him, all ye people" (Revised Version). This psalm was called by the Puritans the "Dunbar Psalm," because Cromwell, the lord-general, when at the foot of Doon Hill, after the battle of Dunbar, made a halt, and sang this psalm, "till the horse could gather for the chase." It is agreed that it is a kind of doxology, and was used either at the beginning or at the close of a liturgical service; somewhat as we use, Glory be to the Father," etc. It was the one most distinctive characteristic of the Jews that they were keen to recognize the presence and working of God in their national life. The tendency of nations is to distinguish between politics and religion. The tendency of sentimental religion is to keep aloof from politics. The true idea is exhibited in the Jewish national life at its best. The freest scope for all individual statesmanship and patriotism, combined with the ever-cherished conviction that God was in all, using all, inspiring all, and overruling all. Jewish politics and religion were one thing. Moses" revelation from God was as truly national as religious. So far as the Jews had a universal mission, a witness to make to "all peoples," it was of the one and only God in their national life, who ought to be recognized as the God of every national life. We can trace God in the history that is past; we may find him in the history that is now in the making. To that recognition of God in the present this psalm calls men. "The God of the whole earth shall he be called." Monotheism involves
(1) the universal claim of God to be every nation"s God;
(2) the determined opposition to every form in which the notion of deity is localized. The one God is all men"s God. The psalm declares that this should be the occasion of universal rejoicing; because, being what he is, this one God meets every conceivable need of all men.
I Men need AN INFALLIBLE DIRECTOR OF CONDUCT. This one God is the Ruler of all guiding all "with his eye.
II Men need A VINDICATOR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS in whom they may have absolute confidence. This one God is the Judge of all, the holy Avenger of all the wronged.
III Men need A RESCUER AND DELIVERER to whom in every sense of sin and peril they may flee. This one God is the Savior of all. These are universal human peculiarities found in every nation. So every nation wants the one God. R.T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain On vv1–2 This Psalm, which is very little in its letter,…
This Psalm, which is very little in its letter, is exceedingly large in its spirit; for, bursting beyond all bounds of race or nationality, it calls upon all mankind to praise the name of the Lord. In all probability it was frequently used as a brief hymn suitable for almost every occasion, and especially when the time for worship was short. Perhaps it was also sung at the commencement or at the close of other Psalms, just as we now use the doxology. It would have served either to open a service or to conclude it. It is both short and sweet. The same divine Spirit which expatiates in the 119th, here condenses his utterances into two short verses, but yet the same infinite fullness is present and perceptible. It may be worth noting that this is at once the shortest chapter of the Scriptures and the central portion of the whole Bible.
Ver. 1. O praise the LORD, all ye nations. This is an exhortation to the Gentiles to glorify Jehovah, and a clear proof that the Old Testament spirit differed widely from that narrow and contracted national bigotry with which the Jews of our Lord's day became so inveterately diseased. The nations could not be expected to join in the praise of Jehovah unless they were also to be partakers of the benefits which Israel enjoyed; and hence the Psalm was an intimation to Israel that the grace and mercy of their God were not to be confined to one nation, but would in happier days be extended to all the race of man, even as Moses had prophesied when he said, "Rejoice. O ye nations, his people" (De 32:43), for so the Hebrew has it. The nations were to be his people. He would call them a people that were not a people, and her beloved that was not beloved. We know and believe that no one tribe of men shall be unrepresented in the universal song which shall ascend unto the Lord of all. Individuals have already been gathered out of every kindred and people and tongue by the preaching of the gospel, and these have right heartily joined in magnifying the grace which sought them out, and brought them to know the Saviour. These are but the advance guard of a number which no man can number who will come ere long to worship the all glorious One.
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Praise him, all ye people. Having done it once, do it again, and do it still more fervently, daily increasing in the reverence and zeal with which you extol the Most High. Not only praise him nationally by your rulers, but popularly in your masses. The multitude of the common folk shall bless the Lord. Inasmuch as the matter is spoken of twice, its certainty is confirmed, and the Gentiles must and shall extol Jehovahall of them, without exception. Under the gospel dispensation we worship no new god, but the God of Abraham is our God for ever and ever; the God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Whole Psalm. A very short Psalm if you regard the words, but of very great compass and most excellent if you thoughtfully consider the meaning. There are here five principal points of doctrine.
First, the calling of the Gentiles, the Apostle being the interpreter, Ro 15:11; but in vain might the Prophet invite the Gentiles to praise Jehovah, unless they were to be gathered into the unity of the faith together with the children of Abraham.
Second, The Summary of the Gospel, namely, the manifestation of grace and truth, the Holy Spirit being the interpreter, Joh 1:17.
Third, The end of so great a blessing, namely, the worship of God in spirit and in truth, as we know that the kingdom of the Messiah is spiritual.
Fourth, the employment of the subjects of the great King is to praise and glorify Jehovah.
Lastly, the privilege of these servants:that, as to the Jews, so also to the Gentiles, who know and serve God the Saviour, eternal life and blessedness are brought, assured in this life, and prepared in heaven. Mollerus.
Whole Psalm. This Psalm, the shortest portion of the Book of God, is quoted and given much value to, in Ro 15:11. And upon this it has been profitably observed, "It is a small portion of Scripture, and such as we might easily overlook it. But not so the Holy Ghost. He gleans up this precious little testimony which speaks of grace to the Gentiles, and presses it on our attention." From Bellett's Short Meditations on the Psalms, chiefly in their Prophetic character, 1871.
Whole Psalm. The occasion and the author of this Psalm are alike unknown. De Wette regards it as a Temple Psalm, and agrees with Rosenmueller in the supposition that it was sung either at the beginning or the end of the service it the temple. Knapp supposes that it was used as an intermediate service, sung during the progress of the general service, to vary the devotion, and to awaken a new interest in the service, either sung by the choir or by the whole people. Albert Barnes.
Whole Psalm In God's worship it is not always necessary to be long; few words sometimes say what is sufficient, as this short Psalm giveth us to understand. David Dickson.
Whole Psalm. This is the shortest, and the next but one is the longest, of the Psalms. There are times for short hymns and long hymns, for short prayers and long prayers, for short sermons and long sermons, for short speeches and long speeches. It is better to be too short than too long, as it can more easily be mended. Short addresses need no formal divisions: long addresses require them, as in the next Psalm but one. G. Rogers.
Ver. 1. O praise the Lord, etc. The praise of God is here made both the beginning and the end of the Psalm; to show, that in praising God the saints are never satisfied with their own efforts, and would infinitely magnify him, even as his perfections are infinite. Here they make a circle, the beginning, middle, and end whereof is hallelujah. In the last Psalm, when David had said, "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, "and so in all likelihood had made an end, yet he repeats the hallelujah again, and cries, "Praise ye the Lord." The Psalmist had made an end and yet he had not done; to signify, that when we have said our utmost for God's praise, we must not be content, but begin anew. There is hardly any duty more pressed in the Old Testament upon us, though less practised, than this of praising God. To quicken us therefore to a duty so necessary, but so much neglected, this and many other Psalms were penned by David, purposely to excite us, that are the nations here meant, to consecrate our whole lives to the singing and setting forth of God's worthy praises. Abraham Wright.
Ver. 1. All ye nations. Note: each nation of the world has some special gift bestowed on it by God, which is not given to the others, whether you have regard to nature or grace, for which it ought to praise God. Le Blanc.
Ver. 1. Praise him. A different word is here used for "praise" than in the former clause: a word which is more frequently used in the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic languages; and signifies the celebration of the praises of God with a high voice. John Gill.
Whole Psalm. The universal kingdom.
1. The same God.
2. The same worship.
3. The same reason for it.
Psalms 117:2*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him,…
Psa_117:1-2
O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people.
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An exhortation to praise God for His goodness
1. In Gods worship it is not always necessary to be long; few words sometimes say what is sufficient, as this short psalm giveth us to understand.
2. The conversion of the Gentiles was foreseen and foretold long before the Jews were rejected, as this exhortation directed unto them, and prophesying of their praising God doth give evidence.
3. Invitation of any to the fellowship of Gods worship, and in special unto praise and thanksgiving, is an invitation to them to renounce their sinful course, and to subject themselves unto God in Christ, and to embrace the offer of His grace, that so they may join with the Church in the song of praises.
4. Yea, this invitation to all the nations to praise God, set down in Scripture, is a prophecy which was to take effect in all the elect Gentiles in all nations, for so reasoneth the apostle (Rom_15:11) from this place.
5. Albeit there be matter of praise unto God in Himself, though we should not be partakers of any benefit from Him, yet the Lord doth give His people cause to praise Him for favours to them in their own particular.
6. There is no less reason to praise God for what He hath promised, than for what He hath given already.
7. As Gods kindness and truth are the pillars of our salvation, so also are they the matter of our praise, which always go together, and run in the same channel toward the same persons, and do run abundantly and for ever together.
8. All they who hear of God are bound to praise God. (D. Dickson.)
Worship the duty of all peoples
I. All peoples are to worship the same god.
1. All are identical in spiritual condition. They all have a capacity to form a conception of the same God, and the same tendency to reverence and adore.
2. All have identical moral relationships. "In Him all live and move and have their being."
3. All should have identical controlling sympathies. Thus true worship becomes the unifying force of the race.
II. All peoples are to worship the same God for the same reason.
1. His kindness to all.
2. His faithfulness to all. God is truth, hence He never alters. Error is like the clouds, never shifting; truth, like the sun, continues the same from age to age. (D. Thomas, D.D.)
Universal adaptability of Christianity
Christianity alone, of all so-called faiths, overleaps all geographical limits and lives in all centuries. It alone wins its trophies and bestows its gifts on all sorts and conditions of men. Other plants which the "Heavenly Father hath not planted," have their zones of vegetation and die outside certain degrees of latitude; but the seed of the kingdom is like corn, an exotic nowhere, for wherever man lives it will grow, and yet an exotic everywhere, for it came down from Heaven. Other food requires an educated palate for its appreciation, but any hungry man in any land will relish bread. For every soul on earth this living, dying love of the Lord Jesus Christ addresses itself to and satisfies his deepest wants. It is the bread which gives life to the world. (A. Maclaren, D.D.)
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Psa_118:1-29
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Expositor's Bible 1887 · Public Domain On v1 Psalms 117
Psalms 117
THIS shortest of the psalms is not a fragment, though some MSS attach it to the preceding and some to the following psalm. It contains large "riches in a narrow room," and its very brevity gives force to it. Paul laid his finger on its special significance, when he quoted it in proof that God meant His salvation to be for the whole race. Jewish narrowness was an after growth and a corruption. The historical limitations of Gods manifestation to a special nation were means to its universal diffusion. The fire was gathered in a grate, that it might warm the whole house. All men have a share in what God does for Israel. His grace was intended to fructify through it to all. The consciousness of being the special recipients of Jehovahs mercy was saved from abuse, by being united with the consciousness of being endowed with blessing that they might diffuse blessing.
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Nor is the psalmists thought of what Israels experience proclaimed concerning Gods character less noteworthy. As often, lovingkindness is united with troth or faithfulness as twin stars which shine out in all Gods dealings with His people. That lovingkindness is "mighty over us"-the word used for being mighty has the sense of prevailing, and so "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." The permanence of the Divine Lovingkindness is guaranteed by Gods Troth, by which the fulfilment of every promise and the prolongation of every mercy are sealed to men. These two fair messengers have appeared in yet fairer form than the psalmist knew, and the world has to praise Jehovah for a world wide gift, first bestowed on and rejected by a degenerate Israel, which thought that it owned the inheritance, and so lost it.
William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v1 1. Authorship, &c., unknown.
INTRODUCTION
1. Authorship, &c., unknown.
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2. Probably a liturgical introduction to, or dismissal from, a service, either by separate choirs or the whole people.
3. “The lyrical expression of the consciousness of the Old Testament Church, that it was the object of the special and everlasting care of God; that the former proceeded from His mercy, the latter from His truth; and that for this very reason Jehovah is the worthy object of praise for all peoples.”—Moll. “In Rom_15:11, the Apostle developes the idea which is the germ of the Psalm; it calls upon the heathen to praise God for His mercy and truth exhibited to His chosen, in which the heathen will one day share. (Deu_32:43.) It expresses all the elements of a Messianic Psalm.”—Speaker’s Com.
MAN’S RECOGNITION OF GOD’S GOODNESS
(Psa_117:1-2)
“Some of the Jewish writers confess that this Psalm refers to the Kingdom of the Messiah; … that it consists of two verses to signify that then God would be glorified by two sorts of people—by the Jews according to the law of Moses, and by the Gentiles according to the seven precepts of the son of Noah—which should make one Church, as these two verses make one Psalm.” Notice—
I. That God’s goodness is manifested to meet man’s need. Men everywhere need mercy and truth. All need is represented here.
1. Man needs God’s mercy. Jew and Gentile alike need forbearance and redemption; for “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God’s merciful kindness is great
(1) in forbearing to punish;
(2) in the gift of His Son;
(3) in the mission of His Spirit;
(4) in the establishment of His Church;
(5) in its comprehensiveness;
(6) in its regenerating and glorifying power.
2. Man needs God’s truth. The provision for that is, “His truth endureth for ever.” This may mean God’s word, or God’s fidelity to His word. Both are true. Consider the state of the world without the Bible. Natural religion is only known when Bible light is thrown upon nature. Man needs
(1) the true knowledge of God;
(2) guidance in his duty;
(3) comfort in his trouble;
(4) a revelation of his hereafter. Nothing supplies that need but God’s truth. From that truth God has never swerved. He has never repealed it. He has ever fulfilled it. What was truth to Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, is truth to us, and will be throughout the ages.
II. That the divine goodness shall be universally recognised.
1. Why? Because
(1) it deserves to be.
(2) Because the order of things destines it to be. It was so at the beginning; it must be so at the end.
2. By whom?
(1.) By the Jews. The Cross is now a stumbling-block because the veil is on their hearts (Romans 11). But that veil will be removed, and “all Israel will be saved.”
(2.) By the Gentiles, to many of whom both the Cross and its revelation are foolishness. They shall yet confess it to be the wisdom of God. “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,” and every tongue shall confess that Christ is “the Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.”
3. How? By praising God.
(1.) Gratitude.
(2.) Consecration.
III. That universal recognition will characterise the redeemed and glorified Church for ever. (Rev_7:4-12; Rev_9:5-6.)
IN CONCLUSION.—(i.) When is the implied prophecy of our text to be fully realised? Apart from the speculations of ingenious commentators, and the tabulations of prophetic almanacs, it will be
(1) In God’s own time.
(2) In the right time. And
(3) “It is not for us to know the times and the seasons,” &c. (ii.) How is the prophecy of our text to be fulfilled? By earnest Christian testimony. The means are efficient: “The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation,” &c. The means are consecrated: “Go ye into all the world,” &c. The means are permanent; “The everlasting Gospel.” We have no warrant for the belief that the presence of the King will effect that for which the power and influence of the crucified and risen Saviour are not equal. Christian men, put on your strength. Vitalise and increase your agencies. Work in faith. “Jesus shall reign,” &c.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
F. W. Grant 1903 · Public Domain On v1 The whole earth summoned.
The whole earth summoned.
Accordingly the whole earth is now summoned to Jehovah’s feet; Israel’s salvation being that which makes known His faithfulness to promises long since made, and which might seem to have passed out of His remembrance. In their story also His love is now shown out: a love which, if shown out to them; is love in Him, and to be enjoyed by all who have hearts to entertain it.
F. W. Grant, The Numerical Bible (4th ed., 1903) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. R. Dummelow 1909 · Public Domain On v1 The shortest chapter in the Bible, and the middle…
The shortest chapter in the Bible, and the middle chapter. It is a doxology, calling all peoples to praise Jehovah. It may have been appended to some Ps.
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Arno C. Gaebelein 1922 · Public Domain On v1 Psalm 117
Psalm 117
This is the shortest Psalm. All the earth, all the nations, are now called upon to praise, because His merciful kindness has been great towards His people Israel. And their blessing means the blessing of the world. See the significant and interesting verse in Deu 32:43, the last note of Moses’ prophetic song. Hallelujah.
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v1 The Universal Kingdom of Messiah.
The Universal Kingdom of Messiah.
The shortest hymn in the Psalter, portraying, in a few words, the Church of God of all times in its relation to Jehovah, the God of salvation. The truth expressed in this psalm, that men from all nations would yet worship Jehovah, as the God who has revealed Himself in the fullness of His redemption for all mankind, is unfolded by Paul, Rom 15:11.
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v. 1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations, since He is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews, Luk 2:30-32; praise Him, all ye people, all the nations of the world, without exception.
v. 2. For His merciful kindness is great toward us, His grace, as revealed in Jesus, the Messiah, is powerful, mighty, in forgiving sins and iniquities and in protecting the believers from everlasting damnation, as the consequence of their trespasses; and the truth of the Lord endureth forever, His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises is absolutely trustworthy, His Word, the Gospel message, is thoroughly reliable. Praise ye the Lord, all believers joining in this great hallelujah, because grace and truth became their glorious possession in and with Jesus Christ, Joh 1:14-17, and the glory of this fact can never be sufficiently praised.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v1 General Information:
General Information:
Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: Poetry and Parallelism)
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For his
"Because his"
his covenant faithfulness is great toward us
The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be translated with an adjective. AT: "he does great things for us because he is faithful to his covenant" (See: Abstract Nouns)
the trustworthiness of Yahweh endures forever
The abstract noun "trustworthiness" can be translated with an adjective or a verbal phrase. AT: "Yahweh remains trustworthy forever" or "Yahweh will forever be worthy of people trusting him" (See: Abstract Nouns)
translationWords
praise
Yahweh
nation
exalt
people group
covenant faithfulness
trust
endure
eternity
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v1 Ps 117 This psalm, the shortest in the Psalter,…
Ps 117 This psalm, the shortest in the Psalter, invites all . . . people of the earth to praise the Lord because of his unfailing love and enduring faithfulness.
117:1 Paul quotes this verse to show that Gentiles would eventually praise the God of Israel (Rom 15:11).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.