For his loving kindness is great toward us. Yahweh’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah!
Parallel Translations
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For his loving kindness is great toward us. Yahweh’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah!
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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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For His mercy is great toward us; and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Hallelujah.
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Psalms 117:2 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Isaiah 25:1 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 faithfulness and truth.
- Psalms 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.
- Psalms 89:1 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 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 loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.
- 1 John 5:6 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 testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
- John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
- Psalms 85:10 Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
- Micah 7:20 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 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 fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.”
- Luke 1:54-55 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.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain The truth of God, in this passage, is properly…
The truth of God, in this passage, is properly introduced as an attestation of his grace. For he can be true even when he menaces the whole world with perdition and ruin. The prophet, however, has placed his mercy first in order that his faithfulness and truth, comprising an assurance of his paternal kindness, might encourage the hearts of the godly. His power and justice are equally praiseworthy; but as men will never cordially praise God until they are drawn by a foretaste of his goodness, the prophet very justly selects God’s mercy and truth, which alone open the mouths of those who are mute to engage in this exercise. When his truth is said to be everlasting, it is not set in opposition to his mercy, as if it, after flourishing for a season, then instantly passed away. The same reason would go to prove, that it was small compared with his mercy, which is said to be abundant. The meaning is, that God’s mercy is rich towards us, flowing in a perennial stream, because united to his eternal truth. If we read, his mercy is confirmed, all difficulty will be removed, for then both constancy and stability will alike adorn his mercy and his truth.
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 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 Psa 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward…
Psa 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD [endureth] for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great] Invaluit, hath prevailed over us, breaking through all obstacles and impediments, whether within us or without us, eating its way through all rocks and remoras; and though we would put it back, yet it will overcome us; his grace is irresistible, neither can it ever be taken away.
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And the truth of the Lord] As his mercy alone moved him to make promise, so his truth bindeth him to perform the same. See 2Sa 7:18; 2Sa 7:21. The word of promise bindeth God, and, therefore, it may seem to be stronger than God. If his merciful kindness prevail over us, as Psa 117:1, his truth prevaileth over him. The Jewish doctors observe that the word Emeth, here used for truth, consisteth of Aleph, the first letter of the alphabet; Mem, the middlemost letter thereof; and Tau, the last: to show that as God is Alpha and Omega, so the truth of God is the all in all of our comfort. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ; this is the sum of all the good news in the world.
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 Toward us; either,
Toward us; either,
1. Towards us Jews, to whom he hath given those peculiar privileges which he hath denied to all other nations. But this may seem an improper argument to move the Gentiles to praise God for his mercies to others from which they were excluded. Or,
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2. Towards all of us, all the children of Abraham, whether carnal or spiritual, who were to be incorporated together, and made one body and one fold by and under the Messias, Joh 10:16; Eph 2:14, which mystery seems to be insinuated by this manner of expression.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain For his merciful kindness is great towards us,.... Not…
For his merciful kindness is great towards us,.... Not us Israelites only, of whom David was, but Gentiles also; or otherwise there would be no force in the reason why all people and nations should praise the Lord: but it respects the time when these should become one people, partaking of the same grace, blessings, promises, and privileges; in which the grace, mercy, and lovingkindness of God, greatly appeared; "it prevailed over us" (p), as it may be rendered: the word is used of the prevailing of the waters of the flood over the earth, Gen 7:18; and so may denote the exuberance of the grace of God, of the abounding and superabounding of it. There is an abundance of it in the heart of God, in his covenant, and in his Son; and which is displayed in redemption by him; in the forgiveness of sin; and in the conversion of sinners, and their everlasting salvation: particularly there has been an inundation or deluge of it in the Gentile world, where it has flowed and overflowed; where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded; and therefore the Lord is to be praised. And another reason follows,
and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever; the faithfulness of God to his promises, not only made to the Jewish fathers concerning the Messiah, and redemption by him; but to the Gentiles, and concerning the blessing of all nations in the promised seed: and the faithfulness and truth of God, with respect to any of his promises, never fails; nor will his word of truth, the Gospel; nor Jesus Christ, who is the truth, and the truth of God; the truth of types, promises, and prophecies; see Psa 43:3; for he is the same today, yesterday, and for ever.
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Praise ye the Lord; for his superabounding grace, and eternal truth; even all the people of God, of all nations, Jews and Gentiles.
(p) "exsuperavit", Vatablus; "invaluit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; "exuberavit", Cocceius.
Next: Psalms Chapter 118
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 2. For his merciful kindness is great] גבר…
Verse 2. For his merciful kindness is great] גבר gabar, is strong: it is not only great in bulk or number, but it is powerful; it prevails over sin, Satan, death, and hell.
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.] Whatsoever he has promised, that he will most infallibly fulfill. He has promised to send his Son into the world, and thus he has done. He his promised that he should die for transgressors, and this he did. He has promised to receive all who come unto him through Christ Jesus, and this he invariably does. He has promised that his Gospel shall be preached in every nation, and this he is doing; the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever. Therefore, Praise ye the Lord!
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ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEENTH PSALM
This Psalm contains a doxology to God for his mercy and truth; and it is prophetical, having reference to the calling of the Gentiles; Ro 15:11.
It contains two parts: -
I. An exhortation to praise God.
II. The reason for it.
I. 1. He speaks to the Gentiles: "Praise the Lord, all ye nations." Praise him for the promise of salvation; and then, when fulfilled, praise him for the enjoyment of this salvation, - for the remission of sins, and gift of the Holy Ghost.
2. He speaks to the converted Jews, whom he notes under the name of people, as they are called Ps 2:1; Ac 4:25. As they and the Gentiles are intended to make one Church, so they should join in the praise of him of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.
II. The reason given: -
1. Because his mercy is great. It is strong; confirmed toward us, in sending his Son to save both Jews and Gentiles from their sins.
2. Because the truth of his promises is fulfilled. The promised Messiah is come, and has performed all that was prophesied of him.
3. Because this truth is forever. His promises and their fulfilment belong to all generations. There will never be another Messiah; Jesus is the true one: he tasted death for every man; he forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; and his blood cleanses from all unrighteousness. Now, for all this, "Praise ye the Lord!"
[N. B. Proclaiming the eternal mercy of God in Christ is more likely to persuade sinners to return to their Maker than all the fire of hell.]
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain For his merciful kindness is great toward us -…
For his merciful kindness is great toward us - His kindness; his compassion; his love. All nations - all people - may say this, and therefore the psalm is adapted to universal praise. Especially may this be said in view of the love of God to mankind in the gift of a Saviour - a Saviour not for any one people especially or exclusively, but for the world, Joh 3:16.
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever - All that God has said: his declarations; his promises; his assurances of mercy. They are the same in all lands where they are made known, and they are the same in all ages of the world. Truth is a representation of things as they are; and truth, therefore, must be ever the same. What was true in the first ages of the world in regard to the relation of the sum of the squares on the two sides of a right-angled triangle to the square of the hypothenuse is true now, and will always be true; and so, what God has affirmed at any one time will always remain the same in all ages and in all lands. What was truth to Abraham is truth to us; what was truth to Paul is truth to us; what was truth to the martyrs is truth to us; what is truth to us will be truth to all generations of the world in all lands, and will be truth forever. This fact, too, is a just foundation for universal praise, and therefore the psalm is so adapted to be used in all lands and among all people. How often in our own language has this psalm been the medium of the utterances of praise in Christian sanctuaries:
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“From all that dwell below the skies,
Let the Creator’s praise arise;
Let the Redeemer’s name be sung,
Through every land, by every tongue.
Eternal are thy mercies, Lord;
Eternal truth attends thy word;
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,
Till suns shall rise and set no more.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 2. Merciful… truth—Two distinguishing attributes in their relation to…
2. Merciful… truth—Two distinguishing attributes in their relation to God’s promise and covenant—kingly qualities, (Pro_20:28,)— specially remembered and extolled by the Hebrews in their deliverance from captivity. Psa_85:10; Psa_89:14.
Kindness is great toward us— Literally, Mercy is mighty over us.
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Truth… for ever—Truth to eternity.
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 2. For mighty hath been his lovingkindness toward us]…
2. For mighty hath been his lovingkindness toward us] Mighty as Israel’s transgressions have been (Psa_65:3), God’s mercy has been mightier (Psa_103:11-12; cp. Rom_5:20; 1Ti_1:14). Lovingkindness and truth are fundamental attributes of Jehovah’s character (Psa_115:1, and often). St Paul unites them in the proposition in support of which he quotes Psa_117:1. “I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Rom_15:8-9).
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.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For his merciful kindness (or, his mercy) is great…
For his merciful kindness (or, his mercy) is great towards us; literally, has been great over us. The appeal is to history, and the mercy intended is that shown in God"s continual protection of Israel. And the truth of the Lord endureth forever. God"s "truth" is here, as so often, his faithfulness to his promises, the promises being especially those made to Abraham and David. His mercy and truth" to Israel were an indication of what the Gentiles might expect of him in his dealings with them. (comp. Rom_15:8, Rom_15:9)
God"s merciful dealings with nations.
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The psalmist, no doubt, refers to the character of God"s dealings with Israel, but he implies that they do but present a model of God"s dealings with all nations; and he calls upon those nations to examine and. see what God"s dealings had been with them, so that they might find cause for praise. The early Jews realized monotheism as a special possession of their nation. The later prophets and psalmists realized monotheism as a trust, concerning which the Jews were to make witness to all nations around them. What we still do is what the psalmist here calls upon us to do. We study the records of God"s dealings with his ancient people, in order that, seeing his mercy, loving-kindness, and truth to them, we may come to know him better, understand his ways with us more perfectly, and praise him with the praise that comes of perfect trust.
I It is quite true that we can learn God"s faithfulness and considerateness (merciful kindness) in nature, which, if it be a system of law, is a system of varying and opposing laws, whose relative working must be in some restraint and presidency. And in providence, which is the adjustment of nature-workings to meet the needs of individuals, and implies a Divine Director, who knows the individuals, and has power over every thing, and, with infinite kindness can fit the two together.
II But the term "merciful kindness" suggests something better and deeper than this. True, the people of Israel were men, even as we are men. And what God did for them as men illustrates what God can do for us as men, and even assures us what he is doing. But we must never lose sight of this point God dealt with Israel as sinful men; and the merciful kindness is so impressive because it was pitiful and com passionate dealing with sinful men. But that is precisely what we are, and therefore God"s merciful kindness to Israel is so interesting to us. It reveals him who is also our God. When the idea is once in our mind, we can read our lives, individual and national, aright, and speak of his merciful kindness to us also. R.T.
Truth regarded as reliability.
"The truth of the Lord endureth for ever." The term "truth" is constantly employed without a well-defined and precise meaning. Truth sometimes only means that which seems true to a particular individual at a particular time. Sometimes it only means veracity," or the correspondence between a proposition and a man"s belief. Truth is the correspondence of the proposition with fact. There is a standard truth. It is close kin with eternal righteousness. The love of truth is the love of realities; the determination to rest upon facts and not upon semblances. But when the psalmist spoke of the "truth of God," no such abstract or critical ideas were in his mind. He thought of the truth or righteousness of God as seen in his faithfulness to the promises on which he has ever made his people to hope. To him the truth of God was not his verity, but his reliability. His truthfulness, his dependableness, regarded as a basis of trust. His reliability has never failed his people; we may be absolutely confident that it endureth, and will endure forever. A man"s truth is the basis of our trust in him. God"s truth is the basis of our reliance on him.
I TRUTH, AS A FEATURE OF CHARACTER, IS A SIGN OF STABILITY. When we speak of a man as a man of truth, we know that we describe a firm, steadfast man; a man who can make up his mind, and stand to his mind when it is made up. There is no wavering, no "shilly-shallying," about the man. He is a prop fixed firmly into the ground, and can bear a good strain. To some men there seems to be no such thing as truth, only varying opinion, nothing worth suffering for, worth living and dying for. Such men easily bend this way or that, swayed by every passing wind.
II TRUTH, AS A FEATURE OF CHARACTER, IS A SIGN OF CONSISTENCY. Consistency is keeping strictly to a line of conduct which we have marked as right. But only a man of truth will ever look on a line of conduct as right, for only such a man has an absolute moral standard. And only the man of truth will have any anxiety about deviations from the line.
III TRUTH, AS A FEATURE OF CHARACTER, IS A SIGN OF PERMANENCE. No disintegrating forces can ever destroy it. By the necessity of things the truthful character endures; nothing can end it. These things may be applied in their sublimest forms to God, in whose image man is made. Because he is truth, and his truth endures, we may trust in the Lord forever. R.T.
Praise.
"Praise ye the Lord." It may be interesting to inquire what "praise" is; and what are the proper forms and features of human praise as offered to God. What praise does God reasonably demand? And what praise is man, at his best, able to offer? But those considerations may lead us into somewhat familiar lines. There may be some freshness in considering what the response to this call, what the offering of this praise, is to men. It is a glorifying of God; but it is also a benediction of men. We may not offer our praise for the sake of getting the benediction; we may only offer the praise for the glorifying of God. But we may keep the comforting assurance in our hearts, that God does make it return upon us in benedictions.
I PRAISE AS BOASTING. Boasting is a part of the human character. It is the natural expression of the energetic, confident, and hopeful disposition. Boasting is a good thing as well as a bad. He is but a poor soul who does not beast, or cannot. The question is Does the boasting concern self, or some one else? Boasting about self is offensive; boasting about some one else may be most noble. And praise is that noble and ennobling thing boasting about God. That lifts us wholly away from self.
II PRAISE AS MINISTRY. A man never offers praise to God without morally and spiritually helping some one beside him. That praise declares his faith in God; his sense of the claims of God; and his experience of the mercies of God. So praising is not our duty, it is part of our service. This is too often lost sight of, and then public praise is easily neglected.
III PRAISE AS RELAXATION. The religious life is no continuous strain of wearisome duties that must be done. It is full of relief-times. And the praise-times of religious life are precisely similar to those resting and refreshing times which we all value so much as relief from business strain. Therefore the praise-feature of all religious services should have the most careful attention, that full efficiency may be secured.
IV PRAISE AS CULTURE. By "culture" we mean the complete and harmonious development of all a man"s bodily and mental powers. When used in relation to religion, it means the complete and harmonious development of all a man"s spiritual powers. There is a praise-side to every man"s religious nature, and that can only be cultured by fitting and continuous exercise. So man is blessed, and God is glorified, by the offering of praise. 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 Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great toward…
Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great toward us. By which is meant not only his great love toward the Jewish people, but towards the whole family of man. The Lord is kind to us as his creatures, and merciful to us as sinners, hence his merciful kindness to us as sinful creatures. This mercy has been very great, or powerful. The mighty grace of God has prevailed even as the waters of the flood prevailed over the earth: breaking over all bounds, it has flowed towards all portions of the multiplied race of man. In Christ Jesus, God has shown mercy mixed with kindness, and that to the very highest degree. We can all join in this grateful acknowledgment, and in the praise which is therefore due.
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. He has kept his covenant promise that in the seed of Abraham should all nations of the earth be blessed, and he will eternally keep every single promise of that covenant to all those who put their trust in him. This should be a cause of constant and grateful praise, wherefore the Psalm concludes as it began, with another Hallelujah,
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Praise ye the LORD.
Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great toward us. We cannot part from this Psalm without remarking that even in the Old Testament we have more than one instance of a recognition on the part of those that were without the pale of the church that God's favour to Israel was a source of blessing to themselves. Such were probably to some extent the sentiments of Hiram and the Queen of Sheba, the contemporaries of Solomon; such the experience of Naaman; such the virtual acknowledgments of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius the Mede. They beheld "his merciful kindness"towards his servants of the house of Israel, and they praised him accordingly. John Francis Thrupp.
Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great toward us. 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 cases. David Dickson.
Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great. rbg, gabar, is strong:it is not only great in bulk or number;but it is powerful;it prevails over sin, Satan, death, and hell. Adam Clarke
Ver. 2. Merciful kindness... and the truth of the LORD. Here, and so in divers other Psalms, God's mercy and truth are joined together; to show that all passages and proceedings, both in ordinances and in providence, whereby he comes and communicates himself to his people are not only mercy, though that is very sweet, but truth also. Their blessings come to them in the way of promise from God, as bound to them by the truth of his covenant. This is soul satisfying indeed; this turns all that a man hath to cream, when every mercy is a present sent from heaven by virtue of a promise. Upon this account, God's mercy is ordinarily in the Psalms bounded by his truth; that none may either presume him more merciful than he hath declared himself in his word; nor despair of finding mercy gratis, according to the truth of his promise. Therefore though thy sins be great, believe the text, and know that God's mercy is greater than the sins. The high heaven covereth as well tall mountains as small mole hills, and mercy can cover all. The more desperate thy disease, the greater is the glory of thy physician, who hath perfectly cured thee. Abraham Wright
Ver. 2. Merciful kindness. In God's kindness there is mercy, because,
1. Our sin deserves the reverse of kindness.
2. Our weakness requires great tenderness.
3. Our fears can only be so removed.
Ver. 2 (last clause)
1. In his attributehe is always faithful.
2. In his revelationalways infallible.
3. In his actionalways according to promise.
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.