1. A call for universal worship 117:1The unknown psalmist summoned all people to praise Yahweh (cf. Romans 15:11). To "laud" (Heb. shavah) means to glorify, to boast about, and to extol. read more
Psalms 117This shortest of all the psalms focuses attention on the importance of praising God for two of His most wonderful qualities, namely: His loyal love and His faithfulness. It is a psalm of descriptive praise. read more
2. The cause for universal worship 117:2Essentially all people, including the Gentiles (Heb. goyim, ’ummim), should praise God because He is who He is. Two of the outstanding qualities that God demonstrates are loyal love and truth. His loyal love (Heb. hesed) to His people is very great, and His truth continues forever. Human loyalty often has limits, and we are not consistently truthful. The Hebrew word translated "truth" is ’emet, which the translators frequently rendered "faithfulness." The... read more
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. read more
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 (Romans 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... read more
Psalms 117:0 The Psalm sung by Cromwell and his army after the victory of Dunbar, 3 September, 1650, and known afterwards by the Puritans as the Dunbar Psalm. As the Scottish army left their strong position on the heights to offer their raw soldiers to Cromwell's veterans, he pointed to the sun, whose disc was rising over the German Ocean, with the words, 'Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered'. It was the custom of Philip Henry to sing the 117th Psalm every Sabbath after the first sermon... read more
Psalms 117:1-2THIS 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 God’s manifestation to a special nation were means to its... read more
Psalms 117:0 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 Deuteronomy 32:43 , the last note of Moses’ prophetic song. Hallelujah. read more
117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the {a} truth of the LORD [endureth] for ever. Praise ye the LORD.(a) That is, the most certain and continual testimony of his fatherly graces. read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Psalms 117:2
2. is great toward us—literally, "prevailed over" or "protected us." read more