Psalms 117 KJV
A Call to Praise the Lord
About This Psalm
The shortest psalm (2 verses) and shortest chapter in the Bible. Praise the LORD, all nations! His mercy endures forever.
1 Praise the LORD, all ye nations: 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.
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Did You Know?
The psalm uniquely extends the invitation to praise Yahweh beyond Israel to all Gentile nations, foreshadowing the universal scope of the New Covenant.
It is cited by the Apostle Paul in Romans 15:11 as scriptural support for the inclusion of Gentiles in the worship of the one true God.
The dual attributes highlighted. Merciful kindness (chesed) and enduring truth (emet). Form a foundational theological pair in Hebrew Scripture, often associated with God's covenant faithfulness.
As part of the Hallel collection (Psalms 113โ118), it was traditionally recited during Jewish festivals like Passover, linking it to themes of deliverance and redemption.
The structure moves from imperative calls to praise in verse 1 to the motivational reasons grounded in God's character in verse 2, exemplifying the typical pattern of Hebrew praise psalms in miniature.