1O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
The Shortest Psalm
Two verses. Every nation, every people — praise the Lord. His love endures forever. Sometimes the most important things take the fewest words.
Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible—just two verses—yet contains a theologically explosive universal call: all nations and all peoples are summoned to praise YHWH. The grounds for praise are God's chesed (steadfast love) and emet (truth/faithfulness). Paul cites this psalm in Romans 15:11 as scriptural evidence for Gentile inclusion in God's plan.
Despite its brevity, the psalm's placement within the Hallel collection gives it liturgical weight. Its universal scope stands in deliberate tension with the more Israel-centered psalms surrounding it, pushing the Psalter's theology toward the nations.
The psalm distills the Psalter's theology to its essence: God's chesed is mighty (gavar) and His emet endures forever. The call to all nations anticipates the prophetic vision of universal worship and provides the theological groundwork for the Gentile mission.
This tiny psalm carries an enormous implication: the God of Israel is not a tribal deity but the God of all peoples. It challenges insular faith and points toward the inclusive scope of divine love.
Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.
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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.