What does Psalm 117:2 mean?
ESV: For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
NIV: For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.
NASB: For His mercy toward us is great, And the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!
CSB: For his faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!
NLT: For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!
KJV: For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.
NKJV: For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
Verse Commentary:
The term hesed is used to imply a constant, loyal, ever-present caring love. God demonstrates this attribute many times in Scripture (Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 5:9–10; Psalm 21:7; 103:11; Jeremiah 31:3). All people and nations (Psalm 117:1) should thank the Lord for His patience and involvement in our lives.
Israel had especially good reasons to praise God for His faithfulness. Despite Israel's frequent disobedience and idolatry, the Lord still loved and preserved the nation (Jeremiah 29:11; 31:3–14). Believers in Christ have similar motivation. Even when a Christian wanders from the straight and narrow path, the Lord loves the wanderer and stands ready to forgive and restore him (1 John 1:8–10). Furthermore, the Lord is faithful today. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and He will do what He has promised (Hebrews 10:23).
Verse Context:
Psalm 117:1–2 is the entire psalm, which is only seventeen Hebrew words in length. All nations and people are called to recognize the Lord's loyal love and eternal truth. This includes the term often translated as "hallelujah."
Chapter Summary:
The anonymous writer of Psalm 117 summons the entire world, including the Gentile nations, to praise the Lord. This extends to every nation and all people groups (Revelation 7:9). The world should recognize God's loyal and faithful love and His eternal truth. The psalm ends with a Hebrew phrase which literally means "praise the Lord!" and is the source of the term "hallelujah."
Chapter Context:
Chapter divisions were not original to Scripture, and each psalm is more an independent work than a true "chapter" of a larger book. Yet by traditional divisions and order, there are 594 chapters both before and after Psalm 117, making it the "middle" of the Bible. This is also considered the shortest chapter of the Bible. This song includes just seventeen Hebrew words. Yet among those are some of the most impactful terms used in Scripture.
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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