Psalms 117 - Printer Friendly

This psalm is only seventeen words long in the original Hebrew. Yet some of those terms play a crucial role in our understanding of the Old Testament. Among these important words is halal, meaning "praise." Another is YHWH, or Yahweh, a personal reference to the One True God (Exodus 3:15). The non-Jewish nations of the world are described using the term goyim. Also mentioned is the idea of God's steady, loyal, caring love, from the root hesed. The last term in the psalm is halelu-yāh, literally meaning "praise Jah," or "praise God," which is the basis of the modern expression "hallelujah."

The first verse of this psalm calls on the entire world to praise God. That extends beyond Israel by using the term goyim, which refers to the nations and cultures outside of God's chosen people. It also speaks to all "peoples," spanning all ethnicities and tribes (Revelation 7:9). In English, the psalm begins and ends with the same phrase: "praise the Lord!" The two expressions are not identical in Hebrew. In verse one, the phrasing is halelu' et YHWH (Psalm 117:1).

At the end of the second verse is the term halelu-yāh, which is seen commonly in the "Hallel" psalms of this section (Psalm 113—118). The psalmist makes note of the Lord's steady, constant love. This comes from the term hesed, which is sometimes rendered as "lovingkindness," "merciful kindness," or "unfailing love." Many Old Testament passages note this aspect of God's character (Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 5:9–10; Psalm 21:7; 103:11; Jeremiah 31:3).

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 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.

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.