Psalms 117:1-2
1 O 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.
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 the fulfilment of His promises to Israel. The idea latent under this is shown in the second word rendered praise; properly, to soothe. The nations are imagined coming to make their peace with Israel’s God after seeing His display of power for their sakes; but a wider and nobler truth emerged out of this.