The Meaning of Psalms 117:1 Explained

Psalms 117:1

KJV: O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

YLT: Praise Jehovah, all ye nations, Glorify Him, all ye peoples.

Darby: Praise Jehovah, all ye nations; laud him, all ye peoples;

ASV: O praise Jehovah, all ye nations; Laud him, all ye peoples.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O praise  the LORD,  all ye nations:  praise  him, all ye people. 

What does Psalms 117:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The unknown psalmist summoned all people to praise Yahweh (cf. Romans 15:11). To "laud" (Heb. shavah) means to glorify, to boast about, and to extol.

Context Summary

Psalms 117:1-2 - Praise Him For All His Benefits
The psalmist dwells joyfully on his enslavement to God, because in and through it he had found perfect liberty. Thou hast loosed my bonds. They who become enslaved to Christ are set free from all other restraints. See John 8:31-36. Do not forget to pay your vows! In trouble we make promises, which, when the trouble has passed, we find it convenient to forget. See Genesis 40:23.
Psalms 117:1-2 is the shortest chapter in the Bible and its center; but, small as it is, it breathes a world-wide spirit and reaches out to all nations. "It is a dewdrop reflecting the universe." The Apostle quotes it in Romans 15:11, as foretelling the call of the Gentiles. Here, as in Isaiah 11:10 and elsewhere, the spirit of the singer overleaps all national exclusiveness and comprehends all people and all time.
Let us learn to exercise the spirit of praise in our daily sphere. Surely we also can say that God's loving-kindness has been, and is, mighty over us. "Where sin abounded grace did much more abound." The permanence of this love is guaranteed by God's faithfulness; for his truth is his troth. The shortest prayer of praise should find room for Hallelujah! See Revelation 19:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 117

1  An exhortation to praise God for his mercy and truth

What do the individual words in Psalms 117:1 mean?

Praise - Yahweh all you Gentiles Laud Him you tribes
הַֽלְל֣וּ אֶת־ יְ֭הוָה כָּל־ גּוֹיִ֑ם שַׁ֝בְּח֗וּהוּ הָאֻמִּֽים

הַֽלְל֣וּ  Praise 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְ֭הוָה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
גּוֹיִ֑ם  you  Gentiles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
שַׁ֝בְּח֗וּהוּ  Laud  Him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַח 
Sense: to soothe, still, stroke.
הָאֻמִּֽים  you  tribes 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֻמָּה  
Sense: people, tribe, nation.