The Meaning of Psalms 117:2 Explained

Psalms 117:2

KJV: For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

YLT: For mighty to us hath been His kindness, And the truth of Jehovah is to the age. Praise ye Jah!

Darby: For his loving-kindness is great toward us, and the truth of Jehovah endureth for ever. Hallelujah!

ASV: For his lovingkindness is great toward us; And the truth of Jehovah endureth for ever. Praise ye Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For his merciful  kindness  is great  toward us: and the truth  of the LORD  [endureth] for ever.  Praise  ye the LORD. 

What does Psalms 117:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Essentially all people, including the Gentiles (Heb. goyim, "ummim), should praise God because He is who He is. Two of the outstanding qualities that God demonstrates are loyal love and truth. His loyal love (Heb. hesed) to His people is very great, and His truth continues forever. Human loyalty often has limits, and we are not consistently truthful. The Hebrew word translated "truth" is "emet, which the translators frequently rendered "faithfulness." The relationship between these two English words is clear. Because the Lord is "true," i.e, 100 percent loyal, reliable, truthful, and trustworthy, He is a faithful God. Hesed and "emet often occur together in the psalms. God"s faithfulness connects closely with His loyal love. This psalm closes as it begins: with an exhortation to praise the Lord.
Outstanding among all God"s great qualities are His loyal love and faithfulness. His people should honor Him for these traits consistently and frequently.

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 117:2 mean?

For is great toward us His merciful kindness and the truth [endures] of Yahweh forever Praise YAH
כִּ֥י גָ֘בַ֤ר עָלֵ֨ינוּ ׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וֶֽאֱמֶת־ יְהוָ֥ה לְעוֹלָ֗ם הַֽלְלוּ־ יָֽהּ

גָ֘בַ֤ר  is  great 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּבַר  
Sense: to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great.
עָלֵ֨ינוּ ׀  toward  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
חַסְדּ֗וֹ  His  merciful  kindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וֶֽאֱמֶת־  and  the  truth  [endures] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
יְהוָ֥ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְעוֹלָ֗ם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
הַֽלְלוּ־  Praise 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַל 
Sense: to shine.
יָֽהּ  YAH 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָהּ  
Sense: Jah (Jehovah in the shortened form).