Psalms 117 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

Bible Comments
  • Psalms 117:1 open_in_new

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

    Ver. 1. O praise the Lord, all ye nations] viz. For Christ, that gift, John 4:10, that benefit, 1 Timothy 6:2, that desire of all nations, Haggai 2:7, that good tidings of great joy to all people, Luke 2:10, who are by him received into the glory of God, Romans 15:7; Romans 15:11, where the apostle thus applieth this Scripture; and the Jewish doctors confess that this short and sweet psalm is to be understood de beneficiis Messiae, of Christ and his benefits (Kimchi).

    Praise him, all ye people] Laudationibus commendate emn, so Tremellius rendereth it; praise him with a force, and, as it were, with a violence, with all your might; ye cannot possibly overdo.

  • Psalms 117:2 open_in_new

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

    Ver. 2. For his merciful kindness is great] Invaluit, hath prevailed over us, breaking through all obstacles and impediments, whether within us or without us, eating its way through all rocks and remoras; and though we would put it back, yet it will overcome us; his grace is irresistible, neither can it ever be taken away.

    And the truth of the Lord] As his mercy alone moved him to make promise, so his truth bindeth him to perform the same. See 2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Samuel 7:21. The word of promise bindeth God, and, therefore, it may seem to be stronger than God. If his merciful kindness prevail over us, as Psalms 117:1, his truth prevaileth over him. The Jewish doctors observe that the word Emeth, here used for truth, consisteth of Aleph, the first letter of the alphabet; Mem, the middlemost letter thereof; and Tau, the last: to show that as God is Alpha and Omega, so the truth of God is the all in all of our comfort. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ; this is the sum of all the good news in the world.