Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 117

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 117 Praise the Lord for his mercy and truth.
1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people^a. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us^a: and the ^atruth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD^a. Universal LORD of All Is the selective God and Lord of the Jews the same who is the Universal LORD of all the world? From the very limited perspective nature of the Jewish compiled Old Testament and the exclusive positional claim of the Jews to be His people, one must truely come to ask and resolve this question. Only in coming to understand the true nature of the Covenant of Abraham, that through his seed all the people of all the nations who ever has, does or will live upon this earth would be blessed, can one come to resolve this seeming exclusive Jewish postion and their discrimination against the rest of the world of the Gentiles which persists even today. Truely the latter-day knowledge of God which has come forth by way of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is that which can and does bring one to an understanding just how all nations and all people will be so blessed and enabled to become the children of Zion, the children of Israel, the sons and daughters of Abraham and of the covenant. Only through this restored gospel knowledge and understanding can it truely be appreciated that this prophetic psalm out of the ancient Old Testament of the Jews, does in truth call upon all the peoples of the world, who ever have, do and will live, to sing the praises ' of the LORD, our great kind and merciful God.	1^a all ye nations: praise him, all ye people This universal proclamation call to all the nations and all the people of the world seems to be somewhat out of place coming from a single small nation which so exclusively considers themselves to be the Lord's chosen people and the rest of the world but to be Gentiles of unworthy status. Is the Lord God of Israel the God of all the world, one and all, every man the same before God, to be so called to praise him for his merciful kindness so universally to be bestowed upon all? It would seem that this 'prophetic' Psalm of praise is most likely taken from the words of a prophet of God now lost but who spoke of the universal nature of God's love and his merciful atonement to all nations and to all peoples. 2^a his merciful kindness is great toward us ... Praise ye the LORD Who are the 'us' toward whom the merciful kindness of the LORD is extended that all the earth should praise his name? Are the ancient Jews calling upon all mankind to praise their God becuase of His merciful kindness unto just them? Certainly that is an unreasonable request. Only is coming to understand that the ancients of the Old Testament did have a fuller understanding of the salvation of the LORD which would unfold unto all people, can this seemingly unusual request of the 'Jews' of the rest of the world be fully understood. Only in the knowledge of the universal extent of the atonement of Christ to all the world who ever has and will live upon the earth can this psalm and request of praise of the LORD be understood. It incompasses the whole of the plan of redemption to request that all nations and all people sing praises to the merciful kindness of the LORD unto all of us. This is its greatness, that it is universal, and despite narrow minded Jewish perspective in the compilation of the Old Testament, it was understood by he who spoke and coined these words, surely a prophet of God who had revealed unto his understanding the univeralness of the LORD's great merciful kindness extended to 'all'.