- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
1Praise the LORD, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
2For his loving kindness is great toward us.
The LORD’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
(Education for Exultation) Let All the Peoples Praise Him
By John Piper2.1K44:24PSA 67:3PSA 117:1MAT 6:33ROM 15:72CO 8:9In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of accepting one another within the church community. He urges the congregation to embrace a mindset of change and sacrifice for the sake of spreading the message of God's mercy to the nations. The speaker highlights the example of Christ, who became a servant to the Jewish people and ultimately died for the salvation of all. The sermon concludes with a call to action, urging the church to prioritize the exultation of God among the nations and to be willing to give up personal comforts and desires for the sake of fulfilling God's eternal plans.
Let All the People Praise God
By Chuck Smith1.0K25:04PraisePSA 117:1MAT 28:19In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel continues his verse-by-verse study of the Bible. He focuses on Psalm 117, which is one of the Hallel Psalms. The psalm emphasizes the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the need to praise and exalt God. Pastor Chuck highlights the importance of spreading the message of salvation to all nations and emphasizes the mercy and kindness of God. He also mentions the impending day of God's wrath and the need to escape it through faith in Jesus Christ.
Gravity and Gladness on Sunday Morning - Lesson 2
By John Piper82746:48PSA 117:1MAT 6:33JHN 4:23ROM 11:36COL 3:161PE 2:9REV 4:11In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of pursuing joy in God as our highest duty. He believes that the problem lies in people filling themselves with trivial and worldly things, such as television and advertisements, which diminishes their hunger for God. The speaker encourages the audience to feed their souls with meaningful and enriching content, like reading the Bible or watching great movies, in order to cultivate a hunger for God's word. He also mentions the need for practical preparations, both on Saturday night and Sunday morning, to create an environment conducive to hearing the Word of God.
Homily 28 on Romans
By St. John Chrysostom0DEU 32:43PSA 18:46PSA 42:5PSA 44:22PSA 117:1ISA 11:1ROM 15:3ROM 15:8ROM 15:13John Chrysostom preaches on Romans 15:8, emphasizing how Jesus Christ, as a Minister of the circumcision, fulfilled the promises made to the fathers, showing His concern for both Jews and Gentiles. Chrysostom highlights the importance of unity between Jews and Gentiles, with Gentiles being saved by God's mercy and Jews by promises, urging them to glorify God together. He concludes with a prayer for believers to be filled with joy, peace, and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit, encouraging them to abound in hope and good works.
Exposition on Psalm 117
By St. Augustine0PSA 117:2St. Augustine preaches about the universal praise of the Lord, calling on all nations to worship Him. He emphasizes the significance of God's merciful kindness and enduring truth, urging listeners to remember and internalize these qualities. Augustine highlights how God's kindness continues to increase towards His people, leading even hostile nations to acknowledge His Name. He concludes by affirming the eternal nature of God's truth, whether in His promises to the righteous or His warnings to the ungodly.
Exposition on Psalm 118
By St. Augustine0PSA 117:1PSA 118:4PSA 118:6PSA 118:8PSA 118:12PSA 118:16PSA 118:22PSA 118:27MRK 10:17St. Augustine preaches on the importance of praising the Lord and confessing His goodness, emphasizing that God's mercy endures forever. He encourages all, from Israel to those who fear the Lord, to acknowledge God's enduring mercy and to trust in His help against all enemies, whether human or spiritual. St. Augustine reflects on the sufferings and victories of the Church, pointing to Christ as the cornerstone and salvation. He concludes by highlighting the everlasting joy and praise found in God's grace and mercy.
Psalm 117
By Henry Law0PSA 117:2Henry Law preaches on the unbounded preciousness of Psalm 117, emphasizing the importance of praising the Lord among all nations and people. He highlights the need for missionary zeal to spread the message of God's love and invites all to the cross. Law reflects on the merciful kindness of the Lord, evident in creation and redemption, and encourages gratitude for the abundant grace, mercy, and love poured out by God through Jesus Christ.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Introduction
ALEPH. (Psa 119:1-8). This celebrated Psalm has several peculiarities. It is divided into twenty-two parts or stanzas, denoted by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza contains eight verses, and the first letter of each verse is that which gives name to the stanza. Its contents are mainly praises of God's Word, exhortations to its perusal, and reverence for it, prayers for its proper influence, and complaints of the wicked for despising it. There are but two verses (Psa 119:122, Psa 119:132) which do not contain some term or description of God's Word. These terms are of various derivations, but here used, for the most part, synonymously, though the use of a variety of terms seems designed, in order to express better the several aspects in which our relations to the revealed word of God are presented. The Psalm does not appear to have any relation to any special occasion or interest of the Jewish Church or nation, but was evidently "intended as a manual of pious thoughts, especially for instructing the young, and its peculiar artificial structure was probably adopted to aid the memory in retaining the language." (Psa. 119:1-176) undefiled--literally, "complete," perfect, or sincere (compare Psa 37:37). in--or, "of" the way--course of life. walk--act in the law--according to it (compare Luk 1:6). law--from a word meaning "to teach," is a term of rather general purport, denoting the instruction of God's Word.
Introduction
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 117 The inscription of this psalm in the Syriac version is, "it is said concerning those of the house (or the companions) of Ananias, when they came out of the furnace; likewise it foretells the calling of the Gentiles by the declaration of the Gospel.'' Which last is right; for the apostle has quoted it, to prove the Gentiles should glorify God for his mercy, Rom 15:9. Aben Ezra thinks it concerns only the nations subdued by David; but he quotes R. Moseh, as of opinion that all nations are comprehended: and Kimchi affirms that the psalm belongs to the times of the Messiah; and supposes there is a mystery in its consisting of two verses only; and that it intimates that in those times there will be two people that will serve the Lord; Israel, with the law; and the Gentiles, with the seven precepts of Noah. It certainly refers to Gospel times, and to the conversion of the Gentiles; and when Jews and Gentiles should make one people, and be partakers of the same privileges and blessings; receive the same doctrines, submit to the same ordinances, and be under the same law, to Christ their King.
Verse 1
O praise the Lord, all ye nations,.... The Lord having chosen, and Christ having redeemed, some out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and the Gospel being sent and preached to all nations, and some of each being called and converted by the Spirit of God; they are excited to praise the Lord, Jehovah, Father, Son and Spirit, for their several acts of divine grace and kindness towards them, in choosing, redeeming, and sanctifying them; and in favouring them with the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, and with his gracious presence in them; and in supplying them with his grace, and giving them a right unto and meetness for eternal glory; for all which praise should be given to the Lord; praise him, all ye people; ye people of God in the several nations of the world; not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also: the same thing is repeated in different words, for the greater certainty and confirmation of it; that this should be, the work and exercise of the Gentiles in Gospel times, and expresses eagerness and vehemence to stir them up to it. A different word is here used for "praise" than in the former clause; and which is more frequently used in the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic languages; and signifies the celebration of the praises of God with a high voice.
Verse 2
For his merciful kindness is great towards us,.... Not us Israelites only, of whom David was, but Gentiles also; or otherwise there would be no force in the reason why all people and nations should praise the Lord: but it respects the time when these should become one people, partaking of the same grace, blessings, promises, and privileges; in which the grace, mercy, and lovingkindness of God, greatly appeared; "it prevailed over us" (p), as it may be rendered: the word is used of the prevailing of the waters of the flood over the earth, Gen 7:18; and so may denote the exuberance of the grace of God, of the abounding and superabounding of it. There is an abundance of it in the heart of God, in his covenant, and in his Son; and which is displayed in redemption by him; in the forgiveness of sin; and in the conversion of sinners, and their everlasting salvation: particularly there has been an inundation or deluge of it in the Gentile world, where it has flowed and overflowed; where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded; and therefore the Lord is to be praised. And another reason follows, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever; the faithfulness of God to his promises, not only made to the Jewish fathers concerning the Messiah, and redemption by him; but to the Gentiles, and concerning the blessing of all nations in the promised seed: and the faithfulness and truth of God, with respect to any of his promises, never fails; nor will his word of truth, the Gospel; nor Jesus Christ, who is the truth, and the truth of God; the truth of types, promises, and prophecies; see Psa 43:3; for he is the same today, yesterday, and for ever. Praise ye the Lord; for his superabounding grace, and eternal truth; even all the people of God, of all nations, Jews and Gentiles. (p) "exsuperavit", Vatablus; "invaluit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; "exuberavit", Cocceius. Next: Psalms Chapter 118
Introduction
This psalm is short and sweet; I doubt the reason why we sing it so often as we do is for the shortness of it; but, if we rightly understood and considered it, we should sing it oftener for the sweetness of it, especially to us sinners of the Gentiles, on whom it casts a very favourable eye. Here is, I. A solemn call to all nations to praise God (Psa 117:1). II. Proper matter for that praise suggested (Psa 117:2). We are soon weary indeed of well-doing if, in singing this psalm, we keep not up those pious and devout affections with which the spiritual sacrifice of praise ought to be kindled and kept burning.
Verse 1
There is a great deal of gospel in this psalm. The apostle has furnished us with a key to it (Rom 15:11), where he quotes it as a proof that the gospel was to be preached to, and would be entertained by, the Gentile nations, which yet was so great a stumbling-block to the Jews. Why should that offend them when it is said, and they themselves had often sung it, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and laud him, all you people. Some of the Jewish writers confess that this psalm refers to the kingdom of the Messiah; nay, one of them has a fancy that it consists of two verses to signify that in the days of the Messiah God should be glorified by two sorts of people, by the Jews, according to the law of Moses, and by the Gentiles, according to the seven precepts of the sons of Noah, which yet should make one church, as these two verses make one psalm. We have here, I. The vast extent of the gospel church, Psa 117:1. For many ages in Judah only was God known and his name praised. The sons of Levi and the seed of Israel praised him, but the rest of the nations praised gods of wood and stone (Dan 5:4), while there was no devotion at all paid, at least none openly, that we know of, to the living and true God. But here all nations are called to praise the Lord, which could not be applied to the Old Testament times, both because this call was not then given to any of the Gentile nations, much less to all, in a language they understood, and because, unless the people of the land became Jews and were circumcised, they were not admitted to praise God with them. But the gospel of Christ is ordered to be preached to all nations, and by him the partition-wall is taken down, and those that were afar off are made nigh. This was the mystery which was hidden in prophecy for many ages, but was at length revealed in the accomplishment, That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, Eph 3:3, Eph 3:6. Observe here, 1. Who should be admitted into the church - all nations and all people. The original words are the same that are used for the heathen that rage and the people that imagine against Christ (Psa 2:1); those that had been enemies to his kingdom should become his willing subjects. The gospel of the kingdom was to be preached to all the world, for a witness to all nations, Mat 24:14; Mar 16:15. All nations shall be called, and to some of all nations the call shall be effectual, and they shall be discipled. 2. How their admission into the church is foretold - by a repeated call to praise him. The tidings of the gospel, being sent to all nations, should give them cause to praise God; the institution of gospel-ordinances would give them leave and opportunity to praise God; and the power of gospel-grace would give them hearts to praise him. Those are highly favoured whom God invites by his word and inclines by his Spirit to praise him, and so makes to be to him for a name and a praise, Jer 13:11. See Rev 7:9, Rev 7:10. II. The unsearchable riches of gospel-grace, which are to be the matter or our praise, Psa 117:2. In the gospel, those celebrated attributes of God, his mercy and his truth, shine most brightly in themselves and most comfortably to us; and the apostle, where he quotes this psalm, takes notice of these as the two great things for which the Gentiles should glorify God (Rom 15:8, Rom 15:9), for the truth of God and for his mercy. We that enjoy the gospel have reason to praise the Lord, 1. For the power of his mercy: His merciful kindness is great towards us; it is strong (so the word signifies); it is mighty for the pardon of mighty sins (Amo 5:12) and for the working out of a mighty salvation. 2. For the perpetuity of his truth: The truth of the Lord endures for ever. It was mercy, mere mercy, to the Gentiles, that the gospel was sent among them. It was merciful kindness prevailing towards them above their deserts; and in it the truth of the Lord, of his promise made unto the fathers, endures for ever; for, though the Jews were hardened and expelled, yet the promise took its effect in the believing Gentiles, the spiritual seed of Abraham. God's mercy is the fountain of all our comforts and his truth the foundation of all our hopes, and therefore for both we must praise the Lord.