Psalm 117
Psalm 117 is the 117th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people." In Latin, it is known as Laudate Dominum. Consisting of only two verses, Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm and also the shortest chapter in the whole Bible. It is joined with Psalm 118 in the manuscripts of the Hebraist scholars Benjamin Kennicott and Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi. In the slightly different numbering system in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 116.
| Psalm 117 | |
|---|---|
| "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people." | |
.jpg) Psalm 117, from the Wolfcoz Psalter, c. 820 – 830 | |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 117 | |
|---|---|
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 117 is the 117th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people." In Latin, it is known as Laudate Dominum.[1] Consisting of only two verses, Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm and also the shortest chapter in the whole Bible. It is joined with Psalm 118 in the manuscripts of the Hebraist scholars Benjamin Kennicott and Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi.[2]
In the slightly different numbering system in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 116.
Uses
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New Testament
[edit]Verse 1 is quoted in Romans 15:11.[3]
In Psalm 117, the gentiles are invited to join in praise of God. Christians view this as a fulfillment of God's promise of mercy to the gentiles, pointing to God's promise that all nations would be blessed in the seed of Abraham, who they believe is Christ, as described in the Letter to the Galatians:
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
— Galatians 3:16, King James Version
Catholicism
[edit]In the Catholic Church, the Rule of Saint Benedict assigns this psalm (116 in the Vulgate) to the Office of Vespers on Monday. Saint Benedict of Nursia generally used four psalms in vespers, but because of the shortness of this psalm, he added a fifth when it was used. It is currently used in the Liturgy of the Hours on Saturday of Weeks I and III. The psalm may be sung after Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, a ritual performed in Catholic[4] and some Anglican churches.[5]
Eastern Orthodoxy
[edit]In the Orthodox Church, this psalm is read as part of the 16th kathisma, to be read ordinarily during Saturday Matins.[6]
Coptic Orthodoxy
[edit]In the Agpeya, the Coptic Church's book of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office of Vespers[7] and the first watch of the Midnight office.[8]
Musical settings
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Psalm 117, known by the opening words in Latin as Laudate dominum (translated "O, Praise the Lord" or "Praise ye the Lord"), has been set to music by a number of composers, including William Byrd,[9] Marc-Antoine Charpentier (7 settings: H.177, H.152, H.159, H.182, H.214, H.223, H.224), Michel Richard Delalande,[10] and Johann Sebastian Bach (Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230). Heinrich Schütz composed a metered paraphrase of the psalm in German, Lobt Gott mit Schall, ihr Heiden all, SWV 215, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote an adaptation of this psalm for solo soprano voice and chorus: the fifth movement of Vesperae solennes de confessore ("Solemn Vespers for a Confessor"), K. 339.[11]
Alan Hovhaness set portions of it, along with Psalm 27, in his 1935 work "The God of Glory Thundereth".[12] The American Jewish musician Robert Strassburg (1915 – 2003) also wrote an adaptation.[13] More recently, it has been set by the Swedish composer Fredrik Sixten. The psalm also forms the introduction of the 90s pop song Happy Nation by Swedish pop group Ace of Base,[citation needed] and a popular arrangement from the Taizé Community.[14][15]
Text
[edit]With just two verses, seventeen words, and 62 characters (29 in verse 1 and 33 in verse 2) in Hebrew, this is the shortest psalm in the Book of Psalms. It is also the shortest chapter in the whole Bible. It is the 595th of the 1,189 chapters of the King James Version of the Bible, making it the middle chapter of this version.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[16][17] of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint,[18] the Latin text in the Vulgate[19] and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions.[note 1] In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 116.
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek | Latin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | הַֽלְל֣וּ אֶת־יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־גּוֹיִ֑ם שַׁ֝בְּח֗וּהוּ כׇּל־הָאֻמִּֽים׃ | O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. | ᾿Αλληλούϊα. - ΑΙΝΕΙΤΕ τὸν Κύριον, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἐπαινέσατε αὐτόν, πάντες οἱ λαοί, | ALLELUIA. Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes; laudate eum, omnes populi. |
| 2 | כִּ֥י גָ֘בַ֤ר עָלֵ֨ינוּ ׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וֶאֱמֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה לְעוֹלָ֗ם הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃ | For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD. | ὅτι ἐκραταιώθη τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. | Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia eius, et veritas Domini manet in aeternum. |
Notes
[edit]- ^ A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain.
References
[edit]- ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 116 (117) Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
- ^ Barnes, A., Barnes' Notes on Psalm 117, accessed 26 May 2022
- ^ Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 840. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ Catholic Church; Congrégation de France (1961). The Liber usualis : with introduction and rubrics in English (in Latin). Tournai: Desclee Co. p. 1853. OCLC 598232.
- ^ The Anglican Service Book: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, accessed 26 May 2022
- ^ "Psalter Readings (Kathismas) at Matins (Orthros)". The Orthodox Church in America. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ "Vespers". agpeya.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Midnight". agpeya.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ William Byrd, (Gradualia II (1607),) no. 45.
- ^ Edition des dossiers doc, p. 46, archived from the original on 2015-09-23, retrieved 2015-10-31
- ^ Rykkvin, Aksel (28 December 2016). "Laudate Dominum (by Mozart) sung by boy soprano Aksel Rykkvin (13 years)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
- ^ "Alan Hovhaness List of Works by Opus Number". www.hovhaness.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
- ^ Robert Strassburg milkenarchive.org
- ^ Laudate Dominum taize.fr
- ^ Le site de la communauté propose une version Midi et les partitions.
- ^ "Psalms – Chapter 117". Mechon Mamre.
- ^ "Psalms 117 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
- ^ "Psalm 116 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "NOVA VULGATA LIBER PSALMORUM". Vatican City. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
External links
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- Pieces with text from Psalm 117: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 117: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Psalms Chapter 117 Archived 2021-03-04 at the Wayback Machine text in Hebrew and English, mechon-mamre.org
- Text of Psalm 117 according to the 1928 Psalter Archived 2025-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! text and footnotes, usccb.org
- Psalm 117:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
- Psalm 117 – Calling All Peoples to Praise the LORD enduringword.com
- Psalm 117 / Refrain: Alleluia. Church of England
- Psalm 117 at biblegateway.com
- Charles Spurgeon: Psalm 117 detailed commentary, archive.spurgeon.org
- "Hymns for Psalm 117". hymnary.org. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- Laudate Dominum on YouTube[dead link]
- Laudate Dominum (Psalm 117) (William Byrd) - Midi files and PDF scores by ChoralWiki Archived 2008-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Laudate Dominum (Psalm 117) (Mozart) - Midi files and PDF scores by ChoralWiki
- Laudate Dominum (Psalm 150) (Ronald Corp) - Excerpt, programme note and PDF score
- PSALMUS 137 (136), Vatican City