Psalm 117

Uses

New Testament

Verse 1 is quoted in Romans .

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:

Catholicism

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{{Cite book | publication-place=Tournai

Eastern Orthodoxy

In the Orthodox Church, this psalm is read as part of the 16th kathisma, to be read ordinarily during Saturday Matins.

Coptic Orthodoxy

In the Agpeya, the Coptic Church's book of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office of Vespers and the first watch of the Midnight office.

Musical settings

thumb|right|Beginning of Bach's motet 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, Marc-Antoine Charpentier (7 settings: H.177, H.152, H.159, H.182, H.214, H.223, H.224), Michel Richard Delalande,{{ Citation | access-date=2015-10-31 | archive-date=2015-09-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923184809/http://www.bibliotheques.versailles.fr/simclient/Integration/FONDS_ANCIEN/DossiersDoc/voirDossManuscrit.asp?INSTANCE=DOSSIERSDOCS_VERSAILLES&DOSS=BKDD_BMVMsmus_000002_MSMUS14 | url-status=dead Cite web | archive-date=2021-12-15 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/q9rvyvssvuI | url-status=live

Alan Hovhaness set portions of it, along with Psalm 27, in his 1935 work "The God of Glory Thundereth". The American Jewish musician Robert Strassburg (19152003) also wrote an adaptation. 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, and a popular arrangement from the Taizé Community.

Text

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 of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint, the Latin text in the Vulgate 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.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. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 116.

Notes

References

References

1. [http://medievalist.net/psalmstxt/ps117.htm Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 116 (117)] {{webarchive. link. (2017-05-07 medievalist.net)
2. [[Albert Barnes (theologian). Barnes, A.]], [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/psalms/117.htm Barnes' Notes] on Psalm 117, accessed 26 May 2022
3. Kirkpatrick, A. F.. (1901). "The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes". At the University Press.
4. [http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/Anglican_Service_Book/addl_devotions2.html The Anglican Service Book: Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament], accessed 26 May 2022
5. "Psalter Readings (Kathismas) at Matins (Orthros)".
6. "Vespers". agpeya.org.
7. "Midnight". agpeya.org.
8. William Byrd, (Gradualia II (1607),) no. 45.
9. "Alan Hovhaness List of Works by Opus Number".
10. [http://milkenarchive.org/artists/view/Robert-Strassburg/ Robert Strassburg] milkenarchive.org
11. [http://www.taize.fr/spip.php?page=chant&song=463&lang=en Laudate Dominum] taize.fr
12. Le site de la [http://www.taize.fr/spip.php?page=chant&song=463&lang=en communauté] propose une version Midi et les partitions.
13. "Psalms – Chapter 117". Mechon Mamre.
14. "Psalms 117 - JPS 1917". [[Sefaria.
15. "Psalm 116 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos.
16. "NOVA VULGATA LIBER PSALMORUM". [[Vatican City]].