Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

The psalm presents the Hebrew people rejoicing because of the freedom gained (Ps 117:5), deliverance from enemies (Ps 117:10-13), and especially from the miraculous completion of the building, which was finished despite heavy circumstances (Ps 117:22-23). All the foregoing coincides with the time of the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian captivity and the completion of the construction of the second temple, on account of the dedication of which, probably, the psalm was written.

May all classes and all Israel praise the Lord for His mercy (1–4). From distress I cried to the Lord and He freed me. If the Lord is my protector, whom should I fear (5–9)? All nations pressed upon me, but I defeated them in the name of the Lord, to Whom is the song (11–14). The voice of rejoicing is heard in the dwellings of the righteous, thanking the Lord for His judgment and salvation (15–18). Open the gates of righteousness, so that I may enter into the building, completed by the Lord’s favor. We will bless this day and celebrate it with sacrificial offerings and praises to the Lord (19–29).

Psalm 117:1. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever. Psalm 117:2. Let Israel now say: His mercy endures forever. Psalm 117:3. Let the house of Aaron now say: His mercy endures forever. Psalm 117:4. Let those who fear the Lord now say: His mercy endures forever. The unknown writer of the psalm invites the entire Hebrew people to the confession and singing of the great mercy of God, which is spoken of in the entire subsequent content.

Psalm 117:5. From distress I called upon the Lord—and He answered me, and placed me in a broad place, the Lord. “From distress”—from a difficult situation, clearly the Babylonian captivity is meant. “He answered me”—He brought me out into a broad place, that is, to freedom from captivity, gave the opportunity to be governed and live according to His law.

Psalm 117:8. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalm 117:9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. The entire pre-captivity history of the life of the Hebrew people, which tried by alliances with neighboring pagan nations to maintain its political independence, showed how unsuccessful these attempts were. Bitter experience forced the Hebrews to acknowledge that it is better to rely on God for the strengthening of their prosperity than on human help or military might (“princes”—commanders).

Psalm 117:10. All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defeated them; Psalm 117:11. they pressed upon me, they encircled me, but in the name of the Lord I defeated them; Psalm 117:12. they surrounded me like bees around a honeycomb, and went out like a fire in thorns; in the name of the Lord I defeated them. Psalm 117:13. I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord supported me. Psalm 117:14. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. The fruitfulness of such faith was justified even in the present circumstances of the building of the temple. “All nations surrounded me.” It is known that in addition to the poverty of the Hebrews who had returned, the building of the temple was greatly hindered by the Samaritans, who presented the construction of the temple to the Persian rulers as the building of a fortress for the purpose of revolting from the Persians and waging war with them. Only the preaching of the prophets, which inspired the builders, and faith in their righteousness and protection from God supported the builders and crowned their efforts with success. “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling”—the Hebrew people, abandoned by all, considered itself near destruction, but the Lord saved it both from captivity and helped in the present case of the building of the temple. Therefore the writer says: “The Lord is my strength and my song.”

Psalm 117:15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the dwellings of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord performs with power! Psalm 117:16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord performs with power! Psalm 117:17. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Apparently, the writer henceforth depicts a picture of popular rejoicing. The voices resound in the settlements of the righteous, that is, among the Hebrew people, as the only worshippers at that time of the One True God: “The Lord has wonderfully saved me.” This fills me with confidence that in the future I will not perish, will preserve political and religious independence (“will live”), so that I always praise the Lord.

Psalm 117:22. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone: Psalm 117:23. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 117:24. This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! The manifest demonstration of Divine help is revealed in the building of the temple. Over the material (“stone”), from which it was being made, they even mocked those who were building it, but the temple was nevertheless completed. It is clear that God Himself helped, and therefore we will praise the Lord on this solemn day of the completion of the building. At the construction of the second temple, those who had seen and remembered the former, rich temple of Solomon, wept at the sight of the small dimensions and the poverty of the material from which the second temple was being built, considering this a sign of the rejection of the Hebrews by the Lord, which undermined the energy of the builders. But the significance of the temple as a religious center and therefore also a politically unifying point, probably, if not clearly understood, was nevertheless felt by many, and their rejoicing at the completion of the building is understandable.

Psalm 117:26. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. Here is depicted a procession going to the temple and singing: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” to which the priests answer: “We bless you.”

Psalm 117:27. God is the Lord, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, and bring it to the horns of the altar. Psalm 117:28. You are my God, and I will give thanks to You; You are my God, and I will exalt You, [I will give thanks to You, for You answered me and became my salvation]. Psalm 117:29. Praise the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever. The Lord appeared to us—gave us the opportunity to complete the building of the temple. The writer invites all to solemnly celebrate this day with an abundance of sacrifices, laying the meat destined as sacrifice upon the horns of the altar, as required by the law, and then invites all to sing praises to the Lord. The image of the “stone” (verse 22) Jesus Christ applies to Himself (Matt 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17) and this expression is also referred to Him by other writers (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:7). By the temple, whose walls the stone joins together, must be understood the Church founded on Christ, Who reconciled mankind with God; and it is also understood as the two natures in Jesus Christ, as two walls of a building are united on one stone. One can also understand this image as an indication that with the coming of Christ the Old Covenant found in His life, teaching and suffering its completion, a new life began, a new building was created. The psalm is a type and prefigurement.