What Does Psalm 117:1 Mean in the King James?
O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
English repeats one word, but Hebrew gives the worldwide call two distinct verbs of praise.
THE MEANING
The call reaches every nation and every people now; no culture stands outside its horizon. You are included in the shared human response the verse names.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It dissolves the belief that praise belongs to one people alone: the verse addresses all nations and all peoples.
THE ROOT
הַלְלוּ
hallelu
GROWS FROM
הלל
h-l-l
to praise, acclaim
The first call, הַלְלוּ (hallelu, praise), has branches such as תְּהִלָּה (tehillah, praise or a song of praise) and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ (hallelu-Yah, praise Yah). The verse’s second verb, שַׁבְּחוּהוּ (shabbeḥuhu, praise or commend him), comes from a different root, adding a second voice of acclaim.
ALSO GROWS
tehillah: praise; a song of praise
תְּהִלָּה
This branch shows praise as voiced expression, fitting the call for every people to join in.
hallelu-Yah: praise Yah
הַלְלוּ־יָהּ
The same imperative root appears in a familiar call that directs praise to Yah.
שַׁבְּחוּהוּ
shabbeḥuhu
GROWS FROM
שבח
sh-b-ḥ
to praise, commend, extol
“praise him” in this verse is shabbeḥuhu. The second English “praise” translates a different Hebrew verb from the first. The parallel therefore enlarges the call through two expressions of acclaim, while the repeated “all” carries both across every people.
ALSO GROWS
shevaḥ: praise; commendation
שֶׁבַח
This noun makes explicit the commendation contained in the verb addressed to all peoples.
shibbeaḥ: he praised or commended
שִׁבֵּחַ
This verb shares the root of “praise him,” showing the call as an act of voiced acclaim.
THE PATTERN
Praise is voiced as a shared response that crosses peoples and reaches the world’s edges.
Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.THE THREAD
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.“Make her boast” translates a form of the same root, הלל (halal, praise), found in Psalm 117:1. Here the praise is heard by others and becomes their gladness, opening up the public, shared sound of the call to all peoples.
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