What is Psalterium Catholicum?

Psalterium Catholicum offers praying the Psalms, practicing Lectio Divina, and exploring faithful Catholic resources for daily devotion.

Psalm 116 The Psalter Psalm 118

PSALMVS CXVII

Laudate Dominum

The Shortest Psalm · Praise · Book V

Pray this Psalm · Lectio Divina

1O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

2For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

Douay-Rheims · Challoner Revision

Read the NABRE at the USCCB

Mark as prayed

Freely you have received; freely give.

Psalterium is free for all. If it nourishes your prayer, consider making a small offering to keep it so.

Support this work

Wisdom of the Church

Psalm 117 is the shortest of all the psalms and the midpoint of the entire Psalter. While it lacks a specific Davidic superscription, it is traditionally understood within the context of the Hallel psalms (Psalms 113–118), which were central to Jewish Temple liturgy. Historically, this psalm reflects the post-exilic restoration period, where the scope of praise expands beyond the boundaries of Israel to include all nations. Its placement acts as a bridge between the laments of previous chapters and the triumphant messianic celebration of Psalm 118. In the Second Temple era, the Levites chanted this hymn as an invitation to universal worship, acknowledging that the covenantal fidelity of YHWH—the hesed—is not merely a local phenomenon but a salvific truth destined for all humanity. By addressing 'all nations' and 'all peoples,' the psalmist anticipates the ingathering of the Gentiles, signaling a prophetic shift from nationalistic covenant to universal mission, a vision that would find its ultimate fulfillment in the proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.