Bible HebrewShort Psalms Psalm 117:1–2 · Psalm 133:1
The shortest psalm, and the opening of a psalm about living together. Notice how the lines come in pairs.
Psalm 117:1
הַלְלוּ אֶת־יְהוָה כָּל־גּוֹיִם שַׁבְּחוּהוּ כָּל־הָאֻמִּים
Hallū ʾeth-yəḥawwe kol-gōyim shabbəḥūhū kol-hāʾummīm
“Praise yəḥawwe, all nations; praise him, all peoples.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| הַלְלוּ | hallū | praise |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| גּוֹיִם | gōyim | nations |
| שַׁבְּחוּהוּ | shabbəḥūhū | praise him |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| הָאֻמִּים | hāʾummīm | the peoples |
- הַלְלוּ: הַלְלוּ, “praise!”: a plural Piel command. With יָהּ it gives הַלְלוּ־יָהּ, “hallelujah”, at the end of verse 2.
- שַׁבְּחוּהוּ: שַׁבְּחוּהוּ = a plural command, “praise!”, + ־הוּ “him” (see the Pronoun Endings lesson).
- Whole verse: Two lines say the same thing in different words: “praise yəḥawwe, all nations” and “praise him, all peoples”. This pairing is at the heart of Hebrew poetry.
Psalm 117:2
כִּי גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ וֶאֱמֶת־יְהוָה לְעוֹלָם הַלְלוּ־יָהּ
Kī ghāvar ʿālēnū ḥasdō weʾĕmeth-yəḥawwe ləʿōlām hallū-yāh
“For his steadfast love is strong toward us, and the faithfulness of yəḥawwe is forever. Praise yəḥawwe!”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| כִּי | kī | for |
| גָבַר | ghāvar | (it) is strong |
| עָלֵינוּ | ʿālēnū | over us |
| חַסְדּוֹ | ḥasdō | his steadfast love |
| וֶאֱמֶת | weʾĕmeth | and the faithfulness of |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| לְעוֹלָם | ləʿōlām | (is) forever |
| הַלְלוּ | hallū | praise |
| יָהּ | yāh | Yah |
- גָבַר: גָבַר, “be strong, prevail”: his love is strong over us.
- חַסְדּוֹ: חֶסֶד + ־וֹ “his”: “his steadfast love”. חֶסֶד is faithful love within a relationship (compare Ruth 1:8).
- יָהּ: יָהּ is a short form of the divine name. הַלְלוּ־יָהּ, “Praise Yah”, is the word “hallelujah”.
Psalm 133:1
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד הִנֵּה מַה־טּוֹב וּמַה־נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם־יָחַד
Shīr hammaʿălōth lədhāwidh hinnē ma-ṭōv ūma-nāʿīm sheveth ʾaḥīm gam-yāḥadh
“A song of ascents, of David. Look, how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together!”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| שִׁיר | shīr | a song of |
| הַמַּעֲלוֹת | hammaʿălōth | the ascents |
| לְדָוִד | lədhāwidh | of / for David |
| הִנֵּה | hinnē | look |
| מַה | ma | how |
| טּוֹב | ṭōv | good |
| וּמַה | ūma | and how |
| נָּעִים | nāʿīm | pleasant |
| שֶׁבֶת | sheveth | dwelling of |
| אַחִים | ʾaḥīm | brothers |
| גַּם | gam | also |
| יָחַד | yāḥadh | together |
- הַמַּעֲלוֹת: שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, “a song of the ascents”, heads Psalms 120 to 134, often linked with going up to Jerusalem.
- מַה: מַה usually asks “what?”, but it can also exclaim “how …!”: מַה־טּוֹב, “how good!” (see the Questions lesson).
- שֶׁבֶת: שֶׁבֶת, “dwelling, sitting”: the infinitive of יָשַׁב. The first root letter י has dropped (see the Weak Verbs lesson).
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