Chapter 117 of Tehillim is the shortest chapter in the Book of Psalms, and indeed the shortest chapter in the entire Tanach. The chapter consists of only two verses, and it continues the series of psalms spoken about the miraculous salvation of Chizkiyahu from the hand of Sancheriv.
הַלְלוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה כָּל־גּוֹיִם, שַׁבְּחוּהוּ כָּל־הָאֻמִּים׃ - Praise Hashem, all you nations; laud Him, all you peoples.
The Radak explains that this psalm consists of only two verses because it was said concerning the Messianic era. In the very fact that the psalm contains only two verses lies an allusion: all humanity will be divided into two camps - Israel on one side, standing steadfast in their Torah, and all the other nations on the other side, observing the Seven Noahide Mitzvot. That is, the world will be divided into two: the Jewish people on one side and the rest of the nations on the other, and all will praise Hashem. Then, in the days of Mashiach, everyone will acknowledge Hashem, as it is written in Zephaniah: "that they may all call upon the name of Hashem, to serve Him with one accord."
According to this, the division of the psalm into two parts is also readily understood. The first verse - "Praise Hashem, all you nations; laud Him, all you peoples" - speaks of the praise of the nations, for David foresaw through Ruach HaKodesh that all the nations will praise Hashem, blessed be He. Meanwhile, the conclusion of the psalm, "Halleluyah," along with the second verse - "For His kindness has overwhelmed us" - returns to us: we are the ones offering praise. Thus we have praise coming from both sides here, from our side and from the side of the nations, and it all points to the future to come.
The Malbim explains: See how Hashem fulfilled Chizkiyahu's request. The people of Israel were saved from the siege laid by Sancheriv, and all the nations whom Sancheriv had taken captive and brought to Jerusalem - all of them will praise Hashem "for His kindness has overwhelmed us." As we recall, Sancheriv went first to Egypt, conquered them, and brought immense wealth here to continue the war against us. In practice, he left us both the wealth he had taken from Egypt and the captives he had brought from there, bringing all of it right before Jerusalem. And once Sancheriv and his men died, those captives were likewise rescued from their captivity.
And this is just as written in Yeshayahu: "Thus said Hashem: The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall pass over to you and they shall be yours; they shall walk after you, in chains they shall pass over, and to you they shall bow down, to you they shall pray, saying: Surely God is in you, and there is none else, there is no other God." Sancheriv would bring to us everything he took from there - he came to conquer, yet ultimately brought his spoil and his captives directly to us.
Likewise, the other nations that Sancheriv fought against will also give thanks to Hashem, blessed be He, as written in Yeshayahu 14: "And what will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Hashem has founded Zion, and in it the afflicted of His people shall find refuge." The other nations he battled against now have relief; the threat known as Sancheriv exists no more. Concerning this it is said, "Praise Hashem, all you nations; laud Him, all you peoples": all will give thanks and praise to Hashem - both those captured by his hand and those threatened by him - for the Holy One, blessed be He, took him and slew his entire army, and now the nations too thank and praise Hashem that this affliction was lifted from them.
כִּי־גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ, וֶאֱמֶת־יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם, הַלְלוּ־יָהּ׃ - For His kindness has overwhelmed us, and the truth of Hashem endures forever; Halleluyah!
The Malbim juxtaposes this psalm with what was stated in the previous psalm. Corresponding to "Not for us, Hashem, not for us, but to Your Name give glory," it says here, "Praise Hashem, all nations" - for how is glory given to His Name? When all the nations praise the Name of Hashem. And corresponding to "for Your kindness, for Your truth," it says, "for His kindness has overwhelmed us," as Hashem's kindness in saving us from the distress of Sancheriv is now evident. Corresponding to "for Your truth," it says, "and the truth of Hashem is forever, Halleluyah" - for Hashem verified His promise, and His promise remains steadfast forever.
The question arises: What is the meaning of the double phrasing, "Praise Hashem, all nations (goyim); laud Him, all peoples (umim)"? There is a dual duplication here - both goyim and umim (nations and peoples), and both hallelu ("praise") and shabbechuhu ("laud"). The Malbim explains: Le'umim (peoples) are nations that possess a distinct religion and a specific legal system, whereas goyim are nations that have neither a distinct religion nor an organized legal code. This does not necessarily mean religion in the sense of faith alone, but rather their own social customs and laws. There are many nations without laws of their own; they are like disparate tribes without the rule of national law. Well-ordered nations have their own constitution and legislature, and these are considered more prominent.
As for the distinction between hallelu and shabbechu: the verb shevach differs from other verbs of praise in that it implies enhancement, enrichment, and improvement, as in the expression "improving (mashbi'ach) the field," and as in, "Generation to generation shall laud (yeshabach) Your works" - praising and adding. Therefore, the goyim, the rudimentary nations that lack an organized legal code and are not civilized societies, will praise (yehalelu) Hashem. In modern terms, one might speak of societies ruled by militias, brute force, and the power of weapons rather than the rule of law. But the le'umim, the more civilized nations that possess structured religions and already have some degree of awareness, having praised Hashem until now - they will laud (yeshabechu) Hashem. This is greater than basic praise; it connotes elevation and enrichment. For them, Hashem will be exalted far more than before.
The explanation is simple: a simple person is less capable of discerning the true value and excellence of a matter, whereas someone who reflects deeply is the one who grasps its true merit and stature. Simple, primitive peoples never praised Hashem at all until now because they did not know Him, but now they will praise Him. By contrast, nations that already possess some recognition of Hashem - both Christians and Muslims have a certain awareness of God - will attain far greater recognition. Within them, the dimension of "laud Him, all peoples" will be fulfilled: an elevation and enhancement of the praise that existed until now.
As is well known, the Rambam writes that the religions that the Holy One, blessed be He, allowed to come into existence - Christianity and Islam - are part of the process of redemption. After all, what existed beforehand? Pagan idolaters. A person carved an idol and worshiped it. Even today, in parts of Africa, people worship anything that moves, believing in superstitions, spirits, and demons - completely primitive beliefs. By contrast, a European already believes in an abstract supreme God, not someone who must be seen, and not someone with physical form and likeness; yet he still falls short, since he believes that that individual is the son of the holy spirit, which attributes physical form and likeness. Then came Islam, which represents a further progression, for Islam does not believe in corporealization of God at all; it contains no notion of a trinity, but only Allah alone.
From this, incidentally, stems the halachic distinction: one is permitted to enter a mosque - and if there is any hesitation, it is only due to personal safety ("take heed and guard your life"), as one cannot be certain how he will emerge - but from the standpoint of the prohibition against entering a house of idolatry, there is no prohibition regarding a mosque. In contrast, entering a church, even as part of a tour, is strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, this is a stumbling block for many: people take trips arranged through work or for other reasons, sometimes even in Jerusalem - visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, touring here and there, saying, "I am only admiring the stained glass and the architecture; I am not performing idolatry." It is strictly forbidden to enter such places: "Keep your way far from her, and do not approach the entrance to her house." Christianity is considered idolatry because of the belief in the trinity, which corporeally defines the Divine, whereas this is not the case with Islam.
A precise distinction must be made: there is no prohibition against entering a place that merely contains an idol; the prohibition is against entering a house of idolatry. A church is a house of idolatry. By contrast, the home of a gentile that has a crucifix inside is a home containing an idol, but it is not a house of idolatry. And by the way, every observant home has Avodah Zarah - Tractate Avodah Zarah!
We find, then, that the more structured nations that possess a religion will be included in the category of "laud Him, all peoples," attaining a greater recognition of Hashem, may He be blessed; everything the world is presently undergoing is a progression toward that complete recognition. But those who are completely distant, who still bow down to a cow, will merely praise Hashem. They will not reach the level of "lauding Him," as they cannot attain such comprehension, but they will indeed praise Hashem and acknowledge that God exists.
The work Otzrot HaAggadah cites the famous difficulty in this verse: What does it mean that "all nations" should praise Hashem because "His kindness has overwhelmed us"? If His kindness has overwhelmed you, then you praise Him - what do you want from me? In other words, a Jew says to a gentile: "Praise Hashem, may He be blessed!" Why? Because Hashem performs many kindnesses for us! From the gentile's perspective, that would be a reason to curse, not to praise!
Rather, it is explained: it is well known that the nations of the world are sustained through the Jewish people. The abundance bestowed upon the Jewish people - from what overflows their measure - descends and affects the nations. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not bestow a distinct abundance directly upon the nations; rather, everything they receive comes through the Jewish people. And this is what the verse means: Praise Hashem, all you nations, for His kindness was great upon us - because Hashem increased His kindness toward us and granted us abundance and blessing, the nations must praise Him, for it is from this very abundance that they receive sustenance.
This is similar to what Chazal said: "The entire world is sustained for the sake of Chanina My son, yet Chanina My son is satisfied with a kav of carobs." The Nefesh HaChaim explains: "Bishvil Chanina My son" - along the pathway (shvil) of Chanina My son; there is a pathway from Heaven that descends to Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, and the entire world is sustained from this pathway. Similarly, the holy Ohr HaChaim writes: if the nations knew how much abundance comes to them from the fact that the Beis HaMikdash stands built, they would have stationed guards to ensure no one destroyed it. If they knew how much they lost with its destruction, not only would they not have destroyed it, they would have actively guarded it so that it would never be destroyed. It is therefore truly fitting that all nations praise Hashem and all peoples laud Him for the greatness of His kindness toward us, since it is by virtue of that kindness that they are sustained.
Another explanation is cited by Rav Ovadia Yosef in Chazon Ovadia, based on the Midrash on the verse "Egypt rejoiced when they left" - the Egyptians rejoiced when the Jewish people departed from Egypt. Rabbi Berechiah said: A parable of a heavy, corpulent man who was riding on a donkey, traveling toward his town. The donkey eagerly anticipates the moment the rider dismounts, for he is carrying a very heavy load; and the rider himself also anticipates the moment he reaches his destination. Both share a similar yearning: when will we finally arrive at the destination? Once he arrived and the rider dismounted, the donkey rejoiced and the rider rejoiced, to the point that we do not know who rejoiced more.
So too, when Israel was in Egypt and devastating plagues struck Egypt: the Jewish people were waiting for the moment they would leave Egypt, and the Egyptians were pleading, "Master of the Universe, when will You finally take them away?" - for as long as they are here, we continue to suffer. In modern terms: the Gazans waiting for the hostages to be taken away and released, for otherwise they continue to bleed and take heavy bombardments. Once Israel was redeemed, both rejoiced, and we do not know who rejoiced more - but from the fact that David said "Egypt rejoiced when they left," we learn that the Egyptians rejoiced even more.
Based on this, the verse is explained beautifully: Praise Hashem, all you nations - why? For His kindness was great upon us. Since Hashem increased His kindness toward us and redeemed us, the nations will praise Him and say: "Thank You, Master of the Universe, for taking Your people and bringing them out of here, for now the plagues have ceased and we have some peace."
The Chida, in Petach Einayim, brings another explanation, which is perhaps the best-known interpretation of this verse. It is known that there are many decrees and plots that the nations devise against the Jewish people, and the Jewish people know nothing of them at all - they have not heard of them and are unaware of them. Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, foils their counsel and nullifies their plans, without our knowing anything about it. Often, the stories come to light only in retrospect: a certain terrorist was about to carry out a massive attack, but then he spotted police officers, lost his nerve, turned around in his vehicle and drove back - and we were saved. At other times, it comes to light only during interrogations, months later. Who saved you? The Holy One, blessed be He. What did you know about it? What did you do to achieve this? Nothing. It is the gentile who says: "Look at the kindness Hashem has performed for His people!"
This is the meaning of "Praise Hashem, all you nations" - who can praise Him? You do not even know enough to praise Him, because you never heard about the danger. This is the idea of "for Your miracles that are with us every day": Hashem performs miracles for us of which we are completely unaware, and we thank Him for them in a general sense. I do not know which specific miracle You performed for me, but at every single moment we are saved from all kinds of troubles and disasters that were meant to strike us. This corresponds to the verse, "Who alone works great wonders" - "alone," meaning that no one else even knows of it. We do not even know what we were saved from. Who, then, can give thanks, praise, and laud Him for this? Only the nations, for they know what we were saved from, while we remain unaware of what the plots were, how they were foiled, and why they ultimately failed to materialize.
The Rav of Brisk offers a wonderful illustration of this: Yisro was one of Pharaoh's advisors. He knew the inner thoughts; he sat in the council of advisors alongside Iyov and Bilam, privy to the plots of what to do to the Jewish people - "for in the very matter in which they plotted against them." We were completely unaware of this and never heard about it, but he says: "I was in the inner chambers, I saw the plans there" - and therefore, he was the one who could come, give thanks, and offer praise for it.
In the sefer Otzros HaTorah, an explanation of "For His kindness was great upon us" (ki gavar aleinu chasdo) is brought based on what Chazal said: This nation has three defining traits - they are merciful, bashful, and perform deeds of lovingkindness. This is the meaning of ki gavar: an acronym for G-B-R - Gomlei chasadim (performers of kindness), Bayshanim (bashful), Rachmanim (merciful). And because these character traits exist within us, as a result, "His kindness is upon us."
For it is taught that when a person acts with loving-kindness, the Holy One, blessed be He, channels loving-kindness upon him; and when someone is, Heaven forbid, cruel, he draws cruelty upon himself. When a person shows mercy - mercy is bestowed upon him from Above. As the holy Ohr HaChaim explains regarding those who carried out the judgment on the wayward city (ir hanidachat), there was reason to fear that the act would draw cruelty into their nature, for they had acted ruthlessly - even though it was by Hashem's command. Therefore the Torah states there, "And He will give you mercy, and have compassion on you": the Holy One, blessed be He, will ensure that cruelty does not affect you; on the contrary, He will place mercy into your heart, and through this He will be able to have compassion on you, for Hashem has mercy on the merciful. May Hashem likewise bestow His loving-kindness upon us and upon us all.
The shortest psalm in Tanach encompasses within its two verses the entire vision of the future: the division of humanity into two realms - Israel through their Torah and the nations through the Seven Noahide Laws - and all of them praising together. The simple nations will attain the level of hallel (praise), while the refined nations will ascend from praise to shevach (exaltation) and a deeper recognition of Hashem. And the reason - "For His loving-kindness has overwhelmed us": the divine abundance for the entire world flows through Israel, the nations benefit from our redemption, and they are also the ones who truly perceive what the Holy One, blessed be He, saved us from through miracles of which we remain unaware. And within ourselves - the three distinguishing traits: merciful, modest, and performers of loving-kindness, are what draw this chesed upon us; and "the truth of Hashem endures forever" - His promise stands for all eternity. Halleluyah.