Psalms 66:8-18

8 All you nations, bless our God! Let the sound of his praise be heard!
9 God preserved us among the living; he didn't let our feet slip a bit.
10 But you, God, have tested us— you've refined us like silver,
11 trapped us in a net, laid burdens on our backs,
12 let other people run right over our heads— we've been through fire and water. But you brought us out to freedom!
13 So I'll enter your house with entirely burned offerings. I'll keep the promises I made to you,
14 the ones my lips uttered, the ones my mouth spoke when I was in deep trouble.
15 I will offer the best burned offerings to you along with the smoke of sacrificed rams. I will offer both bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come close and listen, all you who honor God; I will tell you what God has done for me:
17 My mouth cried out to him with praise on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished evil in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.

Psalms 66:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, A Song [or] Psalm. This psalm does not bear the name of David in the title of it, yet is generally thought to be one of his; but because the plural number is used in it, which is not so common in David's psalms, Aben Ezra is of opinion it is not his, but written by the singers. This is not a sufficient objection: and besides, in Psalm 66:13, the singular number is used. The Arabic version ascribes it to David, and that version makes the subject matter of it to be "concerning the resurrection"; as do the Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Vulgate Latin versions. The title of the Syriac version is, "concerning sacrifices and burnt offerings, and the incense of rams; the spiritual sense intimates to us the calling of the Gentiles, and the preaching, that is, of the Gospel;" which comes nearest the truth: for the psalm respects Gospel times, and the church of Christ under the New Testament, spread throughout the world, and especially as it will be in the latter day; see Psalm 66:1; and so in Yalkut Simeoni on the psalm, it is said to be a psalm for time to come, and agrees with Zephaniah 3:9; "I will turn to the people a pure language," &c. Kimchi says it is a psalm concerning the gathering of the captives of Israel; and so Jarchi and Obadiah expound it; and Theodoret says David wrote this psalm for the captives in Babylon.
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