Psalms 66:7-17

7 who rules by his might forever, whose 1eyes keep watch on the nations-- let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living and 2has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have 3tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into 4the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men 5ride over our heads; we went through fire and through 6water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will 7perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised 8when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 9Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b]

Psalms 66:7-17 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.

Cross References 9

  • 1. See Psalms 11:4
  • 2. See Psalms 121:3
  • 3. See Job 23:10
  • 4. Lamentations 1:13; Ezekiel 12:13
  • 5. Isaiah 51:23
  • 6. Isaiah 43:2
  • 7. See Psalms 50:14
  • 8. See Psalms 18:6
  • 9. ver. 5; Psalms 34:11

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Hebrew under
  • [b]. Or and he was exalted with my tongue
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.