Psalms 66:8-18

8 Praise our God, you nations. Let the sound of the praise you give him be heard.
9 He has kept us alive. He has kept our feet from slipping.
10 God, you have put us to the test. You put us through fire to make us like silver.
11 You put us in prison. You placed heavy loads on our backs.
12 You let people run over our heads. We went through fire and water. But you brought us to a place where we have everything we need.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings. I will keep my promises to you.
14 I made them with my lips. My mouth spoke them when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you as burnt offerings. I will offer rams, bulls and goats to you. "Selah"
16 Come and listen, all of you who have respect for God. Let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth. I praised him with my tongue.
18 If I had enjoyed having sin in my heart, the 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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