Salmi 66

1 Al Capo de’ musici. Canto. Salmo. Fate acclamazioni a Dio, voi tutti abitanti della terra!

2 Cantate la gloria del suo nome, rendete gloriosa la sua lode!

3 Dite a Dio: Come son tremende le opere tue! Per la grandezza della tua forza i tuoi nemici ti aduleranno.

4 Tutta la terra si prostrerà dinanzi a te e a te salmeggerà, salmeggerà al tuo nome. Sela.

5 Venite e mirate le opere di Dio; egli è tremendo ne’ suoi atti verso i figliuoli degli uomini.

6 Egli mutò il mare in terra asciutta; il popolo passò il fiume a piedi; quivi ci rallegrammo in lui.

7 Egli, con la sua potenza, signoreggia in eterno; i suoi occhi osservan le nazioni; i ribelli non facciano i superbi! Sela.

8 Benedite il nostro Dio, o popoli, e fate risonar la voce della sua lode!

9 Egli ha conservato in vita l’anima nostra, non ha permesso che il nostro piè vacillasse.

10 Poiché tu ci hai provati, o Dio, ci hai passati al crogiuolo come l’argento.

11 Ci hai fatti entrar nella rete, hai posto un grave peso sulle nostre reni.

12 Hai fatto cavalcar degli uomini sul nostro capo; siamo entrati nel fuoco e nell’acqua, ma tu ci traesti fuori in luogo di refrigerio.

13 Io entrerò nella tua casa con olocausti, ti pagherò i miei voti,

14 i voti che le mie labbra han proferito, che la mia bocca ha pronunziato nella mia distretta.

15 Io t’offrirò olocausti di bestie grasse, con profumo di montoni; sacrificherò buoi e becchi. Sela.

16 Venite e ascoltate, o voi tutti che temete Iddio! Io vi racconterò quel ch’egli ha fatto per l’anima mia.

17 Io gridai a lui con la mia bocca, ed egli fu esaltato dalla mia lingua.

18 Se nel mio cuore avessi avuto di mira l’iniquità, il Signore non m’avrebbe ascoltato.

19 Ma certo Iddio m’ha ascoltato; egli ha atteso alla voce della mia preghiera.

20 Benedetto sia Iddio, che non ha rigettato la mia preghiera, né m’ha ritirato la sua benignità.

Salmi 66 Commentary

Chapter 66

Praise for God's sovereign power in the creation. (1-7) For his favour to his church. (8-12) And the psalmist's praise for his experience of God's goodness. (13-20)

Verses 1-7 The holy church throughout all the world lifts up her voice, to laud that Name which is above every name, to make the praise of Jesus glorious, both by word and deed; that others may be led to glorify him also. But nothing can bring men to do this aright, unless his effectual grace create their hearts anew unto holiness; and in the redemption by the death of Christ, and the glorious deliverances it effects, are more wondrous works than Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

Verses 8-12 The Lord not only preserves our temporal life, but maintains the spiritual life which he has given to believers. By afflictions we are proved, as silver in the fire. The troubles of the church will certainly end well. Through various conflicts and troubles, the slave of Satan escapes from his yoke, and obtains joy and peace in believing: through much tribulation the believer must enter into the kingdom of God.

Verses 13-20 We should declare unto those that fear God, what he has done for our souls, and how he has heard and answered our prayers, inviting them to join us in prayer and praise; this will turn to our mutual comfort, and to the glory of God. We cannot share these spiritual privileges, if we retain the love of sin in our hearts, though we refrain from the gross practice, Sin, regarded in the heart, will spoil the comfort and success of prayer; for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of the Lord. But if the feeling of sin in the heart causes desires to be rid of it; if it be the presence of one urging a demand we know we must not, cannot comply with, this is an argument of sincerity. And when we pray in simplicity and godly sincerity, our prayers will be answered. This will excite gratitude to Him who hath not turned away our prayer nor his mercy from us. It was not prayer that fetched the deliverance, but his mercy that sent it. That is the foundation of our hopes, the fountain of our comforts; and ought to be the matter of our praises.

Chapter Summary

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.