Psalm 66:3

3 Say unto God, How awful are thy works! through the greatness of thy power thine enemies shall lie to thee.

Psalm 66:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 66:3

Say unto God
Or, "concerning God" ^F20, as some; or, "before God", as the Targum; say to him as follows, in psalms and hymns of praise:

how terrible art thou in thy works!
or "reverend" ^F21; to be feared and reverenced with a godly fear on account of them; such as the works of nature and providence, which are stupendous and marvellous, fearfully and wonderfully wrought; and especially those of grace and redemption, in which the goodness of Christ is manifest, and for which he is to be feared: unless rather his judgments upon his enemies are here meant; who, though he is a Lamb to his own people, is the Lion of the tribe of Judah to them, whom he will break in pieces as a potter's vessel it may be read, "how terrible", or "tremendous", is everyone of "thy works"; so Aben Ezra, and also Jarchi, who interprets the next clause,

through the greatness of thy power,
thus,

``when thou showest to the world thy power, by the pestilence, or sword, or famine, or lightnings:''

shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee?
in a lying, flattering, and deceitful manner, as the word ^F23 here used signifies; (See Gill on Psalms 18:44); or, as the above interpreters,

``they shall, through the greatness of fear, confess the lies and transgressions they have committed.''

It will be a forced, and not a free, confession and submission; Christ's enemies, whether they will or not, will be obliged to own that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, ( Philippians 2:10 Philippians 2:11 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (Myhlal wrma) "dicite de Deo", Campensis apud Gejerum; and some in Michaelis.
F21 (arwn) "reverendus", Junius & Tremellius.
F23 (wvxby) "mentientur", V. L. Musculus, Montanus; "mendaciter se dedunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Amama.

Psalm 66:3 In-Context

1 Shout unto God, all the earth.

2 O sing praises to his name; give glory to his praise.

3 Say unto God, How awful are thy works! through the greatness of thy power thine enemies shall lie to thee.

4 Let all the earth worship thee, and sing to thee; let them sing to thy name. Pause.

5 Come and behold the works of God; he is terrible in his counsels beyond the children of men.

6 Who turns the sea into dry land; they shall go through the river on foot; there shall we rejoice in him,

7 who by his power is Lord over the age, his eyes look upon the nations; let not them that provoke him be exalted in themselves. Pause.

8 Bless our God, ye Gentiles, and make the voice of his praise to be heard;

9 who quickens my soul in life, and does not suffer my feet to be moved.

10 For thou, O God, has proved us; thou hast tried us with fire as silver is tried.

11 Thou broughtest us into the snare; thou laidest afflictions on our back.

12 Thou didst mount men upon our heads; we went through the fire and water; but thou broughtest us out into a place of refreshment.

13 I will go into thine house with whole-burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my vows,

14 which my lips framed, and my mouth uttered in my affliction.

15 I will offer to thee whole-burnt-sacrifices full of marrow, with incense and rams; I will sacrifice to thee oxen with goats. Pause.

16 Come, hear, and I will tell, all ye that fear God, how great things he has done for my soul.

17 I cried to him with my mouth, and exalted him with my tongue.

18 If I have regarded iniquity in my heart, let not the Lord hearken to me.

19 Therefore God has hearkened to me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.