Psalm 66:7-17

7 He rules forever with his power. He keeps his eye on the nations, so people should not turn against him.Selah

8 You people, praise our God; loudly sing his praise.

9 He protects our lives and does not let us be defeated.

10 God, you have tested us; you have purified us like silver.

11 You let us be trapped and put a heavy load on us.

12 You let our enemies walk on our heads. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place with good things.

13 I will come to your Temple with burnt offerings. I will give you what I promised,

14 things I promised when I was in trouble.

15 I will bring you offerings of fat animals, and I will offer sheep, bulls, and goats.Selah

16 All of you who fear God, come and listen, and I will tell you what he has done for me.

17 I cried out to him with my mouth and praised him with my tongue.

Psalm 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.