Psalms 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.

3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”^[a]

5 Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!

6 He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him.

7 He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him.

8 Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;

9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

10 For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

12 You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you—

14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats.

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

19 but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.

20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalms 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.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 81:1; Psalms 84:8; Psalms 95:1; Psalms 98:4; Psalms 100:1
• 2. Psalms 79:9; Psalms 86:9
• 3. Isaiah 42:8,12; Isaiah 43:21
• 4. S Deuteronomy 7:21; S Deuteronomy 10:21; Psalms 65:5; Psalms 106:22; Psalms 111:6; Psalms 145:6
• 5. S 2 Samuel 22:45; Psalms 18:44
• 6. Psalms 22:27
• 7. Psalms 7:17; Psalms 67:3
• 8. ver 3; Psalms 106:22
• 9. S Genesis 8:1; S Exodus 14:22
• 10. 1 Corinthians 10:1
• 11. S Leviticus 23:40
• 12. S Exodus 15:18; Psalms 145:13
• 13. S Exodus 3:16; S Psalms 11:4
• 14. S Numbers 17:10; Psalms 112:10; Psalms 140:8
• 15. S Psalms 22:23; Psalms 98:4
• 16. Psalms 30:3
• 17. S Deuteronomy 32:35; S Job 12:5; Psalms 121:3
• 18. S Exodus 15:25
• 19. S Job 6:29; S Job 28:1; S Psalms 12:6; Psalms 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; Zechariah 13:9; 1 Peter 1:6-7
• 20. Psalms 142:7; Psalms 146:7; Isaiah 42:7,22; Isaiah 61:1
• 21. S Genesis 3:17; S Exodus 1:14; Psalms 38:4; Isaiah 10:27; Lamentations 1:13
• 22. Isaiah 51:23
• 23. Psalms 18:19; Isaiah 43:2
• 24. S Psalms 51:19
• 25. Psalms 22:25; Psalms 50:14; Psalms 116:14; Ecclesiastes 5:4; John 2:9
• 26. S Leviticus 16:5; Numbers 6:14; Psalms 51:19
• 27. Psalms 34:11
• 28. Psalms 71:15,24
• 29. S Deuteronomy 1:45; S 1 Samuel 8:18; Job 36:21; Isaiah 1:15; James 4:3
• 30. S Psalms 18:6; Psalms 116:1-2
• 31. Psalms 22:24; Psalms 68:35

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew has "Selah" (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.

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.