1 To the Overseer. -- A Song, a Psalm. Shout ye to God, all the earth.
2 Praise ye the honour of His name, Make ye honourable His praise.
3 Say to God, `How fearful `are' Thy works, By the abundance of Thy strength, Thine enemies feign obedience to Thee.
4 All the earth do bow to Thee, They sing praise to Thee, they praise Thy name.' Selah.
5 Come ye, and see the works of God, Fearful acts toward the sons of men.
6 He hath turned a sea to dry land, Through a river they pass over on foot, There do we rejoice in Him.
7 Ruling by His might to the age, His eyes among the nations do watch, The refractory exalt not themselves. Selah.
8 Bless, ye peoples, our God, And sound the voice of His praise,
9 Who hath placed our soul in life, And suffered not our feet to be moved.
10 For Thou hast tried us, O God, Thou hast refined us as the refining of silver.
11 Thou hast brought us into a net, Thou hast placed pressure on our loins.
12 Thou hast caused man to ride at our head. We have entered into fire and into water, And Thou bringest us out to a watered place.
13 I enter Thy house with burnt-offerings, I complete to Thee my vows,
14 For opened were my lips, And my mouth spake in my distress:
15 `Burnt-offerings of fatlings I offer to Thee, With perfume of rams, I prepare a bullock with he-goats.' Selah.
16 Come, hear, all ye who fear God, And I recount what he did for my soul.
17 Unto Him `with' my mouth I have called, And exaltation `is' under my tongue.
18 Iniquity, if I have seen in my heart, The Lord doth not hear.
19 But God hath heard, He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed `is' God, Who hath not turned aside my prayer, And His loving-kindness, from me!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 66
Commentary on Psalms 66 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 66
Ps 66:1-20. The writer invites all men to unite in praise, cites some striking occasions for it, promises special acts of thanksgiving, and celebrates God's great mercy.
1. Make … noise—or, "Shout."
2. his name—as in Ps 29:2.
make his praise glorious—literally, "place honor, His praise," or, "as to His praise"; that is, let His praise be such as will glorify Him, or, be honorable to Him.
3, 4. A specimen of the praise.
How terrible—(Compare Ps 65:8).
submit—(Compare Margin), show a forced subjection (Ps 18:44), produced by terror.
5, 6. The terrible works illustrated in Israel's history (Ex 14:21). By this example let rebels be admonished.
7. behold the nations—watch their conduct.
8, 9. Here is, perhaps, cited a case of recent deliverance.
9. holdeth … in life—literally, "putteth our soul in life"; that is, out of danger (Ps 30:3; 49:15).
to be moved—(Compare Ps 10:6; 55:22).
10-12. Out of severe trials, God had brought them to safety (compare Isa 48:10; 1Pe 1:7).
11. affliction—literally, "pressure," or, as in Ps 55:3, "oppression," which, laid on the
loins—the seat of strength (De 33:11), enfeebles the frame.
12. men to ride over our heads—made us to pass.
through fire, &c.—figures describing prostration and critical dangers (compare Isa 43:2; Eze 36:12).
wealthy—literally, "overflowing," or, "irrigated," and hence fertile.
13-15. These full and varied offerings constitute the payment of vows (Le 22:18-23).
15. I will offer—literally, "make to ascend," alluding to the smoke of burnt offering, which explains the use of "incense."
incense—elsewhere always denoting the fumes of aromatics.
16-20. With these he unites his public thanks, inviting those who fear God (Ps 60:4; 61:5, His true worshippers) to hear. He vindicates his sincerity, inasmuch as God would not hear hypocrites, but had heard him.
17. he was extolled with my tongue—literally, "exaltation (was) under my tongue," as a place of deposit, whence it proceeded; that is, honoring God was habitual.
18. If I regard iniquity in my heart—literally, "see iniquity with pleasure."