Psalms 67 — ENGLXXUP

See Hebrew/Greek in BSB →

67 For the end, a Psalm of a Song by David. ^{Verse 2} Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; ^{Verse 3} As smoke vanishes, let them vanish: ^{Verse 4} But let the righteous rejoice; ^{Verse 5} Sing to God, sing praises to his name: ^{Verse 6} Who is the father of the orphans, and judge of the widows: ^{Verse 7} God settles the solitary in a house; ^{Verse 8} O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, ^{Verse 9} The earth quaked, yea, the heavens dropped water ^{Verse 10} O God, thou wilt grant to thine inheritance a gracious rain; ^{Verse 11} Thy creatures dwell in it: ^{Verse 12} The Lord God will give a word to them that preach it in a great company. ^{Verse 13} The king of the forces of the beloved, of the beloved, ^{Verse 14} Even if ye should lie among the lots, ^{Verse 15} When the heavenly One scatters kings upon it, ^{Verse 16} The mountain of God is a rich mountain; ^{Verse 17} Wherefore do ye conceive evil, ye swelling mountains? ^{Verse 18} The chariots of God are ten thousand fold, ^{Verse 19} Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, ^{Verse 20} Blessed be the Lord God, blessed be the Lord daily; ^{Verse 21} Our God is the God of salvation; ^{Verse 22} But God shall crush the heads of his enemies; ^{Verse 23} The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, ^{Verse 24} That thy foot may be dipped in blood, ^{Verse 25} Thy goings, O God, have been seen; ^{Verse 26} The princes went first, next before the players on instruments, ^{Verse 27} Praise God in the congregations, ^{Verse 28} There is Benjamin the younger one in ecstasy, ^{Verse 29} O God, command thou thy strength: ^{Verse 30} Because of thy temple at Jerusalem ^{Verse 31} Rebuke the wild beasts of the reed: ^{Verse 32} Ambassadors shall arrive out of Egypt; ^{Verse 33} Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth; sing psalms to the Lord. Pause. ^{Verse 34} Sing to God that rides on the heaven of heaven, eastward: ^{Verse 35} Give ye glory to God: ^{Verse 36} God is wonderful in his holy places,

Commentary

1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us The psalm contains a prediction of Christ’s kingdom, under which the whole world was to be adopted into a privileged relationship with God; but the Psalmist begins by praying for the Divine blessing, particularly upon the Jews. They were the first-born, (Exodus 4:22,) and the blessing was to terminate upon them first, and then go out to all the surrounding nations. I have used the imperative mood throughout the psalm, as other translators have done, although the future tense, which is that employed in the Hebrew, would suit sufficiently well, and the passage might be understood as encouraging the minds of the Lord’s people to trust in the continuance and increase of the Divine favor. The words, however, are generally construed in the form of a prayer, and I merely threw out this as a suggestion. Speaking, as the Psalmist does, of those who belonged to the Church of God, and not of those who were without, it is noticeable that yet he traces all the blessings they received to God’s free favor; and from this we may learn, that so long as we are here, we owe our happiness, our success, and prosperity, entirely to the same cause. This being the case, how shall any think to anticipate his goodness by merits of their own? The light of God’s countenance may refer either to the sense of his love shed abroad in our hearts, or to the actual manifestation of it without, as, on the other hand, his face may be said to be clouded, when he strikes terrors into our conscience on account of our sins, or withdraws the outward marks of his favor.

2 That they may know thy way upon the earth. Here we have a clear prophecy of that extension of the grace of God by which the Gentiles were united into one body with the posterity of Abraham. The Psalmist prays for some conspicuous proof of favor to be shown his chosen people, which might attract the Gentiles to seek participation in the same blessed hope. By the way of God is meant his covenant, which is the source or spring of salvation, and by which he discovered himself in the character of a Father to his ancient people, and afterwards more clearly under the Gospel, when the Spirit of adoption was shed abroad in greater abundance. Accordingly, we find Christ himself saying,

“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,” (John 17:3)

3 Let the people praise thee, O God! Having spoken of all nations participating in the saving knowledge of God, he next tells us that they would proclaim his goodness, and exhorts them to the exercise of gratitude. The repetition used clearly shows of itself that he alludes to an event of a new and unprecedented kind. Had the allusion been to some such manifestation of his favor as he ordinarily made to the Jews, we would not have looked for the same vehemency of expression. First he says, Let the people praise thee; then he adds, Let all the people praise thee Afterwards he repeats the exclamation once more. But he appropriately makes mention, between, of rejoicing, and the occasion there was for it, since it is impossible that we can praise God aright, unless our minds be tranquil and cheerful — unless, as persons reconciled to God, we are animated with the hope of salvation, and “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,” reign in our hearts, (Philippians 4:7.) The cause assigned for joy plainly in itself points to the event of the calling of the Gentiles. The reference is not to that government of God which is general in its nature, but to that special and spiritual jurisdiction which he exercises over the Church, in which he cannot properly be said to govern any but such as he has gathered under his sway by the doctrine of his law. The word righteousness is inserted in commendation of his government. Language almost identical is used by Isaiah and Micah when they speak of the times in which the word of salvation would be diffused throughout all the earth, (Isaiah 11:4; Micah 4:3.)

6 The earth has given its increase Mention having been made of the principal act of the Divine favor, notice is next taken of the temporal blessings which he confers upon his children, that they may have everything necessary to complete their happiness. And here it is to be remembered, that every benefit which God bestowed upon his ancient people was, as it were, a light held out before the eyes of the world, to attract the attention of the nations to him. From this the Psalmist argues, that should God liberally supply the wants of his people, the consequence would be, to increase the fear of his name, since all ends of the earth would, by what they saw of his fatherly regard to his own, submit themselves with greater cheerfulness to his government.

Open full in Library

Bible

Translations

Pentateuch

History

Wisdom

Major Prophets

Minor Prophets

Keyboard shortcuts