Psalms 66

The Author and time of the Composing of this Psalm are uncertain. This is manifest and sufficient for our understanding of it, that it was made upon the occasion of some great and glorious Deliverance afforded to the Israelites, after and out of some grievous and general Calamity, and, as some not improbably conceive, that out of Babylon.

MAke a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands Ye people of all Nations, who have seen the wonderful Power and Wisdom, and fidelity, and goodness of God in our Deliverance, it becomes you to acknowledge it with Admiration and Rejoycing. Or, all the Land, or this Land. But the former Sense is more probable from v. 4. where this Word is so used. And it is very Proper to this place, and usual in other places of Scripture, to invite the Gentile World, to the Contemplation and Celebration of God's Works, to and for his People. See Deut. 32. 43. 1 Chron. 16. 23, 24..

Sing forth the honour of his name, make his praise glorious (i. e.) Praise him in an extraordinary and Eminent degree, so as he may have much Glory from you..

Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works To wit, to thine Enemies, as it follows.! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee Heb. Lye unto thee, (i. e.) Profess subjection to thee, not sincerely and freely, but by Constraint, and out of a servile Fear..

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee Many People of divers Nations shall be so affected with thy stupendious Works, that they shall Worship and Praise thee for them, and all People should do so, and shall have just cause to do so; and the time will come when all Nations will actually do so, to wit, in the days of the Messias., they shall sing to thy Name, Selah.

Come and see Consider them wisely and seriously, for God's Glory, and for your own good. the works of God, he is terrible in his doing toward the Children of men To all his Enemies, whom he calls the Children of Men; Partly, in way of Contempt, to show how unable they are; Either, to avoid or resist the great God; and Partly, in opposition to his own People, who are frequently called the Children of God..

He turned the sea into dry land, they went through the flood Or River, to wit, Iordan. on foot, there did we (i. e.) Our Nation, or our Ancestors, in whose Loyns we then were, and the Benefit of which Antient Deliverance we at this day enjoy. See the like Expressions. Psal. 81. 5. Hose. 12. 4. The whole People of Israel, are oft Considered as one Body, continued through all succeeding Generations, United in the Bound of the same Covenant and Worship, and in the Possession of the same Promises, and Priviledges, and Blessings, and Acted by one and the same Spirit; and therefore several and contrary things may reasonably be ascribed to them, in regard of their several Parts and Ages, and what was done in one Age, may be imputed to another by Virtue of their strict Conjunction with the same Body. rejoyce in him.

He ruleth by his power for ever The same Power which God had and put forth for his People in Antient time, he still has in as great Vigour as ever, and is not at all weakened by Age, and is as able and ready to Act for them now, as ever he was: which he has showed by this Late and Glorious instance., his eyes behold the nations He sees all their secret and subtil Devices, and can and will defeat them, when he sees fit., let not the rebellious exalt themselves Lift up their Hands against God, or against his People. Or, the Rebellions (i. e. Those People which Rebel against this Almighty God and his Laws) shall not exalt themselves, as they Vainly hope and Design to do, but shall be brought down and destroyed, as is hereby implyed., Selah.

O bless our God, ye people Of other Nations, that have served, or yet do serve other Gods., and make the voyce of his praise to be heard.

Which holdeth our soul in life Who by a Succession of Miracles of Mercy, has kept us alive in the midst of a thousand Deaths, to which we were exposed, and has restored us to Life, when we were like Dead men and dry Bones scattered at the Mouth of the Grave., and suffereth not our feet to be moved To wit, so as to fall into Mischief and utter Ruin, as our Enemies designed..

For Or, Yet or Nevertheless. Though thou hast hitherto helped us, and now delivered us, yet for a season thou hast sorely afflicted us. thou, O God, hast proved us, thou hast tryed us, as silver is tryed (i. e.) Severely, as if it were in a burning Furnace; and with a Design to try our sincerity, and to purge out the Dross, or the wicked from among us..

Thou broughtest us into the net Which our Enemies laid for us, and which could never have taken or held us, but by the Permission and Disposal of thy Providence, which gave us into their hands., thou laidst affliction upon our loyns.

Thou hast caused men Weak and Mortal, and miserable Men, as the Word signifies, no better nor stronger then we, if thou hadst not given them Power over us. to ride over our heads To Ride upon our Shoulders. By thy Permission they have used us like Slaves, yea like Beasts, to carry their Persons or Burdens: Compare Isa. 51. 23.; we went through fire, and through water (i. e.) Through various and dangerous Tryals, and Calamities: See Psal. 32. 6. and 69. 2. Ezek. 15. 7. and 30. 8.; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place Heb. Into a moist, or Well-watered place, such as Canaan was both in a Proper Sense, and figuratively, as being replenished with Divine Graces and Blessings..

I will goy into thy house with burnt-offerings: I will pay thee my vows.

Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.

I will offer unto thee burnt-sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams With the fat of Rams, which in these Peace-offerings was burnt upon the Altar, and so vanished into Smoke like Incense, and which is no less pleasing to God than Incense.: I will offer bullocks with goats, Selah. y Hitherto he spoke in the plural Number, but now he begins to speak in the singular Number, but still the Speech is continued of the same Person or Persons: only sometimes the whole Body speaks; and sometimes one Man speaks in the Name of all the rest.

Come and hear, all ye that fear God Whether Israelites or Gentiles proselyted to them. Let every Israelite take notice of what God has done for the Nation in general, and let the Gentiles observe God's goodness to the Children of Israel., and I will declare what he has done for my soul Which he has held in Life, as he said v. 9: in the greatest dangers of Death..

I cryed unto him with my mouth With a loud Voyce and great Fervency: Or it is a Pleonasme, as Psal. 44. 1. We have heard with our Ears., and he was extolled (i. e.) Praised by me; To wit, for answering my Prayers. with my tongue.

If I regard Heb. If I have or had seen, or looked upon, to wit, with approbation and affection, as Iob 31. 26. Hab. 1. 13. Men look upon what they like, and turn away their Face from what they loath or hate. iniquity Any sin whatsoever, and especially Idolatry, which is oft expressed by this Word, to which the Israelites were very prone, and to which they had most powerful Temptations from the Examples, and Counsels, and Promises, and Threats of the Idolaters, in whose Land and Power they had been. And so this is a Purgation of themselves from that Crime, somewhat like that Psal. 44. 20, 21. and in general, from those gross and Reigning sins, whereof they had been guilty formerly. in my heart If my Heart was false to God, and did cleave to Idols, or to any Wickedness, although I might for some prudential Reasons forbear the gross and outward Acts. Compare Psal. 44. 17, 18. If I had been guilty of that Hypocrisie, wherewith mine Enemies charged me, and had been a secret Favourer of Wickedness when I pretended great Piety. Or, If I did not Cry unto God with my Heart, but only howled for Corn and Wine, &c. and whilst I cryed to God with my Tongue, my Heart was set upon sin, or I desired only that which I resolved in mine Heart, to spend upon my Lusts., the LORD will not hear me Or, Would not have heard me; as divers learned Interpreters translate it, the Future being put Potentially, as is usual among the Hebrews. For God heareth not sinners, Ioh. 9. 31. nor Hypocrites, Iob 27. 8, 9. Prov. 15. 29..

But verily God has heard me Which is a publick Vindication, and a divine Testimony of my Integrity, against all my false Accusers., he has attended to the voyce of my prayer.

Blessed be God, which has not turned away Or, rejected or removed, to wit, from his sight and Audience, but has received and granted it. my prayer, nor his mercy Though he had now ascribed his own Innocency, and sincere Piety, yet he imputeth not God's hearing of his Prayers to that, but solely unto God's Grace and Mercy. from me.