Psalms 66

Ps 66 This anonymous psalm includes two hymns (66:1-12, 13-20) that praise God for his redemption.66:1-4 The psalmist exhorts nature to join in a mighty chorus to praise God’s glory, name, and power.

66:2 The glory of his name represents the perfection of God’s character.

66:3 God conquers his enemies (see 18:44; 59:11; 81:15).

66:5-7 The story of the Exodus and God’s victory over the sea evokes responses of astonishment (66:5) and worship (66:6). God works miracles . . . for people in order to redeem them for himself.

66:7 God’s power brings redemption. The same word occurs in 65:6 for God’s power in creation (see also 80:2).

66:8-10 The orderly lives of the redeemed reflect the order of God’s world. The Lord protects them from evil and purifies them.

66:9 God guides his people into wisdom and away from folly (17:5; 37:31; 121:3).

66:10 You have tested us, O God: As the silversmith heats silver to remove the dross, God’s discipline removes sin from his people (see 12:6).

66:11 God decrees and permits the many trying circumstances his people experience.

66:12 Then you put a leader over us: Or You made people ride over our heads. This expression possibly refers to a foreign ruler who kept the Israelites in submission.

66:15 Vows often included sacrifices of thanksgiving, including burnt offerings (see 20:3; 40:6; 50:8; 51:19).

66:16-20 The private testimony in the conclusion of the psalm parallels the public praise of its opening (66:1-4).

66:18 Confession leads to restoration (see 32:5).