Verses 1-3
Psalms 66:1-3. Make a joyful
noise, &c. all ye lands — Ye
people of all nations, who have
seen the wonderful power,
wisdom, goodness, and
faithfulness of God manifested
in our deliverance, it becomes
you to acknowledge it with
admiration and joy. He invites
the Gentile world to the
contemplation and celebration of
God’s works, to and for his
people. Make his praise glorious
— Praise him in an extraordinary
and eminent degree, so as he may
have much glory from you. Say,
How terrible art those in thy
works — To wit, to thine
enemies, as it follows; through
thy power shall thine enemies
submit themselves unto thee —
Hebrew, יכחשׁו לךְ, jechachashu
lecha, shall lie unto thee; that
is, profess subjection to thee,
not sincerely and freely, but by
constraint, and out of servile
fear.
Verse 4
Psalms 66:4. All the earth shall
worship thee, &c. — Many people
of divers nations shall be so
affected with thy stupendous
works, that they shall worship
and praise thee for them, and
all the people shall have just
cause to do so; and the time
will come when all nations will
actually do so, namely, in the
days of the Messiah.
Verse 5-6
Psalms 66:5-6. Come and see the
works of God, &c. — Inquire
after and consider seriously
what works of stupendous power
God has shown in the earth, in
regard to the human race, and on
their account. He turned the
sea, &c. — He opened a passage
for our fathers through the sea,
so that they walked as on dry
land, Exodus 14:16; and also led
them dry-shod through the river
Jordan, when it was so full of
water that it overflowed its
banks. There did we rejoice in
him — That is, our nation, or
our ancestors, in whose loins we
then were, and the benefit of
which ancient deliverance we at
this day enjoy. The whole people
of Israel are here, and in many
other parts of Scripture,
considered as one body,
continued through all succeeding
generations, united in the bonds
of the same covenant and
worship, and in the possession
of the same promises,
privileges, and blessings, and
influenced by one and the same
spirit. Hence several and
contrary things may reasonably
be ascribed to them, in regard
of their several ages; and what
was done in one age may be
imputed to another, by virtue of
their close conjunction with the
same body.
Verse 7
Psalms 66:7. He ruleth by his
power for ever — The same power
which God possessed and exerted
for his people in ancient times,
he still possesses in as great
vigour as ever, and is as able
and ready to act for them as
ever he was: which he hath shown
in this late and glorious
instance. His eyes behold the
nations — He sees all their
secret and subtle devices, and
can and will defeat them, when
he sees fit. Let not the
rebellious exalt themselves —
Lift up their hands against God
or his people. Or, the
rebellious; that is, those that
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 here implied.
Verse 8-9
Psalms 66:8-9. O bless our God,
ye people — Of other nations,
who have served, or yet do serve
other gods. Who holdeth our soul
in life — Who by a succession of
miracles of mercy hath preserved
us alive in the midst of a
thousand deaths, to which we
were exposed; and hath restored
us to life, when, as a nation,
we were like dead men and dry
bones, scattered at the mouth of
the grave. And suffereth not our
feet to be moved — Namely, so as
to fall into mischief and utter
ruin, as our enemies designed.
But the psalmist’s words here
are not to be interpreted
exclusively of public and
national blessings. We ought
all, as individuals, to remember
and acknowledge our daily and
hourly obligations to him, who
gave us our being at first, and
by a constant renewed act
upholds us in being. And, when
we are ready to faint and
perish, he restores our soul,
and so puts it, as it were, into
a new life, imparting new
supports and comforts. We are
apt to stumble and fall, and are
exposed to many destructive
accidents and disasters, as well
as killing diseases; and as to
these also we are guarded by the
divine power; he suffereth not
our feet to be moved, in that he
prevents many unforeseen evils,
from which we ourselves were not
aware of our danger. To him we
owe it that we have not, long
ere this, fallen into endless
ruin.
Verse 10
Psalms 66:10. For thou, O God,
&c. — Or, nevertheless. Though
thou hast hitherto helped us:
and now delivered us, yet for a
season thou hast sorely
afflicted us; hast tried us as
silver is tried — That is,
severely, as if it were in a
burning furnace; and with a
design to try our sincerity, and
to purge the dross out of our
hearts, and the wicked from
among us. Observe, reader, we
are proved by afflictions, as
silver in the fire, 1st, That
our graces, by being tried, may
be made more evident, and so we
may be approved as silver is
when it is marked sterling,
which will be to our praise at
the appearing of Jesus Christ, 1
Peter 1:7. And, 2d, That our
graces, by being exercised, may
be made more strong and active,
and so may be improved, as
silver is when it is refined by
the fire, and made more clear
from its dross; and this will be
to our unspeakable advantage,
for thus shall we be made
partakers of God’s holiness,
Hebrews 12:10. Then are we
likely to get good by our
afflictions when we look upon
them in this light; for then we
see that they proceed from God’s
mercy and love, and are intended
for our honour and benefit.
Public troubles, we must
observe, are for the purifying
of the church.
Verse 11-12
Psalms 66:11-12. Thou broughtest
us into the net — Which our
enemies had laid for us, and
which could never have taken or
held us but by thy permission,
and the disposal of thy
providence, which gave us into
their hands. Thou hast caused
men — Weak, mortal, and
miserable men, as the word
signifies, no better nor
stronger than ourselves, if thou
hadst not given them power over
us; to ride over our heads — To
trample upon us, and insult over
us; to abuse, nay, and make
perfect slaves of us. They have
said to our souls, Bow down,
that we may go over, Isaiah
51:23. We went through fire and
water — Through afflictions of
different kinds; through various
and dangerous trials and
calamities. The end of one
trouble was the beginning of
another; when we got clear of
one sort of dangers, we found
ourselves involved in dangers of
another sort. Such may be the
troubles of the best of God’s
saints; but he has promised,
When thou passest through the
waters, through the fire, I will
be with thee. Thou broughtest us
into a wealthy place — Hebrew,
לריוה, larevajah, a well-
watered place, and therefore
fruitful, like the garden of the
Lord, Genesis 13:10. Such was
Canaan, both literally,
Deuteronomy 8:7-9, and
figuratively, as being
replenished with divine graces,
privileges, and blessings. Thus
God brings his people into
trouble, that their comforts
afterward may be the sweeter,
and that their affliction may
thus yield the peaceable fruits
of righteousness, which will
make the poorest place in the
world a wealthy place.
Verses 13-15
Psalms 66:13-15. I will go, &c.
— The psalmist, having before
endeavoured to excite all people
in general, and all God’s people
in particular, to praise the
Lord, here declares it to be his
own resolution to worship and
serve him. I will go unto thy
house, and set a good example to
all my people; with
burnt-offerings; I will pay thee
my vows — I will not present
myself before thee with empty
praises, but acknowledge thy
benefits with burnt-offerings,
and faithfully discharge
whatever vows I have made. When
I was in trouble — Which I was
not more forward to make when I
was in distress than I will be
to perform with all solemnity
now that thou hast graciously
delivered me out of it. I will
offer burnt-sacrifices of
fatlings —
I will not bring thee a
niggardly present; but offer
sacrifices of all sorts, and the
best and choicest in every kind.
It is very common and very
commendable, when we are under
the pressure of any affliction,
or in the pursuit of any mercy,
to make vows, and solemnly to
name them before the Lord, in
order that we may bind ourselves
more closely to our duty; but we
must take care that the vows
which we made when we were in
trouble be not forgotten when
the trouble is over, but
carefully performed; otherwise
we contract fresh guilt, and
bring upon ourselves fresh
chastisement, from him whose
fire is in Zion, and his furnace
in Jerusalem, and who will not
fail to chastise with severity
such instances of unfaithfulness
in his people.
Verse 16-17
Psalms 66:16-17. Come and hear,
all ye that fear God — Whether
Israelites, or Gentiles
proselyted to them; come and
hearken unto me (for it will
afford you both instruction and
encouragement, and will engage
you to trust in God more than
ever) while I relate what things
God hath done for me, and what
indubitable proofs he hath given
me that he regards those that
fear him; and I will declare
what he hath done for my soul —
Not in pride and vain glory,
that I may be thought more a
favourite of heaven than other
people; but for the honour of
God, to which I owe this as a
just debt, and for the
edification of others. Thus we
should be ready, on all proper
occasions, to tell one another
of the great and good things
which God has done for us, and
especially what he has done for
our souls, the spiritual
blessings with which he hath
blessed us in heavenly things;
as we ought to be most affected
with these ourselves, so with
these we ought to be most
desirous to affect others. I
cried unto him with my mouth —
With a loud voice and great
fervency; and he was extolled
with my tongue — I soon had
occasion to extol him for
hearing and answering my
petitions.
Verse 18
Psalms 66:18. If I regard
iniquity in my heart, &c. —
God’s hearing and granting my
petitions hath brought along
with it a testimony of my
sincerity in serving him, far
more valuable than my kingdom;
for, if I had been guilty of
known iniquity, or had
entertained in my heart a desire
or intention to commit it, the
Lord, who hates iniquity, would
have denied my request. What the
psalmist here observes merits
our deep attention. From this,
and many other passages in the
Old Testament, we learn that the
religion of the Holy Scriptures
has always been the same in
substance, and that in the time
when various sacrifices and
divers ceremonies were enjoined,
the truly pious were persuaded
that sincerity of heart and
purity of intention, with a
conscientious care to abstain
from all known sin, were things
absolutely necessary in order to
their pleasing God, and being
acceptable in his sight: and
that without these, thousands of
sacrifices and burnt-offerings,
and the most scrupulous
observance of outward
ceremonies, were of no
signification before him who
searches the heart, and requires
truth in the inward parts.
Verse 19-20
Psalms 66:19-20. But verily God
hath heard me — And thereby hath
borne his testimony to my
integrity for my own comfort,
and the vindication of my
character against all my false
accusers. Blessed be God, who
hath not turned away my prayer —
Or, rejected, or removed it from
his sight and audience; but hath
graciously received and granted
it, which I ascribe to his
infinite goodness, and not to
the merit of my own
righteousness; nor his mercy
from me — To which, and not to
any worthiness of my own, I owe
my acceptance with him, and the
answer of my prayers. |