Psalms 66

To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.

Here, again, we rely upon internal evidence for a clew to the date and occasion of the psalm. The nation had been delivered from great and cruel oppression, (Psalms 66:10-12,) and that deliverance had been brought about by terrible judgments, of which the nations of the earth had been witnesses, (Psalms 66:3-5,) in view of which they are now called to join in ascribing honour and glory to the true God, by confessing him supreme, Psalms 66:1-2. Of this deliverance and of these judgments the passage of the Red Sea was a type, Psalms 66:6. The Greek title has it, “A song of a psalm of resurrection,” probably founded on Psalms 66:9; Psalms 66:12, (see notes,) so great a deliverance being equal to a resurrection. But to what event or period of history do these apply? Hengstenberg says, Modern criticism “pretty generally affirms that the deliverance celebrated in this psalm is the deliverance from the Babylonish captivity,” and there is no objection of sufficient weight to overthrow this opinion. See the notes.

The strophic divisions are three: Psalms 66:1-7, a call upon the nations of the earth to give glory to God on account of his judgments and his power; Psalms 66:8-12, a call upon the covenant people to bless God for his great deliverance; Psalms 66:13-20, a pledge of the Church to perform the vows made in affliction.

TITLE:

A song or psalm A song-psalm. See on title of Psalms 30:0