Psalms 67
What Happens in This Chapter
This short psalm asks God to be kind to those praying and bless them, so that his way and his rescue become known to every nation on earth. Twice it calls on all peoples to praise God, and it tells the nations to be glad because God judges people fairly and guides the nations. It closes with the land giving its harvest, God blessing his people, and the whole earth standing in awe of him.
God, be kind to us and bless us, and let your face shine on us. Selah.
1God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
"Selah" is a Hebrew word left untranslated because no one knows what it means; it appears mainly in the Psalms and is generally taken as a direction to the musicians or the congregation, a pause, a musical interlude, or a change of voices. "Let your face shine on us" is a standard Hebrew way of asking for someone's favor and attention, as a face lights up towards a person it is pleased with; the whole opening line closely echoes the blessing the priests spoke over Israel in Numbers 6:24–26.
2Do this so that the way you act may be known on earth, and the way you rescue may be known among all nations.
2That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
"Saving health" in the King James is not about physical health. In 1611 English "health" could mean safety or deliverance generally, so the phrase simply means "salvation", rescue from danger, which is what the Hebrew word behind it means.
3Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
3Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
The King James "the people" translates a Hebrew plural that means "the peoples", the various nations and ethnic groups of the world, not the population of one country. Modern English "people" no longer carries that plural sense, so the King James line reads narrower than the Hebrew.
4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, because you judge the peoples fairly and you guide the nations of the earth. Selah.
4O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
"Govern" here translates a Hebrew verb meaning to lead or guide, the word used of a shepherd or a guide leading travelers, rather than a word for ruling from a throne.
5Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
5Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
6The land has given its harvest, and God, our own God, blesses us.
6Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
The Hebrew verb form here can be read either as a statement about what has already happened ("the land has given its harvest") or as a wish or expectation about what will happen ("may the land give" / "the land will give"); the King James chose the future, most modern translations the past. Both are defensible and the Hebrew does not settle it.
7God blesses us, and every far corner of the earth will stand in awe of him.
7God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
"Fear" in older English usage covers reverence and awe before something overwhelming, not only fright. "The ends of the earth" is a Hebrew expression for the farthest inhabited places, the whole world out to its edges.
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