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Psalm 67[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.

67 May God show us his favor[b] and bless us.[c]
May he smile on us.[d] (Selah)
Then those living on earth will know what you are like;
all nations will know how you deliver your people.[e]
Let the nations thank you, O God.
Let all the nations thank you.[f]
Let foreigners[g] rejoice and celebrate.
For you execute justice among the nations,
and govern the people living on earth.[h] (Selah)
Let the nations thank you, O God.
Let all the nations thank you.[i]
The earth yields its crops.
May God, our God, bless us.
May God bless us.[j]
Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves.[k]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 67:1 sn Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world.
  2. Psalm 67:1 tn Or “have mercy on us.”
  3. Psalm 67:1 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (yaʾer) in the next line.
  4. Psalm 67:1 tn Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.”
  5. Psalm 67:2 tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with ל (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.
  6. Psalm 67:3 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in vv. 3-4a are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
  7. Psalm 67:4 tn Or “peoples.”
  8. Psalm 67:4 tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).
  9. Psalm 67:5 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 5 are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
  10. Psalm 67:7 tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.
  11. Psalm 67:7 tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”

To the Director of music: Accompanied by stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.

A Call to Thanksgiving

67 May God show us favor and bless us;
    may he truly show us his favor.[a]
Interlude

Let your ways be known by all the nations of the earth,
    along with your deliverance.
Let the people thank you, God.
    Let all the people thank you.
Let the nations rejoice and sing for joy,
    because you judge people with fairness
        and you govern the people of the earth.
Interlude

Let the people thank you, God;
    let all the people thank you.
May the earth yield its produce.
    May God, our God, bless us.
May God truly bless us
    so that all the peoples[b] of the earth will fear him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 67:1 Lit. he cause his face to shine on us
  2. Psalm 67:7 Lit. ends