Bible Commentaries
Psalms 66

Verse 1

Title. Song. Hebrew. shir . See App-65 .

Psalm. Hebrew. mizmor. See App-65 .

ye lands = the earth; earth being put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), for its inhabitants.

Verse 2

Make His praise glorious. Aram, and Syriac read "Celebrate the glory of His praise".

Verse 4

the earth. See note on "ye lands", Psalms 66:1 .

sing = sing psalms.

Selah. Marking the Structure by showing that (verses: Psalms 66:5-7 ) corresponds with (Psalms 66:16 ); and connecting the exhortation of verses: Psalms 66:1-4 with the reason for it in Psalms 66:5 . See App-66 .

Verse 5

Come and see. Note the correspondence of Psalms 66:16 , "Come and hear".

children = sons.

men. Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 .

Verse 6

the sea: i.e. the Red Sea.

the flood: i.e. the river Jordan.

Verse 7

Selah. Repeating the exhortation to praise, and connecting the two halves of the Psalm. ( App-66 .)

Verse 8

our God. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Aramaean, and Syriac, omit "our".

people = peoples.

Verse 9

our soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 . Some codices, with seven early printed editions, read plural

feet. So some codices, with three early printed editions; others read "foot".

Verse 11

affliction = a heavy burden: i.e. in Egypt. Hebrew. mu'akah. Occurs only here.

Verse 12

hast caused = didst cause.

men. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 .

our heads = us. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part).

heads. So some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate; other codices read "head".

wealthy place. Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulg, read "freedom". Compare Psalms 18:19 .

Verse 14

Which. Figure of speech Ellipsis ( App-6 ) = "which [vows]".

uttered = opened. Figure of speech Ellipsis ( App-6 ) = "opened [and vowed]".

Verse 15

offer = prepare. Hebrew. 'asah. App-43 .

Selah. Connecting verses: Psalms 66:5-7 and Psalms 66:16 . See note on Psalms 66:4 , and App-66 .

Verse 16

my soul = me (emph.) Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .

Verse 18

iniquity. Hebrew. 'aven. App-44 .

The LORD*. One of the 134 places where the Sopherim say they altered Jehovah to Adonai. App-32 .

hear = answer.

Verse 20

turned away = turned away [from Himself]. Figure of speech Ellipsis. App-6 .

mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.

To the chief Musician. See App-64 .

on = relating to.

Neginoth = smitings: i.e. the smitings of Israel's enemies by God. See App-65 .