Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 66:12

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 66:12. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads — Thou hast permitted us to fall under the dominion of our enemies; who have treated us as broken infantry are when the cavalry dashes among their disordered ranks, treading all under the horses' feet.

We went through fire and through water — Through afflictions of the most torturing and overwhelming nature. To represent such, the metaphors of fire and water are often used in Scripture. The old Psalter considers these trials as a proof of the uprightness of those who were tried - We passid thrugh fire and watir: that is, thurgh wa and wele, as a man that leves noght his waye for hete na for kald, for dry na for wette; and thou out lede us fra tribulacyon intill koling (cooling) that is, in till endles riste, that we hope to hafe after this travell.

Wealthy place. — Well watered place, to wit, the land of Judea.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 66-67 God and the nations

It appears that in Psalms 66:0 the people join in singing the first part of the song, and that the king sings the latter part alone. The song opens with a call to people worldwide to sing praise to God for a notable victory he has just won for Israel (66:1-4). Centuries earlier God brought Israel out of Egypt and led the people through the Red Sea, and the same God still rules in the affairs of nations (5-9). The worshippers acknowledge that in allowing them temporarily to be defeated, God had been working for their good. His purpose was to correct their waywardness so that once again they might enjoy the freedom of life that is found only in his presence (10-12).

The king then sings his praises, promising to present sacrifices in fulfilment of the vows he made to God during the time of trouble (13-15). He urges godly people everywhere to take note of what the experience has taught him (16). Above all, it has taught him not to ignore personal wrongdoing. God answers the prayers of those who have no known sin unconfessed in their lives (17-20).

Psalms 67:0 shows God’s loving purposes towards all the nations of the world. When the people of Israel enter into the fulness of God’s blessing, they will be in a fit condition to take the message of his salvation to other nations (67:1-3). These nations will then have their way of life changed through coming under the just rule and merciful guidance of God (4-5). People everywhere will rejoice in God’s good gifts and offer thanks to him (6-7).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THAT SPECIAL GRAND DELIVERANCE

"Oh bless our God, ye peoples, And make the voice of his praise to be heard; Who holdeth our soul in life, And suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; Thou layedst a sore burden upon our loins. Thou didst cause men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place."

"Bless our God, ye peoples" The contrast between "our God" and "ye peoples" here indicates that the psalmist was calling all the Gentiles to praise Israel's God for such a marvelous demonstration of God's power. Under the circumstances there was utterly no way to deny that God had indeed wrought a mighty deliverance upon behalf of Israel.

"Holdeth our soul in life… suffereth not our feet to be moved" Leupold wrote that, "The deliverance wrought in Hezekiah's day (by the death of the Assyrian army) furnishes a suitable background for every figure used in Psalms 66:8-12."

As Sennacherib's army approached, most Israelites no doubt felt that the destruction of Jerusalem was imminent. The city was already under the burden of immense tribute to the Assyrians; and the taunting remarks of Rabshakeh had struck fear into the whole nation. Despite all the threats, God kept the hopes of the nation alive, not allowing their `feet to be moved.'

"Thou hast tried us as silver is tried" The presence in the vicinity of Jerusalem of an immense Assyrian army was as great a `trial' as could have been imagined in those days. The Assyrians were historically called `The Breakers'; and their atrocious cruelties were terrible and inhuman. They flayed alive many of their captives; and the ancient artists of that sadistic people were more familiar with the human anatomy without the skin than they were with it. This is demonstrated by the so-called `art' and sculpture which have been excavated from the ruins of ancient Nineveh.

"Thou layedst a sore burden upon our loins" This appears to be a reference to the extravagant tribute Hezekiah was forced to pay to the Assyrians; 2 Kings 18 relates how Israel had great difficulty raising the hundred talents of silver and the thirty talents of gold, which they were led to believe would avert the destruction of Jerusalem. They even cut off the gold from the doors of the temple itself and left the city bankrupt of all of its precious treasures. It was `a sore burden' indeed.

"We went through fire and through water" These are metaphors of the most galling trials. "Fire and water in Isaiah 43:2 are figures of vicissitudes and perils of the most extreme character. Israel was indeed near to being `burned up and drowned.'"Ibid., p. 236.

"But thou broughtest us forth into a wealthy place" The RSV has rendered this, "Thou hast brought us forth to a spacious place"; but we fail to see any improvement in the meaning. Certainly, as Delitzsch noted, "The period of their oppression was indeed a state of privation (and poverty); and the antithesis was surely `an abundant fulness of abundance and superabundance of prosperity.'"Ibid.

Under the circumstances, it seems to us that "a wealthy place" is appropriate. After all, that overwhelming tribute Hezekiah had just paid to the Assyrians would have been recovered after the death of the whole army, to say nothing of all the loot and wealth extracted from the cities of Judah that were in the process of being carried back to Nineveh by Sennacherib's rapacious soldiers.

The words here, "a wealthy place," seem to be required by the incredible riches that came to Israel as a result of God's magnificent deliverance of Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem.

From the end of Psalms 66:12, the psalmist speaks of himself, rather than of the nation; but the kind of sacrifices offered and the general vocabulary indicate that the psalmist belonged to the nation of Israel, and in all probability, was either a prominent leader or the ruler of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads - This refers evidently to some national subjection or conquest - most probably to their having been subdued by the Babylonians. Professor Alexander renders this, “Thou hast caused men to ride at our head,” as if leading them forth as captives in war. The most probable meaning, however, is that they had been subdued, as if on a field of battle, and as if their conquerors had ridden over them when prostrate on the ground. Compare the notes at Psalms 44:5, and the notes at Isaiah 51:23.

We went through fire and through water - This is designed to represent the nature of their trials. It was as if they had been made to pass through burning flames and raging floods. Compare the notes at Isaiah 43:2. Instead of passing through the seas and rivers when the waters had been turned back, and when a dry and safe path was made for them, as was the ease with their fathers Psalms 66:6, they had been compelled to breast the flood itself; and yet, notwithstanding this, God had brought them into a place of safety. In either way, by parting the floods, or by conducting his people through them, as shall seem best pleasing to him, God can conduct his people safely, and deliver them from danger. The power, the protecting care, the love, and the faithfulness of God are shown with equal clearness whether he divides the flood and causes his people to march through as on dry land, or whether he suffers the flood to rage and heave around them while he conducts his chosen people safely through.

But there broughtest us out into a wealthy place - Margin, moist. Professor Alexander, overfIow, abundance. Vulgate, info a place of refreshment - refrigerium. The Septuagint, εἰς ἀναψυχήν eis anapsuchēn. Luther, Thou hast led us forth and quickened us. DeWette, zum Ueberflusse - “to overflowing, or abundance.” The Hebrew word - רויה r^evâyâh - means properly “abundant drink,” “abundance.” It occurs only here and in Psalms 23:5, where it is rendered “runneth over.” See the notes at that place. The proper idea here is, that he had brought them into a land where there was plenty of water - as emblematic of abundance in general. He had led them to a place where there were ample rivers, springs, and streams, producing fertility and abundance. This would be the language of the people after their return from exile, and when they were permitted again to re-visit their native land - a land always characterized as a land of plenty. See Deuteronomy 8:7; compare Exodus 3:8; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:27.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 66:1-20

Psalms 66:1-20 :

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious ( Psalms 66:1-2 ).

Sing forth the honor of the name of the Lord; make His praise glorious. Oh, that men would praise the Lord, the scripture says, for His glorious works.

Say unto God, How awesome art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall your enemies submit themselves unto you. All the earth shall worship you, and shall sing unto you; they shall sing to thy name ( Psalms 66:3-4 ).

And here again, "Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father." "All of the earth shall worship and shall sing unto Thee, and shall sing to Thy name." God has highly exalted Him; given Him a name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.

Come and see the works of God: he is awesome is his doing toward the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: and there did we rejoice in him ( Psalms 66:5-6 ).

So, take a look at what God has done, dried up the Red Sea so that His people were able to come though on dry land.

He rules by His power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: which holds our soul in life, and allows not our feet to be moved. For you, O God, have proved us: you have tried us, as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; and you laid affliction upon our loins. You've caused men to ride over our heads; we went through the fire and through the water: but you brought us out into a wealthy place ( Psalms 66:7-12 ).

And so, God took us through the fire, God took us through the water, but they were all necessary as God was seeking really to purge us, to purify our lives, that He might bring us into that place of abundance in Christ. Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches. Every branch in Me that bringeth forth fruit, He purgeth" ( John 15:1-2 ). The word purge is cleanses. He washes it.

Now if you go over to Israel today and through the area between Bethlehem and Hebron, the valley of Eshcol, the area where Joshua and Caleb picked a cluster of grapes that was so big that they tied it onto a stick that they carried between them. There in the valley of Eshcol grow some of the most delicious grapes in all the world. And it is interesting that these grapevines grow on the ground. You'll see these big stocks and they put rocks under them to prop them up maybe eight inches or so, but they grow on the ground. They don't set up the terraces or anything for them, or the wires and all, but they let them grow on the ground. But they are fabulous grapes. But in growing on the ground, as the grapes are developing, during the summertime they will come along and they will take these bunches of grapes that are lying there on the ground, and they will lift them up, and they will wash them in order that they may develop even fuller and better. That they might get more fruit. If they just stay on the ground, those that are lying on the ground will sort of rot, but they'll lift them up, they will prop them up, they'll wash them.

And Jesus said, "And every branch of Me that bringeth forth fruit," He washes it that it might bring forth more fruit. "Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you" ( John 15:3 ). There is a process of God in your life of washing, cleansing. There is also the process of God in our lives of that purifying through fire, as silver or gold is refined. That refining process of God, the end result, the producing of a more quality kind of a fruit for His glory. Because, basically, that is what God is looking for from your life, that you bring forth fruit for His glory.

God wants to work in you. God desires to do a work in your life, but never is God satisfied with just working in you. The work of God is in me first, that's necessary. The husbandman must be the first partaker of the fruit, but God is working in me in order that having worked in me, He may now work through me to touch the needy world around me. So God works in you what He can do for you, in order that He might do through you in helping others who are in need. So the work of God in me is first of all subjective, that which He is desiring to do in my life. But always with God there is the objective in view, that which He can do through my life in touching others. And so, we are to bless God and make the voice of His praise heard. He will not allow your feet to be moved. He has proved us and tried us as silver in order that He might bring forth that fruit from our lives, that purity from within. That He might bring you in to the wealthy place. Oh, how rich I am in Christ. Oh, the riches of God's glorious grace in Christ Jesus.

I will go to your house with burnt offerings ( Psalms 66:13 ):

And the burnt offerings were the offerings of consecration. So, "I will go to Your house with offerings of the consecration, God, where I consecrate my life to You."

I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my voice had spoken, when I was in trouble ( Psalms 66:13-14 ).

That's when vows are usually made to God, when a person is in trouble. I have found that there is nothing like trying to surf in a stormy surf, you know, when it is really running high, to cause you to make vows to the Lord. I have been up on top of some of those waves looking down, saying, "Lord, if You get me out of this, I promise I'll go home." Vows, when I was in trouble. "Lord, just get me out of this mess. And I'll serve you. Lord, just help me to get out of here, and I'll go to church. I'll do anything, Lord. Help me." Well, the Lord listens to those vows that you make when you are in trouble and after He's done His part, He expects you to do your part. "I will pay the vows which my lips uttered when I was in trouble."

I will offer unto thee the burnt sacrifices of the fatlings, with the incense of rams: I will offer bullocks with goats. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer ( Psalms 66:15-19 ).

Now he says, "Come and let me tell you what God has done for me. He has heard. He has attended to the voice of my prayer." But he said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

A lot of times we wonder why our prayers are not answered. And one of the reasons for which prayers are sometimes not answered is because of the iniquity in our lives. In Isaiah 59:1-21 God declared, "Behold the hand of the Lord is not short, that He cannot save. Neither is His ear heavy that He cannot hear. But your sins have separated you from God." In other words, the problem in prayer is not always on the upper end, which we are prone to usually think when our prayers aren't being answered. "What's the matter with God? Why isn't God answering my prayers? Is God deaf? Is He having problems hearing me? What's going wrong?" And we usually think that the problem lies on the upper end. Quite often the problem lies on the lower end. Our prayers are coming forth from a deceitful heart, from a wicked life. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord doesn't hear me when I pray." That is, if I am regarding and plotting and planning evil and iniquity. "Your sins have separated," Isaiah said, "between you and your God."

Does God hear the prayer of a sinner? The president of the Southern Baptist church I guess got in trouble recently by a statement that he made concerning whose prayers God hears. In the New Testament there was a man who was born blind, and Jesus came to him and said, "Would you like to see?" And he said, "Sure would." So Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud, put it in his eyes and said, "Go down to the pool of Siloam and wash that out." And the man went down to the pool of Siloam, and when he washed out his eyes, he could see. Now it happened on the Sabbath day, so it got the Jews upset. And they said to the man, "How is it that you can see?" And he told them the story. "This man came and He put this mud in my eye and He told me to go and wash. And He said when I washed I could see." And they said, "Who was it?" And he said, "I don't know." They said, "Well, we know He has got to be a sinful man, because He told you to violate the Sabbath." He said, "Whether He was a sinner or not I do not know, but all I know is where I was blind, now I can see." But he said, "If He were a sinful man, how was it that God hears His prayers, because we know that God does not hear the prayer of the sinners."

Now that particular statement cannot be taken for doctrinal truth. Cause this is the statement of a blind man in a conversation with the Pharisees. It's just quoting the statement of this man. The truth of the matter is that God does hear the prayer of sinners, or else you would all still be sinners. God hears you when you said, "Oh God, be merciful to me a sinner." He hears that prayer. How much more, I don't know. David said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord does not hear me when I pray." God said through Isaiah, "It isn't that My ear is heavy that I cannot hear, but your sins have separated, they have severed connections, between you and God." So David is rejoicing in the fact that the Lord heard his prayer.

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me ( Psalms 66:20 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. The nations’ praise 66:1-12

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 66

This is a psalm of thanksgiving, as was the previous one. We do not know the writer or the occasion for sure. In this psalm, God’s people acknowledged His deliverance and invited other people to join them in praising Him.

"This psalm shows the move from communal affirmation to individual appreciation, which is what we always do in biblical faith." [Note: Brueggemann, p. 139.]

"The exhortation to praise the Lord begins with the Gentile nations (Psalms 66:1-7), moves to Israel (Psalms 66:8-12), and concludes with the individual believer (Psalms 66:13-20)." [Note: Wiersbe, The . . . Wisdom . . ., pp. 210-11.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

God had also disciplined Israel to bring out the best in her. He had put her through trials of fire and trials of water, two prominent testing media. Through all her tests God had not abandoned His people but had brought them through to greater blessing.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads,.... Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of the kings and nations of the world ruling over Israel; and may very well design the Heathen powers and antichristian states tyrannizing over Christian people. The word in the original text is singular, "a man" c, a frail mortal man; and may be understood of the man of sin and son of perdition; who rides upon the heads of men, exalts himself above all that is called God, and has exercised dominion over the saints in a most lawless and tyrannical manner. Vitringa, on

Isaiah 43:2 interprets it of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a type of antichrist, and supposes the following clause to refer to the persecution of the church in his time. The Targum renders it, "a lord of rebuke"; that is, either one worthy of rebuke, as antichrist is; or one that gives rebukes, delivers out anathemas and excommunications, as he does: though some translate the words of the Targum, "lords of usury", or "usurers"; a title not unfit for the creatures of antichrist;

we went through fire and through water; through afflictions, compared to fire and water; through fiery trials and overwhelming providences, though not destroyed by them, because the Lord was with them; see

Isaiah 43:2; therefore they are said to go through them, not to abide in them; nor to sink under them, and perish by them: they went cheerfully through them for Christ's sake, even the greatest hardships and difficulties, which this phrase may be expressive of. It may have a particular reference to the sufferings of the saints in Gospel times; to the burning of the martyrs with fire and faggot, who, like Elijah, went up to heaven in a fiery chariot; and to the flood of waters cast out after the woman, the church, by the dragon; see Revelation 1:15;

but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy [place]; the Targum is, into largeness; or into a large place; see Psalms 18:19. This may intend either the state of the church upon the Reformation, or rather as it will be in the latter day glory; when there will be a large spread of the Gospel, and of the interest of Christ, everywhere; when the church will be enlarged with converts, and the members of it with the gifts and graces of the Spirit; and which will be a state of great liberty and freedom in the worship of God, both inward and outward. The Septuagint version renders it, "into refreshment": so the Tigurine version, and Piscator; as those times will be times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, which will be everywhere among his people, in his word and ordinances, and to a great degree; see Acts 3:19. The Arabic version, "unto rest"; from adversity, from persecution; for, after this state takes place, there will be no more persecution; no more fines, imprisonment, racks, and torturing deaths, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel. The word used signifies a well watered place d or land; such as was the land of Canaan, Deuteronomy 8:7; and such will be the state of the church in the latter day: the Spirit will be poured down like floods of water upon the dry ground; the doctrines of the Gospel will drop as the rain, and as showers upon the grass: the ordinances of it will be as green pastures beside the still waters; and every believer will be as a watered garden, whose springs fail not; it will be a time of great plenty and prosperity in spiritual things. Ainsworth renders it, "to an abundant place"; so Gejerus: a place abounding with all good things: a "wealthy" one, as we translate it. And even in a literal sense this will be the wealthy time of the church; when kings shall come into it, and bring their riches and honour there, and use them for the good of it, Isaiah 49:23; and then also will the saints be enriched with every gift, and be rich in grace and in all good works.

c אנוש "hominem", Pagninus, Montanus. d לרויה "ad irrignam", Pagninus, Montanus.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:   9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.   10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.   11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.   12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

      In these verses the psalmist calls upon God's people in a special manner to praise him. Let all lands do it, but Israel's land particularly. Bless our God; bless him as ours, a God in covenant with us, and that takes care of us as his own. Let them make the voice of his praise to be heard (Psalms 66:8; Psalms 66:8); for from whom should it be heard but from those who are his peculiar favourites and select attendants? Two things we have reason to bless God for:--

      I. Common protection (Psalms 66:9; Psalms 66:9): He holdeth our soul in life, that it may not drop away of itself; for, being continually in our hands, it is apt to slip through our fingers. We must own that it is the good providence of God that keeps life and soul together and his visitation that preserves our spirit. He puts our soul in life, so the word is. He that gave us our being, by a constant renewed act upholds us in our being, and his providence is a continued creation. When we are ready to faint and perish he restores our soul, and so puts it, as it were, into a new life, giving new comforts. Non est vivere, sed valere, vita--It is not existence, but happiness, that deserves the name of life. But we are apt to stumble and fall, and are exposed to many destructive accidents, killing disasters as well as killing diseases, and therefore as to these also we are guarded by the divine power. He suffers not our feet to be moved, preventing many unforeseen evils, which we ourselves were not aware of our danger from. To him we owe it that we have not, long ere this, fallen into endless ruin. He will keep the feet of his saints.

      II. Special deliverance from great distress. Observe,

      1. How grievous the distress and danger were, Psalms 66:11; Psalms 66:12. What particular trouble of the church this refers to does not appear; it might be the trouble of some private persons or families only. But, whatever it was, they were surprised with it as a bird with a snare, enclosed and entangled in it as a fish in a net; they were pressed down with it, and kept under as with a load upon their loins,Psalms 66:11; Psalms 66:11. But they owned the hand of God in it. We are never in the net but God brings us into it, never under affliction but God lays it upon us. Is any thing more dangerous than fire and water? We went through both, that is, afflictions of different kinds; the end of one trouble was the beginning of another; when we had 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,Isaiah 43:1. Yet proud and cruel men may be as dangerous as fire and water, and more so. Beware of men,Matthew 10:17. When men rose up against us, that was fire and water, and all that is threatening (Psalms 124:2; Psalms 124:3; Psalms 124:4), and that was the case here: "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads, to trample upon us and insult over us, to hector and abuse us, nay, and to make perfect slaves of us; they have said to our souls, Bow down, that we may go over," Isaiah 51:23. While it is the pleasure of good princes to rule in the hearts of their subjects it is the pride of tyrants to ride over their heads; yet the afflicted church in this also owns the hand of God: "Thou hast caused them thus to abuse us;" for the most furious oppressor has no power but what is given him from above.

      2. How gracious God's design was in bringing them into this distress and danger. See what the meaning of it is (Psalms 66:10; Psalms 66:10): Thou, O God! hast proved us, and tried us. Then we are likely to get good by our afflictions, when we look upon them under this notion, for then we may see God's grace and love at the bottom of them and our own honour and benefit in the end of them. By afflictions we are proved as silver in the fire. (1.) That our graces, by being tried, may be made more evident and so we may be approved, as silver, when it is touched and marked sterling, and this will be to our praise at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7) and perhaps in this world. Job's integrity and constancy were manifested by his afflictions. (2.) That our graces, by being exercised, may be made more strong and active, and so we may be improved, as silver when it is refined by the fire and made more clear from its dross; and this will be to our unspeakable advantage, for thus we are made partakers of God's holiness, Hebrews 12:10. Public troubles are for the purifying of the church, Daniel 11:35; Revelation 2:10; Deuteronomy 8:2.

      3. How glorious the issue was at last. The troubles of the church will certainly end well; these do so, for (1.) The outlet of the trouble is happy. They are in fire and water, but they get through them: "We went through fire and water, and did not perish in the flames or floods." Whatever the troubles of the saints are, blessed be God, there is a way through them. (2.) The inlet to a better state is much more happy: Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place, into a well-watered place (so the word is), like the gardens of the Lord, and therefore fruitful. God brings his people into trouble that their comforts afterwards may be the sweeter and that their affliction may thus yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness, which will make the poorest place in the world a wealthy place.