Psalms 66 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Written during Israel's monarchy, roughly 1000 to 600 BC, and used in temple worship until the exile in 586 BC
Location
The temple in Jerusalem, where sacrifices were offered, with the song looking out to all the nations of the earth
Audience
Israelites gathered for worship, and later the whole community that sang from the collected book of Psalms
Situation
A song of thanksgiving after God rescued the nation from some crushing trouble. It opens with the whole earth invited to praise, moves to the story of the rescue, then narrows to one worshipper paying the vows he made while in danger.
Key Background
Israelites in distress often made a vow, promising a specific sacrifice if God delivered them, and paying that vow publicly at the temple was the normal way to say thank you. The animals listed here, rams, bulls and goats, are expensive offerings, so the singer is describing a costly public thank-you rather than a private prayer. The psalm also recalls the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, the two water crossings every Israelite knew as the founding rescues of the nation.
to with joy, all the earth!
Sing about the of his name! Make your praise match how magnificent he is!
Say to God, "How is everything you do! Your power is so overwhelming that your enemies before you."
All the earth will before you — they will sing to you, they will sing about your name!
and what God has done — his actions toward humanity are
He the land; they crossed the on foot — right there, we because of him!
He by his power forever; his eyes watch over the nations — let no lift themselves up against him.
our God, you peoples! Let the sound of his be heard everywhere!
He is the one who us the living and does not let our feet
Because you us, God; you us the way silver is
You brought us into a net; you laid on our backs.
You let people heads; we went through and through — but you brought us out to a place of
I will come into your with offerings; I will on the I made to you —
the ones my lips spoke and my mouth said out loud when I was in
I will offer you as burnt offerings, with the of rams; I will prepare bulls and goats for you.
Come and listen, all of you who in of God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
I out to him with my mouth, and was on my
If I had held on to in my heart, the would not have listened.
But God has listened; he to the sound of my prayer.
God, who did not my prayer or withhold his from me.