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Psalms 67:4 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

4 O let the nations H3816 be glad H8055 and sing for joy: H7442 for thou shalt judge H8199 the people H5971 righteously, H4334 and govern H5148 the nations H3816 upon earth. H776 Selah. H5542

Cross Reference

Psalms 98:9 STRONG

Before H6440 the LORD; H3068 for he cometh H935 to judge H8199 the earth: H776 with righteousness H6664 shall he judge H8199 the world, H8398 and the people H5971 with equity. H4339

Romans 2:5 STRONG

But G1161 after G2596 thy G4675 hardness G4643 and G2532 impenitent G279 heart G2588 treasurest up G2343 unto thyself G4572 wrath G3709 against G1722 the day G2250 of wrath G3709 and G2532 revelation G602 of the righteous judgment G1341 of God; G2316

Acts 17:31 STRONG

Because G1360 he hath appointed G2476 a day, G2250 in G1722 the which G3739 he will G3195 judge G2919 the world G3625 in G1722 righteousness G1343 by G1722 that man G435 whom G3739 he hath ordained; G3724 whereof he hath given G3930 assurance G4102 unto all G3956 men, in that he hath raised G450 him G846 from G1537 the dead. G3498

Isaiah 42:10-12 STRONG

Sing H7891 unto the LORD H3068 a new H2319 song, H7892 and his praise H8416 from the end H7097 of the earth, H776 ye that go down H3381 to the sea, H3220 and all that is therein; H4393 the isles, H339 and the inhabitants H3427 thereof. Let the wilderness H4057 and the cities H5892 thereof lift up H5375 their voice, the villages H2691 that Kedar H6938 doth inhabit: H3427 let the inhabitants H3427 of the rock H5553 sing, H7442 let them shout H6681 from the top H7218 of the mountains. H2022 Let them give H7760 glory H3519 unto the LORD, H3068 and declare H5046 his praise H8416 in the islands. H339

Revelation 11:15-17 STRONG

And G2532 the seventh G1442 angel G32 sounded; G4537 and G2532 there were G1096 great G3173 voices G5456 in G1722 heaven, G3772 saying, G3004 The kingdoms G932 of this world G2889 are become G1096 the kingdoms of our G2257 Lord, G2962 and G2532 of his G846 Christ; G5547 and G2532 he shall reign G936 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 And G2532 the four G5064 and G2532 twenty G1501 elders, G4245 which G3588 sat G2521 before G1799 God G2316 on G1909 their G846 seats, G2362 fell G4098 upon G1909 their G846 faces, G4383 and G2532 worshipped G4352 God, G2316 Saying, G3004 We give G2168 thee G4671 thanks, G2168 O Lord G2962 God G2316 Almighty, G3841 which G3588 art, G5607 and G2532 wast, G2258 and G2532 art to come; G2064 G3801 because G3754 thou hast taken to thee G2983 thy G4675 great G3173 power, G1411 and G2532 hast reigned. G936

Galatians 4:27 STRONG

For G1063 it is written, G1125 Rejoice, G2165 thou barren G4723 that bearest G5088 not; G3756 break forth G4486 and G2532 cry, G994 thou that travailest G5605 not: G3756 for G3754 the desolate G2048 hath many more G4183 children G5043 than G3123 G2228 she which hath G2192 an husband. G435

Romans 15:10-11 STRONG

And G2532 again G3825 he saith, G3004 Rejoice, ye G2165 Gentiles, G1484 with G3326 his G846 people. G2992 And G2532 again, G3825 Praise G134 the Lord, G2962 all G3956 ye G134 Gentiles; G1484 and G2532 laud G1867 him, G846 all ye G3956 people. G2992

Isaiah 55:4 STRONG

Behold, I have given H5414 him for a witness H5707 to the people, H3816 a leader H5057 and commander H6680 to the people. H3816

Isaiah 54:1 STRONG

Sing, H7442 O barren, H6135 thou that didst not bear; H3205 break forth H6476 into singing, H7440 and cry aloud, H6670 thou that didst not travail with child: H2342 for more H7227 are the children H1121 of the desolate H8074 than the children H1121 of the married wife, H1166 saith H559 the LORD. H3068

Genesis 18:25 STRONG

That be far H2486 from thee to do H6213 after this manner, H1697 to slay H4191 the righteous H6662 with the wicked: H7563 and that the righteous H6662 should be as the wicked, H7563 that be far H2486 from thee: Shall not the Judge H8199 of all the earth H776 do H6213 right? H4941

Isaiah 24:14-16 STRONG

They shall lift up H5375 their voice, H6963 they shall sing H7442 for the majesty H1347 of the LORD, H3068 they shall cry aloud H6670 from the sea. H3220 Wherefore glorify H3513 ye the LORD H3068 in the fires, H217 even the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 in the isles H339 of the sea. H3220 From the uttermost part H3671 of the earth H776 have we heard H8085 songs, H2158 even glory H6643 to the righteous. H6662 But I said, H559 My leanness, H7334 my leanness, H7334 woe H188 unto me! the treacherous dealers H898 have dealt treacherously; H898 yea, the treacherous dealers H898 have dealt very H899 treacherously. H898

Psalms 138:4-5 STRONG

All the kings H4428 of the earth H776 shall praise H3034 thee, O LORD, H3068 when they hear H8085 the words H561 of thy mouth. H6310 Yea, they shall sing H7891 in the ways H1870 of the LORD: H3068 for great H1419 is the glory H3519 of the LORD. H3068

Psalms 82:6 STRONG

I have said, H559 Ye are gods; H430 and all of you are children H1121 of the most High. H5945

Psalms 9:8 STRONG

And he shall judge H8199 the world H8398 in righteousness, H6664 he shall minister judgment H1777 to the people H3816 in uprightness. H4339

Psalms 2:8 STRONG

Ask H7592 of me, and I shall give H5414 thee the heathen H1471 for thine inheritance, H5159 and the uttermost parts H657 of the earth H776 for thy possession. H272

Deuteronomy 32:43 STRONG

Rejoice, H7442 O ye nations, H1471 with his people: H5971 for he will avenge H5358 the blood H1818 of his servants, H5650 and will render H7725 vengeance H5359 to his adversaries, H6862 and will be merciful H3722 unto his land, H127 and to his people. H5971

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 67

Commentary on Psalms 67 Matthew Henry Commentary


Psalm 67

This psalm relates to the church and is calculated for the public. Here is,

  • I. A prayer for the prosperity of the church of Israel (v. 1).
  • II. A prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles and the bringing of them into the church (v. 2-5).
  • III. A prospect of happy and glorious times when God shall do this (v. 6, 7).

Thus was the psalmist carried out by the spirit of prophecy to foretel the glorious estate of the Christian church, in which Jews and Gentiles should unite in one flock, the beginning of which blessed work ought to be the matter of our joy and praise, and the completing of it of our prayer and hope, in singing this psalm.

To the chief musician on Neginoth. A psalm or song.

Psa 67:1-7

The composition of this psalm is such as denotes the penman's affections to have been very warm and lively, by which spirit of devotion he was elevated to receive the spirit of prophecy concerning the enlargement of God's kingdom.

  • I. He begins with a prayer for the welfare and prosperity of the church then in being, in the happiness of which he should share, and think himself happy, v. 1. Our Saviour, in teaching us to say, Our Father, has intimated that we ought to pray with and for others; so the psalmist here prays not, God be merciful to me, and bless me, but to us, and bless us; for we must make supplication for all saints, and be willing and glad to take our lot with them. We are here taught,
    • 1. That all our happiness comes from God's mercy and takes rise in that; and therefore the first thing prayed for is, God be merciful to us, to us sinners, and pardon our sins (Lu. 18:13), to us miserable sinners, and help us out of our miseries.
    • 2. That it is conveyed by God's blessing, and secured in that: God bless us; that is, give us an interest in his promises, and confer upon us all the good contained in them. God's speaking well to us amounts to his doing well for us. God bless us is a comprehensive prayer; it is a pity such excellent words should ever be used slightly and carelessly, and as a byword.
    • 3. That it is completed in the light of his countenance: God cause his face to shine upon us; that is, God by his grace qualify us for his favour and then give us the tokens of his favour. We need desire no more to make us happy than to have God's face shine upon us, to have God love us, and let us know that he loves us: To shine with us (so the margin reads it); with us doing our endeavour, and let it crown that endeavour with success. If we by faith walk with God, we may hope that his face will shine with us.
  • II. He passes from this to a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles (v. 2): That thy way may be known upon earth. "Lord, I pray not only that thou wilt be merciful to us and bless us, but that thou wilt be merciful to all mankind, that thy way may be known upon earth.' Thus public-spirited must we be in our prayers. Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. We shall have never the less of God's mercy, and blessing, and favour, for others coming in to share with us. Or it may be taken thus: "God be merciful to us Jews, and bless us, that thereby thy way may be known upon earth, that by the peculiar distinguishing tokens of thy favour to us others may be allured to come and join themselves to us, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you,' Zec. 8:23.
    • 1. These verses, which point at the conversion of the Gentiles, may be taken,
      • (1.) As a prayer; and so it speaks the desire of the Old-Testament saints; so far were they from wishing to monopolize the privileges of the church that they desired nothing more than the throwing down of the enclosure and the laying open of the advantages. See then how the spirit of the Jews, in the days of Christ and his apostles, differed from the spirit of their fathers. The Israelites indeed that were of old desired that God's name might be known among the Gentiles; those counterfeit Jews were enraged at the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles; nothing in Christianity exasperated them so much as that did.
      • (2.) As a prophecy that it shall be as he here prays. Many scripture-prophecies and promises are wrapped up in prayers, to intimate that the answer of the church's prayer is as sure as the performance of God's promises.
    • 2. Three things are here prayed for, with reference to the Gentiles:-
      • (1.) That divine revelation might be sent among them, v. 2. Two things he desires might be know upon earth, even among all nations, and not to the nation of the Jews only:-
        • [1.] God's way, the rule of duty: "Let them all know, as well as we do, what is good and what the Lord our God requires of them; let them be blessed and honoured with the same righteous statutes and judgments which are so much the praise of our nation and the envy of all its neighbours,' Deu. 4:8.
        • [2.] His saving health, or his salvation. The former is wrapped up in his law, this in his gospel. If God make known his way to us, and we walk in it, he will show us his saving health, Ps. 50:23. Those that have themselves experimentally known the pleasantness of God's ways, and the comforts of his salvation, cannot but desire and pray that they may be known to others, even among all nations. All upon earth are bound to walk in God's way, all need his salvation, and there is in it enough for all; and therefore we should pray that both the one and the other may be made known to all.
      • (2.) That divine worship may be set up among them, as it will be where divine revelation is received and embraced (v. 3): "Let the people praise thee, O God! let them have matter for praise, let them have hearts for praise; yea, let not only some, but all the people, praise thee,' all nations in their national capacity, some of all nations. It is again repeated (v. 5) as that which the psalmist's heart was very much upon. Those that delight in praising God themselves cannot but desire that others also may be brought to praise him, that he may have the honour of it and they may have the benefit of it. It is a prayer,
        • [1.] That the gospel might be preached to them, and then they would have cause enough to praise God, as for the day-spring after a long and dark night. Ortus est sol-The sun has risen. Acts 8:8.
        • [2.] That they might be converted and brought into the church, and then they would have a disposition to praise God, the living and true God, and not the dumb and dunghill deities they had worshipped, Dan. 5:4. Then their hard thoughts of God would be silenced, and they would see him, in the gospel glass, to be love itself, and the proper object of praise.
        • [3.] That they might be incorporated into solemn assemblies, and might praise God in a body, that they might all together praise him with one mind and one mouth. Thus a face of religion appears upon a land when God is publicly owned and the ordinances of religious worship are duly celebrated in religious assemblies.
      • (3.) That the divine government may be acknowledged and cheerfully submitted to (v. 4): O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy! Holy joy, joy in God and in his name, is the heart and soul of thankful praise. That all the people may praise thee, let the nations be glad. Those that rejoice in the Lord always will in every thing give thanks. The joy he wishes to the nations is holy joy; for it is joy in God's dominion, joy that God has taken to himself his great power and has reigned, which the unconverted nations are angry at, Rev. 11:17, 18. Let them be glad,
        • [1.] That the kingdom is the Lord's (Ps. 22:28), that he, as an absolute sovereign, shall govern the nations upon earth, that by the kingdom of his providence he shall overrule the affairs of kingdoms according to the counsel of his will, though they neither know him nor own him, and that in due time he shall disciple all nations by the preaching of his gospel (Mt. 28:19) and set up the kingdom of his grace among them upon the ruin of the devil's kingdom-that he shall make them a willing people in the day of his power, and even the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ.
        • [2.] That every man's judgment proceeds from the Lord. "Let them be glad that thou shalt judge the people righteously, that thou shalt give a law and gospel which shall be a righteous rule of judgment, and shalt pass an unerring sentence, according to that rule, upon all the children of men, against which there will lie no exception.' Let us all be glad that we are not to be one another's judges, but that he that judges us is the Lord, whose judgment we are sure is according to truth.
  • III. He concludes with a joyful prospect of all good when God shall do this, when the nations shall be converted and brought to praise God.
    • 1. The lower world shall smile upon them, and they shall have the fruits of that (v. 6): Then shall the earth yield her increase. Not but that God gave rain from heaven and fruitful seasons to the nations when they sat in darkness (Acts 14:17); but when they were converted the earth yielded its increase to God; the meat and the drink then became a meat-offering and a drink-offering to the Lord our God (Joel 2:14); and then it was fruitful to some good purpose. Then it yielded its increase more than before to the comfort of men, who through Christ acquired a covenant-title to the fruits of it and had a sanctified use of it. Note, The success of the gospel sometimes brings outward mercies along with it; righteousness exalts a nation. See Isa. 4:2; 62:9.
    • 2. The upper world shall smile upon them, and they shall have the favours of that, which is much better: God, even our own God, shall bless us, v. 6. And again (v. 7), God shall bless us. Note,
      • (1.) There are a people in the world that can, upon good grounds, call God their God.
      • (2.) Believers have reason to glory in their relation to God and the interest they have in him. It is here spoken with an air of triumph. God, even our own God.
      • (3.) Those who through grace call God their own may with a humble confidence expect a blessing from him. If he be our God, he will bless us with special blessings.
      • (4.) The blessing of God, as ours in covenant, is that which sweetens all our creature-comforts to us, and makes them comforts indeed; then we receive the increase of the earth as a mercy indeed when with it God, even our own God, gives us his blessing.
    • 3. All the world shall hereby be brought to do like them: The ends of the earth shall fear him, that is, worship him, which is to be done with a godly fear. The blessings God bestows upon us call upon us not only to love him, but to fear him, to keep up high thoughts of him and to be afraid of offending him. When the gospel begins to spread it shall get ground more and more, till it reach to the ends of the earth. The leaven hidden in the meal shall diffuse itself, till the whole be leavened. And the many blessings which those will own themselves to have received that are brought into the church invite others to join themselves to them. It is good to cast in our lot with those that are the blessed of the Lord.