Psalm 65:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;

NIV: You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,

NASB: By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and the farthest sea;

CSB: You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas.

NLT: You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.

KJV: By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

NKJV: By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas;

God performed incredible miracles in Israel's sight. These acts demonstrated His character and His unique divine power. One of His awesome deeds was the parting of the Red Sea, allowing the fleeing nation of Israel to cross with dry feet. The pursuing Egyptians, however, drowned when God brought the waters together again (Exodus 14:15–31). On that day, Israel saw the salvation of the Lord. Egypt, as well, was given a demonstration of God's power, just as they had seen during the plagues which occurred before Israel was freed (Exodus 3:19–20; 7:5).

Events such as the crossing of the Red Sea provided evidence not only to Israel, but also to the Canaanite nations. When the Hebrews secretly investigated the heavily fortified city of Jericho, one of the residents, Rahab, mentioned the miracle of the Red Sea as part of Israel's reputation (Joshua 2:10). The people of Canaan correctly interpreted this as a sign of God's immense power and His favor of His chosen people (Joshua 2:11).

As in prior verses, David points out that the hope offered by God is available to all people, not merely to the Israelites (Psalm 65:2)

Psalm 65:5–8 describes how God gives Gentile nations witness to His existence and power. He is the hope of all the nations, not merely a benefactor to Israel. The signs mentioned in this passage are part of what is known as natural revelation (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1).

David begins by anticipating praise to the Lord, expecting that He will bring atonement, fellowship, and blessing. The psalm mentions God's miraculous examples before referring to various natural examples of His provision. These benefits are both visible and available to all people of the world.

Psalms 65—68 express praise to the Lord using frequent references to nature and harvest. Only this and psalm 68 are explicitly credited to David. This song also thanks God for His kindness to His people; it encourages worshipers to offer thanksgiving. The song might have been meant to celebrate an especially abundant harvest.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.