Psalm 67:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

NIV: For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—

NASB: God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah

CSB: For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm. A song. May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us Selah

NLT: May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude

KJV: To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.} God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah

Psalm 67:1–5 begins the song with a blessing. These words closely resemble those given by God, to Moses, with which to bless Israel (Numbers 6:24–26). Though Israel was God's chosen people, this psalm prays that the Lord's power and salvation would be seen worldwide. Rather than restricting this praise to Israel, the psalmist calls on all people, in all nations, to worship God (Revelation 7:9).

The unidentified psalmist prays for God's grace and favor towards Israel. He wants the Gentile nations to know God's saving power, as well. He calls upon the entire world to rejoice and praise God because He justly guides the entire world. Once again, he calls upon everyone to praise the Lord. He states that the earth has given ample produce, and that God will bless Israel. The psalm concludes by calling on all the nations to honor and worship God.

This flows naturally from Psalm 66. In Psalm 66, the writer calls upon all people to praise God for His powerful deeds on behalf of Israel. Here, in Psalm 67, are praises to the Lord for His blessings. The writer hopes these will reach beyond Israel to influence the entire world.

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 7:53:51 PM