Psalm 65:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.

NIV: You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

NASB: You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth.

CSB: You soften it with showers and bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.

NLT: You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.

KJV: Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.

NKJV: You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.

David acknowledges God's role in bringing about an abundant harvest. Farmers plant, but their efforts would be unproductive without water. Fortunately, God provides the rain and river water which fills the irrigation ditches and the pipelines that allow farmers to water their fields. He writes that God waters the cultivated land's furrows: the grooves and ruts made by farmers. This softens what otherwise would be dead, dusty ground. As a result of the Lord's providential provision of water, that which farmers plant can grow and bless the consumers of its harvest (Genesis 2:6, 10; 27:28).

The book of Ruth unfolds the story a Moabite who scavenged in grain fields belonging to a man named Boaz. Boaz is called "a worthy man" in Ruth 2:1. His grain fields were so productive that he gave his reapers orders to leave some of the harvest behind for Ruth. (Ruth 2:16). As a result of Boaz's kindness, Ruth had enough food for herself and her mother-in-law (Ruth 2:17–18).

Psalm 65:9–13 closes the song with a focus on God's providential care of the earth and gracious provision for mankind. The Lord faithfully prepares the earth for harvest. Evidence of His goodness is clearly seen in nature (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1). Likewise, the Lord should be given credit for what farms and fields produce (1 Corinthians 3:7). This passage seems a straightforward praise to the Lord for good crops. At the same time, this passage foreshadows the eternal, spiritual blessings which come through God's grace (John 4:36; James 3:18; Galatians 6:8).

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.

Accessed 5/8/2024 4:29:20 PM