Psalm 65:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.

NIV: You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

NASB: You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for so You prepare the earth.

CSB: You visit the earth and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly. God's stream is filled with water, for you prepare the earth in this way, providing people with grain.

NLT: You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.

KJV: Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.

NKJV: You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it.

God generously sends rain to enrich the soil. Since the dawn of creation, God has cared for His creations on earth (Genesis 2:6, 10). That includes providing water to make the land productive in growing plants. This benefits human crops, such as grains (Genesis 27:28). God told the people of Israel that He would bless their land if the people obeyed Him. Deuteronomy 11:13–14 promises: "If you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil."

This psalm referred to people waiting to praise God, anticipating His provision and good works (Psalm 65:1–5). David may have written these words in response to an excellent harvest. Or, as a prayer in advance of the harvest season. Even though man plants seeds, it is ultimately the Lord who makes those crops grow (1 Corinthians 3:7).

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.