Psalms 66:20

Blessed [be] God, which hath not turned away my prayer,.... Has not been angry against it, shut it out, or covered himself with a cloud that it might not pass through, which sometimes saints have

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer - namely, from Himself. Nor his mercy from me.

Turned away, or rejected, or removed, to wit, from his sight and audience, but hath received and granted it. His mercy: though he had now asserted his own innocency and sincere piety, yet he imputeth not God’ s hearing of his prayers to that, but solely unto God’ s grace and mercy.

Psalms 66:20 Blessed [be] God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.Ver. 20. Blessed be God, &c.] This is the conclusion of David’ s syllogism, in this and the two former verses; and herein his logic is better than Aristotle’ s.

(20) Who hath not turned . . .—i.e., he found himself able to pray, was not silenced. Notice the zeugma. God had not rejected his prayer nor withdrawn His grace.

Verse 20. Blessed be God] I therefore praise God, who has not turned aside my prayer, and who has not withheld his mercy from me. Thus he told them what God had done for his soul. ANALYSIS OF THE SIXTY-SIXTH PSALM There are five parts in this Psalm: - I. An invitation. 1. To praise God, Psalms 66:1-4. 2. To consider his works, Psalms 66:5-7. II. A repetition of the invitation, Psalms 66:8, for the benefit and deliverance lately received, Psalms 66:9-12. III. A protestation and vow for himself, that he would serve the Lord, Psalms 66:13-15. IV. A declaration of God's goodness to him, which he invites all to come and hear, Psalms 66:16-19. V. A doxology, with which he concludes, Psalms 66:20. I. The invitation to praise God affectionately and heartily. 1. "Make a joyful song." 2. "Sing the honour of his name." 3. "Make his praise glorious." 4. "Say unto God," c. Where he prescribes the form in which God shall be praised. He calls all men to consider his works, and the double effect: - 1. On God's enemies. 2. On his people. 1. On his enemies, a feigned obedience, Psalms 66:3. See the note. 2. On his people, a willing service, Psalms 66:4. He calls on them again, Psalms 66:5, to consider God's works, specially in delivering his people: 1. At the Red Sea. 2. In passing Jordan on foot, Psalms 66:6. He calls them to behold God's power and providence. 1. His power in ruling. 2. His providence in beholding, and, 3. His justice in punishing the rebellious, Psalms 66:7. II. He again invites them to praise God for some special mercy, without which they would have been destroyed, Psalms 66:8. 1. He kept them alive. 2. Suffered not their feet to slip, Psalms 66:9. 3. He tried, that he might purify, them. He illustrates this trial by five similes taken, - 1. From silver. 2. From a net. 3. From a burden laid on the loins. 4. From bondage and slavery - men rode over us. 5. From fire and water useful servants, but cruel masters, Psalms 66:10-12. But the issue of all these trials was good: - they were brought through all, and profited by each. III. For this he gives thanks, and purposes to pay his vows. 1. He would attend God's worship: "I will go into thy house," Psalms 66:13. 2. He would there present his offerings, Psalms 66:14. 3. These should be of the best kind, Psalms 66:15. IV. He declares God's goodness, and invites all that fear God to hear what he has got to say. Not of what he was to offer to God, but of what God had done for him. 1. He cried to God, and he heard him. 2. He took care to avoid iniquity, that his prayers might not be cast out: "For God heareth not sinners." V. He closes the Psalm with a doxology, blessing God that, not through his merit, but his own mercy, he had heard and answered him.

20. Blessed be God] Cp. Psalms 28:6; Psalms 31:21; Psalms 68:19; Psalms 68:35. nor his mercy from me] From me must belong to this clause only. It is forced to explain ‘who has not removed my prayer and His loving-kindness from me’ to mean ‘who has not deprived me of the power to pray or of the blessing of an answer’; in spite of the beauty of St Augustine’s comment: “Cum videris non a te amotam deprecationem tuam, securus esto, quia non est a te amota misericordia eius.” Possibly a verb, such as Coverdale (P. B.V.) supplies for the sake of the rhythm, has been lost; so that the clause would read, nor withdrawn his lovingkindness from me.

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer - That is, It is fit that I should praise and adore God for the fact that he has graciously condescended to listen to the voice of my supplications.

20. Hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy—Prayer and mercy comprehend all. They belong together. Prayer represents our true attitude and implies our whole duty to God, and mercy comprehends the whole work of God for us.