Psalms 67

This short psalm begins with a prayer for God’s blessing on His people and quickly widens to reach the whole world. Israel asks for God’s favor so that every nation may come to know Him, praise Him, and rejoice under His rule. The harvest becomes a sign of God’s goodness and of the blessing that will one day fill the earth.

Psalms 67:1

The psalm opens with the ancient priestly blessing. The people ask for mercy, for God’s favor, and for the light of His face. A shining face means a smile of welcome and approval. To live in God’s presence and approval is the best blessing there is.

BSA: gracious (“showing mercy and kindness”): The blessing rests on God’s kindness, not on anything we have earned. shine (“radiate joy and favor”): God’s face shining pictures His delighted welcome, like a father smiling at his child.

See also: Numbers 6:24-26.

Psalms 67:2

Here is the reason for the prayer. Israel asks for blessing so that God’s ways and His saving help will be known throughout the world. Blessing is not meant to stop with the people who receive it. It is meant to point others to God.

BSA: ways (“path, journey”): God’s ways are the road He walks and the way He deals with people, and the nations are invited to learn it. salvation (“saving health, deliverance”): God’s salvation means rescue and wholeness, and it is offered to every nation.

See also: Genesis 12:2-3; Acts 1:8.

Psalms 67:3

The psalmist asks that all peoples would praise God, and he says it twice. God is not only Israel’s God. The wish is that every nation, not only one, would give Him the praise He deserves.

BSA: praise (“extol, glorify”): Praise lifts God up and says out loud how great and good He is.

Psalms 67:4

The nations have reason for joy because God’s rule is fair. He judges justly, and He leads them like a shepherd guiding a flock. Many rulers cause fear. God’s rule brings gladness, because He sets things right and shows the way.

BSA: judge (“govern, rule with equity”): To judge here means to govern, so God’s judging is His fair rule over all. lead (“guide, direct”): God not only rules the nations but guides them step by step.

Hebrew: סֶלָה (selah, H5542) — “a pause, perhaps for reflection or a musical interlude.” The exact meaning is uncertain, but it marks a moment to stop and take in what has just been sung.

See also: Psalm 96:10-13.

Psalms 67:5

The refrain returns. Repeating it makes it feel like a chorus the whole earth sings together. The heart of the psalm is simple: God deserves the praise of everyone, and every people has a place in it.

BSA: peoples (“every tribe and tongue”): No group is left out. Every kind of people is invited to join in the praise.

See also: Revelation 7:9-10.

Psalms 67:6

The harvest is the visible sign of God’s goodness. The earth gives its produce because He gives it. The psalmist calls Him our God, which is personal and warm. Some read the second line as a promise of more blessing to come.

BSA: harvest (“increase, produce”): The crops are a gift that grows from God’s hand, and they prove His care.

See also: Leviticus 26:4; Acts 14:17.

Psalms 67:7

The psalm ends where it began, with God’s blessing, and again it points to the whole world. As God blesses His people, people everywhere, to the farthest corners, will come to honor Him. To fear God here means to stand in awe and reverence before Him.

BSA: fear (“revere, respect”): This fear is deep reverence and worship, not terror. ends (“farthest reaches, every corner”): No place on earth is too distant for God’s reach.

See also: Psalm 22:27.