David exhorts to praise God, 1-4; to observe his great works, 5-7; to bless him for his gracious benefits, 8-11. He vows for himself religious service to God, 12-15. He declares God's special goodness to himself, 16-20.
1 [To the Chief Musician. A Song or Psalm.]
Make a joyful noise to God, all you lands.
2 Sing forth the honor of his name./
Make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, "How awesome you are in your works!/
Through the greatness of your power/
your enemies shall submit themselves to you.
4 All the earth shall worship you/
and sing to you./
They shall sing to your name."/
[Selah.]
5 Come and see the works of God./
He is awesome in his doings toward the children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land./
They went through the flood on foot./
There we rejoiced in him.
7 He rules by his power forever./
His eyes behold the nations./
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves./
[Selah.]
8 O bless our God, you people,/
and make the voice of his praise to be heard,
9 Who holds our soul in life/
and does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For you, O God, have proved us./
You have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You have brought us into the net./
You have laid affliction upon our loins.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads./
We went through fire and through water,/
but you brought us out into a wealthy place.
13 I will go into your house with burnt-offerings./
I will pay you my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered/
and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt-sacrifices of fattened calves/
with the incense of rams./
I will offer bulls with goats./
[Selah.]
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,/
and I will declare what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,/
and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,/
the Lord will not hear me.
19 But truly God has heard me./
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God/
who has not turned away my prayer,/
nor his mercy from me.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 66[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
There may have been one deliverance in particular, which the Psalmist celebrates here in the name of the Church, but he includes the many and various mercies which God had all along conferred upon his chosen people. While he takes notice of the divine interposition in their behalf, in a crisis of great mercy and distress, he suggests it as matter of comfort under trial, that their subjection to the tyranny of their enemies had been designed to prove them as silver in the furnace. At the close, he would appear to speak of himself individually, and adduces it as a proof of his integrity, that God had heard him, for God does not grant acceptance to the wicked.