Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 2 · Psalm 67
The Sixty Seventh Psalm.
TO the chief Musitian upon Neginoth, a Psalm, or Song.
Paraphrase. The sixty seventh is a Psalm of supplication and thanksgiving, and was committed to the Praefect of the Musick, to be sung to the stringed instruments. (See note on Ps. iv. a.)
1. God be mercifull unto us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine‖or, with us foreign upon us. Selah.
The good God of heaven pardon our sins, supply our wants, bestow his blessings both spiritual and temporal, behold us with favour and acceptation, and for ever continue them to us.
2. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy†salvation foreign saving health among all nations.
And this will be a means of propagating the fear, worship, and service of the true God to the whole heathen world, when they shall see and consider the eminent miraculous acts of thy providence over us, in delivering us from the dangers and distresses that have been upon us.
3. Let the people*confess to foreign praise thee, O God, let all the people‖confess to praise thee.
And this of an universal reformation and acknowledgment of the one God of heaven and earth, is a mercy so much to be wished for, and desired by every pious man, (the inlargement of Gods Kingdome) that I cannot but give my suffrage to it, and most affectionately call upon all to joyne in it, and beseech God to give this grace of his to all the men in the whole world.
4. ‖letO let the nations be glad, and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, anda. †lead or conduct.govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
And for them that are admitted to this honour, of being ruled and d…rected by God, 'tis matter of infinite joy and exultation, his statutes being so admirably good, and agreeable to all our interests, and the administration of his works of providence so perlectly wise and just, that all the world are, in prudence and care of, and love to themselves, obliged with joy to submit to the erection of his Kingdome in their hearts.
5. Let the people*confess to foreign praise thee, O God, let all the people‖confess to praise thee.
'Twere a happy and blessed thing, if all the world would be duly sensible of it, and so all joyne to acknowledge and worship, serve and obey, and partake of this mercy of God. and so be induced to magnifie his name for it.
6. †The earth hath yielded her fruit.Thenb. shall the earth yeeld her increase,*God bless us, even and God even our own God shall bless us.
His mercies are afforded to all, the rain from heaven, and the fruitfull seasons, peculiar acts of his providence (see note on Act. xiv. 17.) and such as oblige all the most hethen men in the world to acknowledge, and bless, and give up themselves to the obedience of the God of heaven. It remains, that we continually pray to the same God, who hath exprest himselfe so gratiously to us, that he will bestow his benediction both on us, and on all that he hath so richly afforded us.
7. God‖bless us, and let— fear him. See note b. shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
And may it thus be, The Lord of heaven crown us with his blessings, and may all the most barbarous people in the world be brought to the acknowledgment, and worship, and uniforme obedience, and subjection to him.
Annotations on Psalm LXVII.
V. 4. Govern] foreign foreignfrom foreign duxit, seems here to signify, in a comprehensive latitude, all acts of conduct; as of a pastor toward his sheep, leading them into their pastures, guiding and directing men into those courses which are most eminently profitable for them; of a General toward his Souldiers, marshalling them, and going before them, and so prospering them in their fight against all kinds of enemies; and lastly of a King, ruling and ordering his subjects, and so doth God those, that will sincerely submit to him. All which the word [lead or conduct] may contain under it; and so that will be the fitter, because the more literal, and withall more comprehensive rendring, and to be preferred before that of governing.
V. 6. Shall yeeld] The Hebrew foreign foreignbeing in the praeter tense, is so interpreted by the Antients. The xxxii. foreign, the earth hath given or yeelded her fruit; the Chaldee, foreign, the earth hath given; and the Syriack in the same words, and so the Latine, Terra dedit, and the Arabick, and Aethiopick. And therefore although it be frequent, whence the sense requires it, to interpret the Hebrew praeter tense in the future; yet the sense not requiring it here, and the Interpreters according in the contrary, there will be no reason here to admit of it, but to set it, as the Hebrew lyes, as an argument to inferre the universal confessing, and acknowledging, and serving of God v. 5. as it is set by S. Paul to the heathens Act. xiv. 17. And then that which follows, foreign,foreign will be best rendered, in forme of benediction, God bless us, even our God: and so the LXXII. read, foreign (and the Latins, Benedicat) both here, and in the beginning of the next verse.