Psalm 67

Psalm 67 is a short psalm in Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72). Following Psalm 66, which calls on "all the earth" to praise God, this psalm likewise sings of the praise of all nations. The superscription names no author.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist asks God for mercy and blessing and prays that He will cause His face to shine. The purpose is that His way and His saving health may be known upon earth and among all nations. The section ends with Selah.
• Verse 3 A refrain asking that the people, indeed all the people, may praise God.
• Verse 4 The reason the nations are to be glad and sing for joy: God judges the people righteously and governs the nations upon earth. Selah appears again.
• Verse 5 The refrain of verse 3 is repeated word for word.
• Verses 6–7 The psalm declares that the earth has yielded her increase and concludes that when God blesses, all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Key Verses

• Psalm 67:1 "God be merciful unto us, and bless us" — The wording resembles the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:22–27. For details, see Psalm 67:1.
• Psalm 67:3 "Let all the people praise thee" — Repeated in verse 5, this line forms the backbone of the psalm.
• Psalm 67:7 "All the ends of the earth shall fear him" — The psalm concludes that the blessing Israel has received extends to the whole world.

People and Places

No specific individuals or place names appear. The speaker is a community referred to as "us," while "the people" and "the nations" refer to the Gentiles outside Israel.

Points for Reflection

• Many interpreters see a symmetrical structure in which the refrains of verses 3 and 5 frame verse 4.
• Because of the line "Then shall the earth yield her increase" in verse 6, some scholars regard the psalm as a thanksgiving song sung at harvest time. Translations differ slightly depending on whether the Hebrew verbs are read as wishes ("may…") or as statements.
• The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as verse 1, giving eight verses in all.
• The idea that the blessing Israel has received reaches the nations connects with the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:3). The psalm is not quoted directly in the New Testament. In Christian interpretation, however, it is read alongside the song of Simeon (Luke 2:30–32) and the Great Commission, and it is sometimes called "the missionary psalm."
• In Judaism, there is reportedly a custom of reciting this psalm during the period of counting the days leading up to Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks). This is a later tradition, not something found in the text itself.
• In the Anglican tradition, the psalm has been used as a canticle at Evening Prayer.

In the Korean Church

Because of the language of harvest and blessing in verses 6–7, the psalm is sometimes used as a sermon text for Harvest Thanksgiving or Wheat Harvest Thanksgiving. Its theme of the nations' praise also makes it a text for sermons and prayers on missions.