Psalms 65 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 65

O God of Our Salvation

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

65:1   Praise is due to you,¹ O God, in Zion,
    and to you shall vows be performed.
2   O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
3   When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
4   Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!
5   By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
  the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
6   the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
7   who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
8   so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
  You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9   You visit the earth and water it;²
    you greatly enrich it;
  the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
10   You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
  softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
11   You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12   The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
13   the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.

Footnotes

[1] 65:1 Or Praise waits for you in silence
[2] 65:9 Or and make it overflow

Commentary

A song of praise and thanksgiving to God. Although we may say that all the psalms are songs, only 14 are described as such; the word 'song' appears in 1 Sam 18.6, where it implies teaching and proclamation as well as praise.

v1: Praise is the proper response to God; it shows our faithfulness to Him, Ps 61.5,8. It is a joyful privilege to approach God.

v2: The one God who hears all prayer; to Him alone all flesh will come; as in Ps 62, He is utterly unique; no local God He!

v3: God deals with sins, for He provides atonement.

v4: Satisfaction in the presence of God; there is nothing better than being with Him;

flee to Him, He is our rock and shelter (Ps 61, esp v2-4);
trust in Him, pour out our hearts to Him (Ps 62, esp v8);
seek Him, look to Him (Ps 63, esp v1-2).

God will not disappoint those who approach Him. There is also the thought here of being chosen and called, and brought near, by God Himself.

v5-6: All nations can come to Him, for His "awesome deeds of righteousness." The psalmist has a big vision, seeing something of God's heart for all peoples, not just His choice of Israel.

v7: The seas stilled; this also happened by the word of Christ, providing an evidence of His deity.

v8: Even those far away see the signs of His power.

But, God's blessing and judgment begin in the midst of His people (Amos 7.8); at the house of God (1 Pet 4.17).

v9-10: God's blessing upon the earth. He has visited the earth and brought fruit for its inhabitants; "enrich it abundantly...filled with water...provide...bless its crops." All these things demonstrate His largesse / generosity / goodness. These things are also fulfilled in Christ, for He went about doing good.

God may be described as the divine caretaker. He continues to be involved in His creation.

v11: All the blessings of life are crowned with God's goodness; as the Lord walks about, abundance follows in His path.

v12: Even the pastures in the wilderness are fruitful.

v13: Pastures clothed with flocks, valleys covered with green; no wonder they sing and shout for joy! Creation itself rejoices in the abundance from the hand of God.