Psalms 66:11

_O BLESS OUR GOD, YE PEOPLE, AND MAKE THE VOICE OF HIS PRAISE TO BE HEARD:_ -The sore trouble out of which God brought His people into a wealthy place; praise to God accordingly. Verse 8,9. O BLESS OUR GOD ... WHICH HOLDETH (HEBREW, PUTTETH) OUR SOUL IN LIFE - i:e., restores us to life from our political death as a nation. The same image is used of Israel's future revivification in Ezekiel 37:1 (cf. Psalms 30:3). AND SUFFERETH NOT OUR FEET TO BE MOVED - (Psalms 15:5, end; 55:22; 121:3.) Verse 10. FOR THOU, O GOD, HAST PROVED US - thou hast tested the steadfastness of our faith, hope, and patience in the furnace of trial. Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried

8-12 The Lord not only preserves our temporal life, but maintains the spiritual life which he has given to believers. By afflictions we are proved, as silver in the fire. The troubles of the church will certainly end well. Through various conflicts and troubles, the slave of Satan escapes from his yoke, and obtains joy and peace in believing: through much tribulation the believer must enter into the kingdom of God....

Verse Psalms 66:11. _THOU BROUGHTEST US INTO THE NET_] This refers well to the case of the Israelites, when, in their departure from Egypt, pursued by the Egyptians, having the Red Sea before them, and no method of escape, Pharaoh said, "The wilderness hath shut them in,-they are entangled;" comparing their state to that of a _wild_ _beast_ in a _net_. _AFFLICTION UPON OUR LOINS._] Perhaps this alludes to that sharp _pain in the back and loins_ which is generally felt on the apprehension of _sudden_ and _destructive danger_....

THOU BROUGHTEST US INTO THE NET - That is, Thou hast suffered or permitted us to be brought into the net; thou hast suffered us to be taken captive, as beasts are caught in a snare. See the notes at Psalms 9:15. The allusion here is to the efforts made by their enemies to take them, as hunters lay gins, or spread nets, to capture wild beasts. The idea here is, that those enemies had been successful; God had suffered them to fall into their hands. If we suppose this psalm to have been composed on the return from the Babylonian captivity, the propriety of this language will be apparent, for it well describes the fact that the nation had been subdued by the Babylonians, and had been led captive into a distant land. Compare Lamentations 1:13....

EXPOSITION THIS is another song of thanksgiving, and is connected with a special deliverance (Psalms 66:10). The composer is about to offer a sacrifice to God in his holy place, in performance of a vow which he had made when he was in trouble (Psalms 66:13), and has prepared the psalm as a liturgical formula to be used on the occasion. It is an ode in four strophes: an opening one of four verses—a simple rendering of praise (Psalms 66:1); then a short strophe of three verses, celebrating God's might against his enemies (Psalms 66:5); next a statement in general terms of the deliverance experienced, a

THOU BROUGHTEST US INTO THE NET,.... That is, suffered them to be taken in the net of wicked men, which they laid and spread for them; whereby they were drawn either into bad principles or bad practices, or into ruinous circumstances; though the Lord does not leave his own people there, but breaks the net or snare, sooner or later, and they escape; see Psalms 9:15. Jarchi interprets it of a strait place, as in a prison; and which has often been literally true of the people of God, into which, though they have been cast by Satan, or by men instigated by him, yet, because permitted by the Lord, it is ascribed to him, Revelation 2:10; THOU LAIDST AFFLICTION UPON OUR LOINS: the Targum renders it "a chain": the word signifies anything that is binding and pressing; it seems to be a metaphor

Psalms 66:1. _Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:_ Let not Israel alone do it. Take up the strain, ye nations. He is the God of all the nations of the earth. «Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands.» Psalms 66:2. _Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah._ I still must always cling to the belief that this whole world is to be converted to God, and to lie captive at the feet of Christ in glorious liberty. Do not fall into that lethargic, apathetic belief of some that this is never to be accomplished that the battle

Psalms 66 The Praise and Worship of the Millennium _ 1. What God hath wrought! (Psalms 66:1)_ 2. Israel's praise and worship (Psalms 66:8) “Shout aloud unto God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His Name, ascribe to Him glory, in His praise.” This will be done in the coming kingdom age. And Israel will be the leader of that praise, calling upon the nations to join into the glory song. “All the earth shall worship Thee, and shall sing unto Thee, they shall sing Thy Name, Israel will worship in the beauty of holiness, and this people, now a holy nation and kingdom of priests, become His witnesses.” “Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul.”...

LXVI. A AND LXVI. B. Here again we have two Pss., rather unskilfully joined together, for the former ends, the latter begins abruptly. In Psalms 66 A (Psalms 66:1) the speaker always uses the first person plural in speaking of himself. He represents the people, or at least a section of the people. He deals with matters of public concern. In Psalms 66 B (Psalms 66:13) the poet uses the singular number and thanks God for grace bestowed upon himself personally. LXVI. A. The author invites the Jews, and indeed the whole world, to praise God's wondrous deeds. God had guided the Hebrews in their trials, as He had led them long ago through the Red Sea and across the Jordan dry-shod. The most notable thing in the Ps. is its universalism. The heathen, though no doubt in a subordinate position, are t

AFFLICTION. a heavy burden: i.e. in Egypt. Hebrew. _mu'akah._ Occurs only here....