Psalm 66 describes the praises and awesome prayers that the Jews will offer to G-d as they gather the exiles. Jews (and non-Jews) are constantly tested by G-d. Psalm 66 mentions the fact that Jews are tested (verse 10) but in the context of the trials of exile. Through rock-solid faith in G-d and blind perseverance, the Jews can pass the tests. Their prayers help them cope with their individual trials.
- Text Psalm 66
- Hebrew text of Psalm 66 – תהילים סו
- Listen to Psalm 66
- Explanation of Psalm 66 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 66
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Footnotes
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 66
For the conductor, a song, a psalm. Lift up your voice in joy to G-d, all the earth! Sing the glory of His Name; make glorious His praise. Say to G-d: ,How wonderful are Your deeds! By the greatness of Your power, Your enemies will admit their lies to You. All the earth bows to You and sings to You; they will sing praises to Your Name forever! Go and behold the deeds of G‑d, great in His deeds towards mankind. He turned the sea into dry land; in the river they crossed on foot; there we rejoiced with Him. By His power He rules the world; His eyes oversee the nations; the rebellious will never exalt themselves, salah. O nations, bless our God and let the voice of His praise be heard. He has kept us alive, and has not allowed our feet to be moved. For You tried us, O G-d; You have refined us as if you refine silver. You have ensnared us; You placed a chain on our loins. You made man ride to our heads; we entered into fire and water, and You have taken us to satisfaction. I will come to Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows that my lips uttered and my mouth spoke in my distress. I will offer to You burnt sacrifices of fat animals with the burning of rams; I will prepare cattle with goats forever, selah. Come, listen, and I will tell you all who fear God what He did for my soul. My mouth cried out to Him and He was exalted under my tongue. If I see iniquity in my heart, the Lord hears it not. But G-d heard; He listened to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be G‑d, who has not removed from me my prayer and His goodness.
Hebrew text of Psalm 66 – תהילים סו
- To the victor, sing a hymn to God, all the earth. Sing the glory of his name, sing the glory of his praise. C Tell God how terrible your deeds are with all your might your enemies will deny you. D All the earth will bow down to you and sing to you, they will sing to you, Selah. Go and see the works of God, a terrible plot against the sons of men. And he turned the sea into dry land in the river; 7 He rules the world with his might, his eyes are on the Gentiles. Bless the peoples of our God and make the voice of his praise heard. 9 The Lord is our soul in life and has not given us a footstool. Because in God’s store we have gathered together like silver. Yes, we have brought you to the fortress that you are tormented by our conditions. 12 You brought a man to our head in fire and water and brought us out to satiety. 13. I will come to your house with a burden, and I will fulfill my vows to you. A hand that opened my lips and my mouth spoke in my sorrow. Behold, the rising of the living, I will go up with the incense of rams, I will make wheat with the baskets. 16 Hear and recount all the things God has done for my soul. 17 To him I called out and raised them under my tongue. 18 Even if I saw it in my heart, my Lord will not hear. 19 Indeed, hear God, listen to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God who has not taken away my prayers and his mercy from me.
Listen to Psalm 66
Listen to Psalm 66 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 66 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
Our prayers help us cope with our individual trials. G-d tests us to grow spiritually. Some will stumble and then pick themselves up; some will fail. But G-d always listens to our prayers.
King David composed this psalm with future generations in mind. He speaks of the power of our prayers. Jews are spread across the earth so that they can sing praises to G-d and make His name known to everyone.
HaShem changed the entire natural order so that His children could walk on dry land through the Sea of Reeds. What was expected in return? We are to rejoice in His love for us. Each of us must walk through our personal sea of bitterness. But by remaining steadfast it will seem as if you are walking on dry land and will not drown. Then you will reach the other side and you will be blessed with joy in Hashem.
G-d has placed every person in the right place. His will is to be refined in the circumstances He has placed you in; that’s why you’re here in the first place. You are not alone, nor are you the first. HaShem places us all in ‘closed neighborhoods’, places that we think will keep us from our goals. In reality, however, it is for our own good because this will help us grow.
When redemption comes, the Jews will look back on the difficulties they went through and recognize that it was worth it, because at that moment they will appreciate and enjoy it. It was all meant for the soul.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 66
Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.
Verse 2
Sing the glory of His name; make glorious His praise.
Sing the glory of His name : Sing the glory of His name. Or: Recite the glory of His name with music and song.
Verse 3
Say to G-d: “How great are Your deeds! By the greatness of Your power, Your enemies will admit their lies to You.
How great is each of Your deeds!
By the greatness of Your might : When You world shows Your power by pestilence, sword, famine or lightning. Your enemies, the wicked, confess their lies and sins because of their great fear.
Verse 5
Go and see the deeds of G-d, great in his dealings against mankind.
great in His deeds : Fear mankind, lest He find any transgression in them, for all their deeds are revealed to You.
Verse 6
He turned the sea into dry land; in the river they crossed on foot; there we rejoiced Him.
He turned the sea into dry land : the Sea of Reeds,
there we rejoiced with Him : I found: there was something that the sea rejoiced in, that is, the sea saw the Holy One, blessed be He.
Verse 7
With His power He rules the world; His eyes watch over the nations; the rebellious will never exalt themselves.
shall not exalt themselves : Their hand shall not be high.
Verse 8
O nations, bless our God and let the voice of His praise be heard.
O peoples, bless our God : for His wonders, that He has kept our souls alive in captivity, and you cannot destroy us.
Verse 10
For You tested us, O G-d; You have refined us as if you were refining silver.
You have tested us : with distress in exile.
You have refined us : to remove from us the rubbish when we repent before You, while they refine silver to remove its rubbish.
Verse 11
You have led us into a trap; You placed a chain on our loins.
You have trapped us : A narrow place, like a prison.
a chain : Hebrew מועקה, an expression of enclosing, and every [expression of] מֵעִיק and מֵצִיק is like that in it.
Verse 12
You made man ride to our heads; we came into fire and water, and You took us to satisfaction.
You made man ride to our heads : The kings of all the heathen nations.
Verse 13
I will come to Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,
I will come to Your house : when You build the temple, we will pay our vows that we swore in exile.
Verse 15
I will offer to You the burnt sacrifices of fat animals, with the burnt offerings of rams; I will prepare cattle with goats forever.
fat : Hebrew מיחים, fat, an expression of מוֹחַ, marrow.
Verse 16
Come, listen, and I will tell all you who fear God what He did for my soul.
all who fear G‑d : They are the proselytes who were converted.
Verse 17
My mouth cried out to Him, and He was exalted under my tongue.
My mouth cried out to Him : When we were in exile, we cried out to Him and recited His exaltation with our tongues.
and He was exalted : Heb. ורומם, like ונתרומם, and He was exalted. I discovered: with my mouth I cried out to Him. ורומם is a noun. His exaltation is ready under my tongue to be uttered out of my mouth, as (Job 20:12), “though he hideth it under his tongue.”
Verse 18
When I see iniquity in my heart, the Lord hears it not.
If I saw iniquity, etc .: He did not deal with us according to our sins, but He made Himself as if He neither saw nor heard the iniquity that is in our hearts.
Verse 19
But G-d heard; He listened to the voice of my prayer.
but : You should indeed know.
Verse 20
Blessed be G‑d, who has not removed my prayer and His goodness from me.
Who has not taken away my prayer : from before Him, and He has not taken away His kindness from me.
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
Why does G-d test people? 1 Doesn’t G-d already know what is in our hearts?
A trial is spoken of when G-d expects more from us than we think we can handle. A test cannot be justified. You pass a test with unwavering faith and blind perseverance. A test is almost synonymous with a miracle. In both cases it is about breaking boundaries. Sometimes it’s about breaking old habits. Sometimes it’s about finding new strength.
The ultimate test involves breaking the boundaries between creation and Creator. Such was the case with Abraham who was instructed to sacrifice his own son. Abraham did what G-d told him to do. At the ultimate moment, G-d stopped him and said that He knew that Abraham trusted Him. The test, according to Maimonides, was intended to determine forever how far the fear and love of G-d should go. According to Rabbi Sacks, G-d wanted Abraham to disown his son’s property. He wanted to establish a non-negotiable principle of Jewish law that children are not the property of their parents.
After Abraham, many Jews throughout history gave up their lives 2 for their faith in G-d. They died as martyrs. They were simply unable to sever their bond with the G-d of Israel. Only their relationship with G-d was the truth, everything else was meaningless. The Jews contain the strength of Abraham and Isaac. The power is not only to die but also to live as Jews. Despite all the adversity that G-d brings the Jews, they survive. They have each other, the Torah and the inheritance.
Footnotes
1 Jews pray to G-d every morning not to be tested.
2 It should be noted that death is not sacred. G‑d is the G‑d of life, not of death.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.