(To the chief Musician. A Song a Psalm.) Shout aloud unto God, all the earth
The psalm opens with a command, not a plea, and it goes out to everyone alive. Two questions follow: what has God done to earn such a shout, and who is calling for it?
Commentators place this call in the mouth of a people who invite the rest of the world into a song they have already begun.
"Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious 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.
The psalm just before this one waited for praise. Here that waiting ends.
Here the praise anticipated and waited for in the preceding Psalm breaks forth in Zion. The Lord has answered the prayer by awesome acts done in righteousness. The vows they made are paid here. When they were suffering they prayed; now that they are glad they sing psalms.
The song has a reason behind it. The singers point back to what God has done, including a rescue centuries earlier.
Men are called to see God's works, but (v. 6) it is the very same God who long ago delivered Israel out of Egypt. Verse 8 calls on the nations now brought into contact with God to bless the God of the remnant — that is, of Israel. They had been brought through sorrow and oppression of every sort, to prove and test them like silver. But now they would go before Him and praise Him.
Verse 2 asks for praise itself to be glorious. One writer explains where that glory comes from.
In Psalm 66:2 the writer says, "Sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise." Everything that belongs to God, and all that He does, must take its character from Him. The divine glory that shines out draws praise from the hearts of those who can see it, and who know God in His love, His wisdom and His power.
This psalm sits inside a short run of songs. One writer traces how they build.
Psalm 64 anticipates that God will intervene for the deliverance of His people. Psalm 65 speaks of the blessing that will visit the earth when God has stilled the tumult of the nations. Psalm 66 expresses the joy of the godly: brought through fire and water, they can praise His Name in His house.
Looking back after the rescue changes how the hard years read.
The Psalm is thus Israel's retrospect after restoration and blessing. Worship can now flow out freely, and with it the call to all lands to "shout for joy to God." When the goal is reached, God stands justified in all His ways, and "clear" in all His judgments.
The worldwide shout has a shadow side. Verse 3 speaks of enemies cringing before God's power. Commentators read that as something less than true worship.
All the earth is summoned to make His praise glorious. God had done awesome things for them long ago, and they had looked for Him to do such things again. Their expectations have been answered, and all the earth is called to confess it before Him. "Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!'" Who can withstand Him? The heart may be unchanged, but the knee must bow. They add, "Through the greatness of your power your enemies will yield feigned obedience to you." "He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet." But not all will submit in heart. Some, as we all see, will yield only a feigned obedience. They stay ready to rise up against Him when the chance comes.
(The ESV reads, "your enemies come cringing to you." The older translation had "yield feigned obedience" in its margin, and that is the reading this writer follows.)
- Cause — The shout answers something. God intervened in righteousness, prayer was heard, and only then does the song break out.
- Gift — The praise is called glorious because of who receives it. Everything belonging to God takes its character from Him.
- Cost — Those who sing loudest are those tried as silver, brought through fire and water. Looking back, they find God clear in all His judgments.
- Reach — Israel leads and the nations are invited in; the summons goes out to all the earth, not to one people.
- Caution — Universal submission is not universal love. Some will bow the knee with an unchanged heart, yielding only outward obedience.
Sing forth the glory of his name, make his praise glorious;
Psalm 66 calls the whole earth, not one nation, to shout to God. The second verse says what to sing and how to sing it, which raises two questions: what is "the glory of his name," and how does praise become glorious?
The call goes out beyond Israel to every land. The reason is what God has done to the enemies of His people.
(vv. 1-4) All lands are called to give honour to God, who has shown His terrible works in dealing with the enemies of His people Israel. Everyone will see it. Those who have lifted themselves up in rebellion against God will have to submit when God displays the greatness of His power in judgment. The result will be that all the earth will bow before God and praise His Name.
The call for "glorious praise" is not a call for impressive singing. What makes praise glorious is the God it is about.
Everything that belongs to God, and all that He does, must take its character from Him. The divine glory that shines out brings praise from the hearts of those who can discern it, and who know God in His love, His wisdom and His power.
The verse that follows speaks of enemies submitting. One writer draws a careful line here. Praise from all the earth does not mean every heart loves God.
All the earth is called to make His praise glorious. God had done terrible things for them long ago… He has answered what they looked for, and all the earth is urged to confess it before Him. "Say to God, How terrible are your works." Who can withstand Him? The heart may stay unchanged, but the knee must bow. For "through the greatness of your power," they add, "your enemies will submit to you with pretended obedience."
The call to all the earth has never yet been answered in full. One writer places it in the coming kingdom age, with Israel leading and the nations joining in.
"Shout aloud unto God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His Name, ascribe to Him glory, in His praise." This will happen in the coming kingdom age. And Israel will be the leader of that praise, calling upon the nations to join into the glory song.
Where does such praise come from? One writer answers from later in the same psalm, where the singer brings the offerings he promised while he was still in trouble.
(vv. 13-15) The trials they have passed through fit the godly to draw near to God as worshippers. So the psalmist, speaking for himself, says, "I will come into your house with burnt offerings." Set free from his enemies, he will bring the offerings he had vowed in the days of trial.
The call to sing the glory of His name assumes the name can be known. One writer ties that knowledge to the Son who was given.
That Son has been "given" so that we might know something of the greatness of His Name, as people set free from every hindrance, and respond to Him in praise and adoration.
- Name first. Praise is glorious only because its subject is. Everything belonging to God takes its character from Him. What He has shown of His love, wisdom and power shapes the song.
- Known, then sung. You have to see the glory before you can sing it. God gave His Son so that we could know the greatness of that name and answer Him with praise.
- Tried, then offered. The furnace is not an interruption of praise. Trial is what fits the godly to draw near as worshippers and bring the offerings vowed in distress.
- All the earth. The call widens from one rescued people to every land. But some knees bow while hearts stay unchanged.
- Kingdom finish. One writer sets this song in the coming kingdom age, with Israel leading and the nations joining, until the whole earth bows and praises His name.