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PSALM 65
STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS
NASB | NKJV | NRSV | TEV | NJB |
God's Abundant Favor to Earth and Man MT Intro For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song |
Praise to God For His Salvation and Providence | Thanksgiving For A Good Harvest | Praise and Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving Hymn |
65:1-4 | 65:1-3 | 65:1-4 | 65:1-4 | 65:1-2a |
65:2b-3 | ||||
65:4 | 65:4 | |||
65:5-8 | 65:5-8 | 65:5-8 | 65:5-8 | 65:5 |
65:6-7b | ||||
65:7c-8 | ||||
65:9-13 | 65:9-10 | 65:9-13 | 65:9-13 | 65:9a-d |
65:9e-13 | ||||
65:11-13 |
READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 65:1-4
1There
will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God,
And to You the vow will be
performed.
2O
You who hear prayer,
To
You all men come.
3Iniquities
prevail against me;
As for
our transgressions, You forgive them.
4How
blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You
To dwell in Your courts.
We will be satisfied with the
goodness of Your house,
Your
holy temple.
65:1 There is only one VERB (BDB 1022, KB 1532, Pual IMPERFECT) in Psalm 65, in v. 1. It seems to link to several items.
This is obviously a worship setting in the temple (cf. Ps. 65:4).
Note below #1 and #2 may be one item. If so, it is mankind's responsibility to praise God and fulfill his vows.
▣ | |
NASB | "silence before You" |
NKJV | "praise awaiting You" |
NRSV | "praise is due you" |
NJB | "praise is rightfully yours" |
Peshitta, JPSOA | "praise befits You" |
REB | "it is fitting to praise you" |
LXX | "to you a hymn is due" |
The MT has "silence" (BDB 189, דמיה) but the UBS Text Project, p. 285, gives the same consonants with different vowels (i.e., "befitting") a "B" rating (some doubt). Most English translations agree with this. This follows the LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate translations. However, "silence" can denote
KB understands this to be idiomatic for "waiting" on YHWH to act.
▣ "Zion" See notes at Ps. 2:6; 9:11; 20:2.
SPECIAL TOPIC: MORIAH, SALEM, JEBUS, JERUSALEM, ZION
65:2 The God of creation is characterized as
One wonders if the "all flesh come" refers to
65:3 The God of creation forgives (i.e., covers, BDB 497, KB 493, Piel IMPERFECT, cf. Ps. 78:38; 79:9; AB sees this as an IMPERFECT used as an IMPERATIVE [p. 110]).
The PREPOSITION "our" in the NASB implies Israel (cf. Ps. 65:4). Notice how forgiveness is related to the fulfillment of covenant promises. Obedience is crucial (cf. Leviticus 26; Deut. 11:13-17; chapters 28-30). When obedience fails, the only hope is the mercy of God!
SPECIAL TOPIC: WORDS FOR FORGIVENESS
65:4 "How blessed" See note at Psalm 1:1.
▣ "the one whom You choose" This refers to the call of God to the Patriarchs and their descendants (i.e., Israel, cf. Deut. 4:37; Ps. 33:12). The amazing thing is that apparently the election moves from Israel alone to all humans (cf. Ps. 65:2,5,8). This reflects Gen. 3:15, which is a divine promise of victory for all humans who believe and receive.
SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS
SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN
▣ "To dwell in Your courts" This is referring to worshiping in the tabernacle/temple as long as one lives (cf. Ps. 23:6; 27:4-6).
▣ "We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house" The VERB (BDB 959, KB 1302, Qal COHORTATIVE) denotes one who is completely filled with goodness (BDB 375). This verse refers not just to physical abundance (cf. Ps. 65:9-13) but to intimacy with God! He fills us with Himself!
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 65:5-8
5By
awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our
salvation,
You who are the
trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea;
6Who establishes the
mountains by His strength,
Being
girded with might;
7Who
stills the roaring of the seas,
The
roaring of their waves,
And
the tumult of the peoples.
8They
who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;
You make the dawn and the sunset
shout for joy.
65:5-8 This strophe describes two different situations.
The purpose of creation was a place for mankind made in God's image (cf. Gen. 1:26-27) to fellowship with God (cf. Gen. 3:8). After Genesis 3, this intent became God's goal of salvation and restoration for all the children of Adam and Eve (cf. Gen. 3:15; see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN).
Both "mountain" in Ps. 65:6 and "tumult" in 65:7 may refer to people, not creation (cf. Jer. 51:25). If so, this would parallel Deut. 32:8.
Notice Ps. 65:5 mentions that God answers but no prayer is specifically mentioned. Obviously it was a prayer of deliverance from
65:5 | |
NASB, NKJV, NRSV | "awesome deeds" |
TEV | "wonderful things" |
NJB | "marvels" |
This term (BDB 431 in the Niphal) is used of God's acts.
▣ "in righteousness" See SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS
▣ "O God" This is the SINGULAR form of Elohim (see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C.)
▣ "salvation" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OT)
▣ "You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea" What a powerful, inclusive statement. The JPSOA clarifies the meaning, "in whom all the ends of the earth and the distant seas put their trust." It is the logical extension of "monotheism" (i.e., one Creator God).
▣ | |
NASB, TEV, JPSOA | "trust" |
NKJV | "confidence" |
NRSV, NJB | "hope" |
This NOUN (BDB 105) is defined by BDB as "the object of confidence" (cf. Job 8:14; Ps. 40:4; 71:5), which in this verse, is YHWH, not the false gods of the nations (cf. "the tumult of the peoples," Ps. 65:7c, cf. Psalm 2).
▣ "the ends of the earth" What a wonderful recurrent phrase, especially in Psalms and Isaiah. This phrase can be documented by two PREPOSITIONS, "to". . ."from."
65:7 This verse could refer to
▣ "And the tumult of the peoples" This verse has three parallel lines. The first two use imagery from the "roaring" (BDB 981) of the seas. The third line refers to "peoples." The UBS Text Project, p. 287, has two options.
The tumult of water is often imagery for the restlessness or even open opposition of the nations (cf. Ps. 2:1; 46:6).
65:8 "stand in awe" Same root as Ps. 65:5, "awesome deeds."
▣ "Your signs" This refers to God's acts of redemption for His people (i.e., call and protection of the Patriarchs, the exodus and wilderness wanderings, the conquest, etc.).
▣ The last line of Ps. 65:8 could refer to
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 65:9-13
9You
visit the earth and cause it to overflow;
You greatly enrich it;
The stream of God is full of water;
You prepare their grain, for thus
You prepare the earth.
10You
water its furrows abundantly,
You
settle its ridges,
You
soften it with showers,
You
bless its growth.
11You
have crowned the year with Your bounty,
And
Your paths drip with fatness.
12The
pastures of the wilderness drip,
And
the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.
13The meadows are clothed
with flocks
And the
valleys are covered with grain;
They
shout for joy, yes, they sing.
65:9-13 This is the physical abundance that covenant obedience would bring (cf. Leviticus 26; Deut. 11:13-17; 28). Abundance was YHWH's way to cause the world to come to Him because of His
for Israel. He chose Israel to choose all! But Israel was not obedient (cf. Ezek. 36:22-23).
Notice the number of "You's" in the English versions of Ps. 65:9-11 (i.e., nine). Creation responds to its Creator with bounty!
65:9 "You visit the earth" This is an idiom of YHWH's personal presence. In a sense, He is always in the world. But this imagery speaks of a special coming either for judgment or blessing. Here it is abundant agricultural blessing made possible by abundant water.
▣ "overflow" This VERB (BDB 1003, KB 1448, Polel IMPERFECT) occurs three times, here, where it is often translated "be abundant," and Joel 2:24; 3:13, where it is translated "overflow."
▣ "The stream of God" This phrase could mean
65:11 | |
NASB, NKJV | "Your paths drip with fatness" |
NRSV | "Your wagon tracks overflow with riches" |
TEV | "Wherever you go there is plenty" |
NJB | "richness seeps from your tracks" |
JPSOA | "fatness is distilled in Your path" |
Peshitta | "and the calves have rich pasture" |
LXX | "and your plains shall be filled with fatness" |
The MT has "and the tracks of Your chariot drip fatness." This is imagery of YHWH riding on the thunder clouds bringing rain (cf. Ps. 18:7-15). This is ANE, or especially Canaanite, imagery of Ba'al, the storm god (i.e., fertility).
65:12-13 The blessed physical locations (i.e., pastures, hills, meadows, valleys) are personified and shout for joy (BDB 929, KB 1206, Hithpoel IMPERFECT) and sing (BDB 1010, KB 1479, Qal IMPERFECT). This praise of inanimate things reminds me of Jesus' words about the stones in Luke 19:40. One day all creation (animate and inanimate) will cry out in joy to its Creator (cf. Ps. 103:20-22; 145:10; Rom. 8:18-25)!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
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