Psalm 67 explained: A Blessing Meant for Everyone

A blessing asked for (vv. 1-2)

The opening echoes the blessing priests spoke over Israel, asking God to look on his people with a warm, smiling face. The request is not only for themselves: the hope is that God's kindness to Israel would make his ways known to every nation.

All peoples invited to praise (vv. 3-5)

A repeated chorus asks that all nations, not just Israel, would praise God and sing for joy. The reason given is that God rules fairly and guides the nations, which makes his rule something to celebrate.

Harvest and a wider hope (vv. 6-7)

A good harvest is taken as a sign of God's blessing, and many scholars think the psalm was sung at a harvest festival. The closing hope is that this blessing would lead the whole earth to honor God, and Christians later read it as pointing to the message of Jesus reaching all nations.

Key verse: Psalm 67:2

Something to think about

When something good happens to you, do you tend to want it shared widely, even with strangers, and what makes that easy or hard?