Psalm 66

This article is about Psalm 66 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 66 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 67.

Psalm 66 is the 66th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 65. In Latin, it is known as "Iubilate Deo omnis terra".^[1][2] It is a psalm of thanksgiving probably intended for use at the Passover.^[3][4] The psalm is divided into two parts: in verses 1-12 the community praises God and invites the whole world to join in praise; in verses 13–20, "an individual from the rescued community fulfils a vow to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving".^[5]

Psalm 66
"Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands"
Psalm 66:4 at the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Other name	Psalm 65 "Iubilate Deo omnis terra"
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 66
← Psalm 65 Psalm 67 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[6][7] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ שִׁ֣יר מִזְמ֑וֹר הָרִ֥יעוּ לֵ֝אלֹהִ֗ים כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃‎	For the Leader. A Song, a Psalm. Shout unto God, all the earth;
2	זַמְּר֥וּ כְבֽוֹד־שְׁמ֑וֹ שִׂ֥ימוּ כָ֝ב֗וֹד תְּהִלָּתֽוֹ׃‎	Sing praises unto the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious.
3	אִמְר֣וּ לֵ֭אלֹהִים מַה־נּוֹרָ֣א מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ בְּרֹ֥ב עֻ֝זְּךָ֗ יְֽכַחֲשׁ֖וּ לְךָ֣ אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃‎	Say unto God: 'How tremendous is Thy work! Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies dwindle away before Thee.
4	כׇּל־הָאָ֤רֶץ ׀ יִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לְ֭ךָ וִיזַמְּרוּ־לָ֑ךְ יְזַמְּר֖וּ שִׁמְךָ֣ סֶֽלָה׃‎	All the earth shall worship Thee, And shall sing praises unto Thee; They shall sing praises to Thy name.' Selah
5	לְכ֣וּ וּ֭רְאוּ מִפְעֲל֣וֹת אֱלֹהִ֑ים נוֹרָ֥א עֲ֝לִילָ֗ה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃‎	Come, and see the works of God; He is terrible in His doing toward the children of men.
6	הָ֤פַךְ יָ֨ם ׀ לְֽיַבָּשָׁ֗ה בַּ֭נָּהָר יַעַבְר֣וּ בְרָ֑גֶל שָׁ֝֗ם נִשְׂמְחָה־בּֽוֹ׃‎	He turned the sea into dry land; They went through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him!
7	מֹ֘שֵׁ֤ל בִּגְבוּרָת֨וֹ ׀ עוֹלָ֗ם עֵ֭ינָיו בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם תִּצְפֶּ֑ינָה הַסּוֹרְרִ֓ים ׀ אַל־[יָר֖וּמוּ] (ירימו) לָ֣מוֹ סֶֽלָה׃‎	Who ruleth by His might for ever; His eyes keep watch upon the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8	בָּרְכ֖וּ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְ֝הַשְׁמִ֗יעוּ ק֣וֹל תְּהִלָּתֽוֹ׃‎	Bless our God, ye peoples, And make the voice of His praise to be heard;
9	הַשָּׂ֣ם נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ בַּחַיִּ֑ים וְלֹֽא־נָתַ֖ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֵֽנוּ׃‎	Who hath set our soul in life, And suffered not our foot to be moved,
10	כִּֽי־בְחַנְתָּ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים צְ֝רַפְתָּ֗נוּ כִּצְרׇף־כָּֽסֶף׃‎	For Thou, O God, hast tried us; Thou hast refined us, as silver is refined.
11	הֲבֵאתָ֥נוּ בַמְּצוּדָ֑ה שַׂ֖מְתָּ מוּעָקָ֣ה בְמׇתְנֵֽינוּ׃‎	Thou didst bring us into the hold; Thou didst lay constraint upon our loins.
12	הִרְכַּ֥בְתָּ אֱנ֗וֹשׁ לְרֹ֫אשֵׁ֥נוּ בָּֽאנוּ־בָאֵ֥שׁ וּבַמַּ֑יִם וַ֝תּוֹצִיאֵ֗נוּ לָרְוָיָֽה׃‎	Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But Thou didst bring us out unto abundance.
13	אָב֣וֹא בֵיתְךָ֣ בְעוֹל֑וֹת אֲשַׁלֵּ֖ם לְךָ֣ נְדָרָֽי׃‎	I will come into Thy house with burnt-offerings, I will perform unto Thee my vows,
14	אֲשֶׁר־פָּצ֥וּ שְׂפָתָ֑י וְדִבֶּר־פִּ֝֗י בַּצַּר־לִֽי׃‎	Which my lips have uttered, And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in distress.
15	עֹ֘ל֤וֹת מֵיחִ֣ים אַֽעֲלֶה־לָּ֭ךְ עִם־קְטֹ֣רֶת אֵילִ֑ים אֶ֥עֱשֶֽׂה בָקָ֖ר עִם־עַתּוּדִ֣ים סֶֽלָה׃‎	I will offer unto Thee burnt-offerings of fatlings, With the sweet smoke of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah
16	לְכוּ־שִׁמְע֣וּ וַ֭אֲסַפְּרָה כׇּל־יִרְאֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עָשָׂ֣ה לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃‎	Come, and hearken, all ye that fear God, And I will declare what He hath done for my soul.
17	אֵלָ֥יו פִּֽי־קָרָ֑אתִי וְ֝רוֹמַ֗ם תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃‎	I cried unto Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.
18	אָ֭וֶן אִם־רָאִ֣יתִי בְלִבִּ֑י לֹ֖א יִשְׁמַ֣ע ׀ אֲדֹנָֽי׃‎	If I had regarded iniquity in my heart, The Lord would not hear;
19	אָ֭כֵן שָׁמַ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים הִ֝קְשִׁ֗יב בְּק֣וֹל תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃‎	But verily God hath heard; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20	בָּר֥וּךְ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־הֵסִ֘יר תְּפִלָּתִ֥י וְ֝חַסְדּ֗וֹ מֵאִתִּֽי׃‎	Blessed be God, Who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.

King James Version

Stained glass window of St. Brendan's Church in Bantry, depicting Psalm 66:2: Sing forth the honour of his name (left side) and Make his praise glorious (right side), created c. 1917 by James Watson & Co., Youghal^[8]

1. Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
2. Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
3. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5. Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
6. He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
7. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9. Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
13. I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14. Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
15. I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
16. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
17. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

Uses

Judaism

• Verse 9 is part of the paragraph Ve'emunah Kal Zot that is recited following the Shema.^[9]
• It is recited on the second day of Sukkot in some traditions, on the second day of Passover in some traditions and the sixth day in others.^[3]

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the 12th day of the month.^[10]

History

[Come and see] "what God hath wrought" was the first message sent by telegraph in 1844. The verse was suggested by Annie Ellsworth and inspired by Psalm 66:5 and Psalm 66:16. Standing in the chamber of the Supreme Court, Samuel B. Morse sent a 19-letter message to his assistant Albert Vail in Baltimore, who transmitted the message back.^[11] Psalm 66:5 was sent as "come and see what God has done" while Psalm 66:16 was the reply: "Come and see what God has done for me".

Music

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 66 in a metred version in German, "Jauchzet Gott, alle Lande sehr", SWV 163, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.

References

1. Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 65 (66) Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
2. "Comparison of Enumeration of the Psalms in the Book of Divine Worship and in the Vulgate". The Daily Office of the Catholic Church According to the Anglican Use. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
3. The Artscroll Tehillim, page 329
4. Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 66, accessed 8 December 2021
5. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Footnote a at Psalm 66 in the New American Bible Revised Edition
6. "Psalms – Chapter 66". Mechon Mamre.
7. "Psalms 66 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
8. Lawrence, David. "Gloine – Stained glass in the Church of Ireland". Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
9. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 263
10. Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
11. Madrigal, A. C.,The First Long-Distance Telegraph Message, Sent This Day in 1844: 'What Hath God Wrought?', published 24 May 2013

External links

• Pieces with text from Psalm 66: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Psalm 66: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Psalm 66 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
• Text of Psalm 66 according to the 1928 Psalter
• For the leader. A song; a psalm. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing of his glorious name text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Psalm 66 – How Everyone Can Praise God text and detailed commentary, enduringword.com
• Psalm 66:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
• Psalm 66 / Refrain: All the earth shall worship you, O Lord. Church of England
• Psalm 66 at biblegateway.com
• Hymns for Psalm 66 hymnary.org
• Psalm 66 in the Revised Grail Psalter