Psalms 66: Come and See God's Deeds
All the earth is summoned to shout to God, who tested and refined his people, and the psalmist declares what God has done for his own soul.
Psalms 66 (WEB)
1 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing to the glory of his name! Offer glory and praise!
3 Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds! Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
4 All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.” Selah.
5 Come, and see God’s deeds— awesome work on behalf of the children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the river on foot. There, we rejoiced in him.
7 He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
8 Praise our God, you peoples! Make the sound of his praise heard,
9 who preserves our life among the living, and doesn’t allow our feet to be moved.
10 For you, God, have tested us. You have refined us, as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into prison. You laid a burden on our backs.
12 You allowed men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water, but you brought us to the place of abundance.
13 I will come into your temple with burnt offerings. I will pay my vows to you,
14 which my lips promised, and my mouth spoke, when I was in distress.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals, with the offering of rams, I will offer bulls with goats. Selah.
16 Come, and hear, all you who fear God. I will declare what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth. He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn’t have listened.
19 But most certainly, God has listened. He has heard the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his loving kindness from me.
Psalms 66 (KJV)
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.
Psalms 66 (ASV)
1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth:
2 Sing forth the glory of his name: Make his praise glorious.
3 Say unto God, How terrible are 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 river on foot: There did we rejoice in him.
7 He ruleth by his might for ever; His eyes observe the nations: Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. [Selah
8 Oh bless our God, ye peoples, And make the voice of his praise to be heard;
9 Who 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 layedst a sore burden upon our loins.
12 Thou didst cause 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 come into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my vows,
14 Which my lips uttered, And my mouth spake, when I was in distress.
15 I will offer unto thee burnt-offerings 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:
19 But verily God hath heard; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, Who hath not turned away my prayer, Nor his lovingkindness from me.
Summary
This psalm of thanksgiving begins as a global summons: "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!" It recalls God's mighty deeds at the Exodus, turning the sea into dry land so the people passed through on foot, and it celebrates his everlasting rule over the nations. Then the psalm makes a striking confession: God "tested us" and "refined us, as silver is refined," bringing his people through prison, burdens, fire, and water—yet finally bringing them "to the place of abundance." The trials are reinterpreted not as abandonment but as a refining work of love. The psalm then narrows from the congregation to a single voice: "Come, and hear, all you who fear God. I will declare what he has done for my soul." The worshiper testifies that he cried out, that God listened, and that this answered prayer would have been impossible had he cherished sin in his heart. It closes by blessing God who has not turned away his prayer or his loving kindness. From the parted sea to one answered prayer, the psalm teaches that personal testimony and corporate praise belong together.
Voices
- The psalmist — The worshiper who summons all the earth to praise and then testifies personally to what God has done for his soul.
- God — The One whose awesome deeds include parting the sea, ruling the nations, refining his people, and answering prayer.
- The peoples and all the earth — The whole world called to shout, sing, and bless the God whose works are awesome.
- Those who fear God — The listening community invited to hear the psalmist's testimony of answered prayer.
Key Verse
Psalm 66:16 (WEB)
Come, and hear, all you who fear God. I will declare what he has done for my soul.
Lessons Learned
- Praise belongs to the whole earth, not just to Israel; God's deeds are universally awesome.
- God's testing of his people is a refining love that leads to a place of abundance.
- Personal testimony of what God has done for our souls strengthens the whole community.
- Cherished, unconfessed sin hinders prayer, while a clean heart finds that God listens.
- Praise is meant to be loud and global. "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!" (Psalm 66:1, WEB); the scope of God's works calls for the worship of every nation.
- Trials can be refining, not punishing. "You have refined us, as silver is refined" and brought us "to the place of abundance" (Psalm 66:10-12, WEB); God's testing purifies and finally blesses.
- Testimony invites others to faith. "Come, and hear... I will declare what he has done for my soul" (Psalm 66:16, WEB); recounting personal grace builds up the whole community.
- Sin in the heart hinders prayer. "If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn't have listened" (Psalm 66:18, WEB); a heart that clings to sin blocks the very prayers it offers.
- Why does the psalm call "all the earth" to praise rather than only God's people (vv. 1-4)?
- How does the psalm reinterpret hardship as God refining his people (vv. 10-12)?
- What is the difference between corporate praise (vv. 1-12) and personal testimony (vv. 16-20)?
- What does verse 18 teach about the relationship between cherished sin and answered prayer?
- What is one thing God has done for your soul that you could "declare" to others this week?
- God's deeds—creation, the Exodus, his rule over the nations—are cosmic in scope, so the whole earth has reason to praise him. The psalm anticipates the gospel's universal call to worship the one true God.
- The psalm names prison, burdens, fire, and water, yet frames them as God refining his people "as silver is refined" (v. 10) before bringing them "to the place of abundance" (v. 12). Suffering is recast as purposeful purification.
- Corporate praise rehearses what God has done for the whole community, while personal testimony makes it concrete and intimate: "what he has done for my soul" (v. 16). Both are needed, and the personal often kindles the corporate.
- Verse 18 warns that knowingly holding on to sin hinders prayer, while the psalmist's experience shows that God "has listened" (v. 19) to a heart that does not cherish wrongdoing. Confession clears the channel of prayer.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a specific answered prayer or experience of grace and to practice telling it simply. As leader, affirm that testimony need not be dramatic to be powerful; honesty about God's faithfulness encourages everyone.