Psalms 67: Let All the Peoples Praise You
A prayer that God's blessing on his people would make his saving way known among all nations, until the ends of the earth fear him.
Psalms 67 (WEB)
1 May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah.
2 That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations,
3 let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
4 Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah.
5 Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Psalms 67 (KJV)
1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Psalms 67 (ASV)
1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us, And cause his face to shine upon us; [Selah
2 That thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let all the peoples praise thee.
4 Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For thou wilt judge the peoples with equity, And govern the nations upon earth. [Selah
5 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let all the peoples praise thee.
6 The earth hath yielded its increase: God, even our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us; And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Summary
This brief psalm is one of the great missionary prayers of the Old Testament. It opens by echoing the priestly blessing—"May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us"—but immediately gives that blessing a purpose: "That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations." Israel is blessed not for its own sake but so the whole world might come to know and praise God. The refrain rings twice, "Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you," framing a center that calls the nations to be glad and sing for joy because God judges with equity and governs the earth. The psalm closes with the earth yielding its increase and God blessing his people again, so that "all the ends of the earth shall fear him." The movement is outward: grace received becomes grace declared. For Christians this prayer reaches its fulfillment in the gospel going to every nation, as God's saving way is now made known in Jesus to all the peoples of the earth.
Voices
- The psalmist and the people of God — Those who ask for God's blessing so that his way and salvation might be known everywhere.
- God — The One who blesses his people, judges the peoples with equity, and governs all the nations on earth.
- All the peoples and nations — The whole world called to praise God, be glad, sing for joy, and fear him to the ends of the earth.
Key Verse
Psalm 67:2 (WEB)
That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations,
Lessons Learned
- God blesses his people so that his salvation may be made known to all nations.
- Grace received is meant to overflow into praise and witness, not to be hoarded.
- The nations have reason for joy because God judges with equity and governs justly.
- The goal of God's blessing is that all the ends of the earth would fear and praise him.
- We are blessed to be a blessing. God's mercy and shining face are sought "that your way may be known on earth" (Psalm 67:1-2, WEB); blessing has a missionary purpose.
- Praise is for all peoples. The twice-repeated refrain, "Let all the peoples praise you" (Psalm 67:3, 5, WEB), shows God's heart for the worship of every nation.
- God's just rule brings joy. The nations are glad and sing because God "will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth" (Psalm 67:4, WEB); his fair reign is good news.
- God's blessing aims at worldwide reverence. "All the ends of the earth shall fear him" (Psalm 67:7, WEB); the end of God's generosity to us is the whole world's worship of him.
- How does the opening blessing (v. 1) echo the priestly blessing, and what new purpose does the psalm give it?
- Why is God's blessing of his people connected to his salvation being "known among all nations" (v. 2)?
- What does it mean that the nations can "be glad and sing for joy" because God judges with equity (v. 4)?
- How does this psalm anticipate the worldwide spread of the gospel?
- How might you let a blessing you have received overflow into witness or generosity toward others?
- Verse 1 reworks the Aaronic blessing of mercy and a shining face, but adds a purpose clause in verse 2: the blessing is so "that your way may be known on earth." God's favor is given to be passed on, not kept.
- The psalm sees God's people as a display case for his goodness. When they are blessed, the nations notice and are drawn to know the God behind the blessing, so that his salvation spreads outward.
- God's fair and impartial rule is good news for a world weary of injustice. The nations can rejoice because the Judge of all the earth governs "with equity," giving hope that wrongs will be set right.
- Its outward movement—from blessing on God's people to all the ends of the earth fearing him—foreshadows the Great Commission, where God's saving way in Christ goes to every nation and people group.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to identify a specific blessing in their lives and consider one concrete way to let it flow outward—through generosity, hospitality, or sharing their faith. As leader, keep the emphasis joyful: witness is the overflow of received grace, not a burden.