Psalms 67 (ASV)

Chapter Text

67:1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us, [And] cause his face to shine upon us; Selah

67:2 That thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations.

67:3 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let all the peoples praise thee.

67:4 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

67:5 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let all the peoples praise thee.

67:6 The earth hath yielded its increase: God, even our own God, will bless us.

67:7 God will bless us; And all the ends of the earth shall fear him. Psalm 68 For the Chief Musician; A Psalm of David, a song.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "merciful", "bless", "cause", "face", "shine", "upon", "selah", and "known". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "merciful" and "bless", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "merciful" and "bless" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "merciful" and "bless" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.