Psalm 67: Looking Back, Looking Forward, or Both?
Back to Psalm 67
Introduction[ ]
Most interpretations of Psalm 67 exist on a continuum between two poles. On one end everything in the Psalm is understood as looking forward, for example as a prayer for blessing. On the other end everything (excluding v.4-6) in the Psalm is understood as looking back at God's blessing of a harvest.
Thus one commentary writes:
- "This brief psalm is in the form of a prayer for blessing echoing the priestly benediction of Num. 6:22–27."[1]
And another writes:
- "This psalm is a thanksgiving hymn to God in praise for a bountiful harvest."[2]
These contrasting interpretations can lead to strikingly different translations. The following two examples illustrate well the opposing ends of the continuum.
International Standard Version (ISV): A Request - Looking Forward
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃ | To the Director of music: Accompanied by stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.
2 אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ | May God show us favour and bless us;
יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה׃ | may he truly show us his favor.
3 לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ | Let your ways be known by all the nations of the earth,
בְּכָל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ | along with your deliverance.
4 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the people thank you, God.
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | Let all the people thank you, God.
5 יִֽשְׂמְח֥וּ וִֽירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים | Let the nations rejoice and sing for joy,
כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישׁ֑וֹר | because you judge people with fairness
וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים ׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃ | and you govern the people of the earth.
6 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the people thank you, God.
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | Let all the people thank you, God.
7 אֶ֭רֶץ נָתְנָ֣ה יְבוּלָ֑הּ | May the earth yield its produce.
יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ | May God, our God, bless us.
8 יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | May God truly bless us,
וְיִֽירְא֥וּ אֹ֝ת֗וֹ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ | so that all the peoples of the earth will fear him.
Elmer Leslie (1949): A Thanksgiving Hymn - Looking Back
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃ | Superscription
2 אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ | God has been gracious to us and blessed us,
יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה׃ | And has caused His face to shine upon us,
3 לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ | So that His ways may be known,
בְּכָל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ | His salvation among all nations.
4 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the peoples give Thee thanks, O God;
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | Let the peoples, all of them, give Thee thanks.
5 יִֽשְׂמְח֥וּ וִֽירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים | Let the peoples rejoice and sing,
כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישׁ֑וֹר | For Thou dost judge the world in righteousness.
וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים ׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃ | And as for the peoples, Thou doest lead them in the earth.
6 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the peoples give Thee thanks, O God;
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | Let the peoples, all of them, give Thee thanks.
7 אֶ֭רֶץ נָתְנָ֣ה יְבוּלָ֑הּ | The earth has yielded its produce:
יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ | God, our God, has blessed us;
8 יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | God blesses us,
וְיִֽירְא֥וּ אֹ֝ת֗וֹ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ | And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
Almost all interpretations agree that v.4-6 should be read as a prayer, but the difference is remarkable with the six verbs of v.2 and 7-8:
2 יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ
(ISV) May God show us favor | (Leslie) God has been gracious to us
וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ
(ISV) and bless us | (Leslie) and blessed us
יָ֤אֵ֥ר
(ISV) may he truly show us favour | (Leslie) has caused his face to shine
7 נָתְנָ֣ה
(ISV) May the earth yield | (Leslie) The earth has yielded
יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ
(ISV) May God... bless us | (Leslie) God... has blessed us
8 יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ
(ISV) May God... bless us | (Leslie) God blesses us
We have here five yiqtol verbs and one qatal verb (נָתְנָ֣ה). The ISV, however, translates all of these verbs with jussive meaning, expressing a request from God. The whole Psalm is understood then as a prayer, looking forward to God's blessing of Israel (v.2, 7b-8) and the earth yielding its produce (v.7a) (and the nations praising God (v.3-6)). This is in stark contrast to Leslie's translation, which renders every one of these verbs as having already occurred. The Psalmist is looking back and celebrating how God has already blessed Israel (v.2, 7-8) and the earth has already yielded its produce (7a).
Where the ISV translates all six of these verbs as jussives, and Leslie does the opposite and translates all six of them as having already occurred, most other interpretations fall somewhere in between. There are many variations, but take for example the REB translation:
Revised English Bible (REB): Prayer and Thanksgiving Combined
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃ | For the leader: on stringed instruments: a psalm: a song.
2 אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ | May God be gracious to us and bless us,
יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה׃ | may he cause his face to shine on us [Selah],
3 לָדַ֣עַת בָּאָ֣רֶץ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ | that your purpose may be known on earth,
בְּכָל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ | your saving power among all nations.
4 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the peoples praise you, God;
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | let all the peoples praise you.
5 יִֽשְׂמְח֥וּ וִֽירַנְּנ֗וּ לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים | Let the nations rejoice and shout in triumph;
כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט עַמִּ֣ים מִישׁ֑וֹר | for you judge the peoples with equity
וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים ׀ בָּאָ֖רֶץ תַּנְחֵ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃ | and guide the nations of the earth.
6 יוֹד֖וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Let the peoples praise you, God;
י֝וֹד֗וּךָ עַמִּ֥ים כֻּלָּֽם׃ | let all the peoples praise you.
7 אֶ֭רֶץ נָתְנָ֣ה יְבוּלָ֑הּ | The earth has yielded its harvest:
יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ | May God, our God, bless us.
8 יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ אֱלֹהִ֑ים | God grant us his blessing,,
וְיִֽירְא֥וּ אֹ֝ת֗וֹ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ | that all the ends of the earth may fear him.
Here the five yiqtol verbs are all translated as jussives, looking forward in prayer to God's blessing, and the single qatal verb (נָתְנָ֣ה) is translated has having already occurred, looking back to the harvest.
2 יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ
May God be gracious to us
וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ
and bless us
יָ֤אֵ֥ר
may he cause his face to shine...
7 נָתְנָ֣ה
The earth has yielded...
יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ
May God bless us...
8 יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ
God grant us his blessing...
This issue will be resolved in two parts. On this page we will address the big picture, looking at the arguments for reading Psalm 67 as looking back (e.g. as a harvest thanksgiving hymn - Leslie), as looking forward (e.g. as a prayer - ISV), or as both (e.g. REB). On the next page (Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67) we will work through the verbal semantics in more detail, looking at the various arguments for the six key verbs in question in v.2, 7, and 8.
Argument Map(s)[ ]
Prayer, Thanksgiving, or Both?[ ]
All Looking Forward
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[All Looking Forward]: All of Ps. 67 should be read as a prayer, with jussive verbs, including even 7a. #dispreferred
+ <Echoing Aaronic Blessing>: Much of Ps. 67, especially v.2, is strongly echoing the Aaronic blessing of Nm. 6:22-27, which is explicitly a prayer using jussive verbs. #dispreferred
+ <Most probable reading of all verbs except one>: The most probable reading of all other main verbs is with a jussive sense expressing a prayer. Therefore, the only verb that might interrupt the prayer atmosphere of the Psalm - the qatal (נָתְנָה) of 7a - might also be read with jussive meaning. #dispreferred
+ <Jussive morphology>: At least one verb (2b יָאֵר) uses explicitly jussive morphology. #dispreferred
+ <Syntax>: There are eight clause-initial yiqtols in Ps. 67. #dispreferred
+ Although not always clear in poetry, yiqtols in clause-initial positions function as syntactic markers of modality implying jussive meaning (Talstra & Bosma 2001 :A:) #dispreferred
+ See "Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67" for more details. #dispreferred
- <Verbal Semantics>: Reading the qatal (נָתְנָה) with a jussive-prayer sense is extremely unlikely.
+ See "Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67" for more details.
All Looking Back (except v.4-6)
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[All Looking Back]: All of Ps. 67 (except v.4-6) should be read with an orientation to the past, celebrating a harvest. #dispreferred
+ <v.7a אֶרֶץ נָתְנָה יְבוּלָהּ>: v.7a evokes a harvest context. #dispreferred
+ The word יְבוּל (Produce, Yield of soil) is always associated with agriculture, crops, and harvesting, usually as a direct blessing from God. #dispreferred
+ Lv 26:4,20; Dt 11:17, 32:22; Ju 6:4, Ezk 34:27; Hg 1:10; Zech 8:12. #dispreferred
+ <Rest of the verbs as past tense>: The verbs of v.2, 7b, and 8a should be read as celebrating the blessing God has already given. #dispreferred
+ Crops/Produce are a blessing from God, for which he should be thanked.#dispreferred
- <Verbal Semantics>: Reading these clause-initial yiqtol verbs in a past tense is extremely unlikely.
+ See "Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67" for more details.
- <Based on only half a verse>: Nothing else besides v.7a evokes harvest imagery.
Looking Forward and Looking Back
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[Looking Forward and Looking Back]: Employing jussive verbs, Ps. 67 is mostly a forward oriented prayer. However, at least the qatal (נָתְנָה) in v.7a is oriented towards the past, celebrating crops/produce that the earth has already given. The Psalm's perspective is thus oriented primarily forward, but also briefly to the past. Both elements should be preserved.
+ <v.7a אֶרֶץ נָתְנָה יְבוּלָהּ>: v.7a evokes a harvest-thanksgiving context.
+ The word יְבוּל (Produce, Yield of soil) is always associated with agriculture, crops, and harvesting, usually as a direct blessing from God.
+ Lv 26:4,20; Dt 11:17, 32:22; Ju 6:4, Ezk 34:27; Hg 1:10; Zech 8:12.
+ <Echoing Aaronic Blessing>: Much of Ps. 67, especially v.2, is strongly echoing the Aaronic blessing of Nm. 6:22-27, which is explicitly a prayer using jussive verbs.
+ <Verbal Semantics of yiqtol verbs>: The most probable reading of the yiqtol verbs is as jussives.
+ <Jussive morphology>: At least one verb (2b יָאֵר) uses explicitly jussive morphology.
+ <Syntax>: There are eight clause-initial yiqtols in Ps. 67.
+ Although not always clear in poetry, yiqtols in clause-initial positions function as syntactic markers of modality implying jussive meaning (Talstra & Bosma 2001 :A:)
+ See "Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67" for more details.
+ <Verbal Semantics of qatal verb>: The most probable reading of the single qatal verb is as having already occurred.
+ See "Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67" for more details.
Conclusion[ ]
As stated above, most interpretations of Ps. 67 exist on a continuum between a forward looking orientation (e.g. a prayer of blessing), and a backward looking orientation (e.g. as a harvest thanksgiving hymn). This page addressed the overall arguments for each side, showing how the Psalm is primarily oriented forward, as a prayer, but with at least one clear moment looking back at the crops the earth has given (v.7a). Both the forward orientation and the backward orientation must be preserved and integrated in an overall reading of the Psalm.
Interpreters integrate these elements in a variety of different ways, leading to diverse readings of the verbal semantics in v.2, 7, and 8. These differences will be examined in further detail on the next exegetical issue page for Ps. 67 (Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67).
Beyond this, determining a concrete historical setting for this Psalm is not straightforward. No concrete evidence is given in the text itself. However, for a suggestion of a compelling and plausible historical setting, see Psalm 67 Story behind the Psalm.
Research[ ]
Translations[ ]
For translations and other resources see Verbal Semantics of Psalm 67.
Secondary Literature[ ]
Eep Talstra and Carl J. Bosma, "Psalm 67: Blessing, Harvest and History - A Proposal for Exegetical Methodology" in Calvin Theological Journal 36 (2001):290-313.
References[ ]
670
- ↑ Nancy deClaissé-Walford and Beth Tanner, “Book Two of the Psalter: Psalms 42–72,” in The Book of Psalms, ed. E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 538.
- ↑ Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 574.