Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 66:20
Blessed [be] God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
20. Blessed be God ] Cp. Psa 28:6; Psa 31:21; Psa 68:19; Psa 68:35.
nor his mercy from me ] From me must belong to this clause only. It is forced to explain ‘who has not removed my prayer and His loving-kindness from me’ to mean ‘who has not deprived me of the power to pray or of the blessing of an answer’; in spite of the beauty of St Augustine’s comment: “Cum videris non a te amotam deprecationem tuam, securus esto, quia non est a te amota misericordia eius.” Possibly a verb, such as Coverdale (P. B.V.) supplies for the sake of the rhythm, has been lost; so that the clause would read, nor withdrawn his lovingkindness from me.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer – That is, It is fit that I should praise and adore God for the fact that he has graciously condescended to listen to the voice of my supplications.
Nor his mercy from me – There is no more proper ground of praise than the fact that God hears prayer – the prayer of poor, ignorant, sinful, dying men. When we consider how great is his condescension in doing this; when we think of his greatness and immensity; when we reflect that the whole universe is dependent on him, and that the farthest worlds need his care and attention; when we bear in mind that we are creatures of a day and know nothing; and especially when we remember how we have violated his laws, how sensual, corrupt, and vile our lives have been, how low and grovelling have been our aims and purposes, how we have provoked him by our unbelief, our ingratitude, and our hardness of heart – we can never express, in appropriate words, the extent of his goodness in hearing our prayers, nor can we find language which will properly give utterance to the praises due to his name for having condescended to listen to our cries for mercy.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Blessed be God] I therefore praise God, who has not turned aside my prayer, and who has not withheld his mercy from me. Thus he told them what God had done for his soul.
ANALYSIS OF THE SIXTY-SIXTH PSALM
There are five parts in this Psalm: –
I. An invitation.
1. To praise God, Ps 66:1-4.
2. To consider his works, Ps 66:5-7.
II. A repetition of the invitation, Ps 66:8, for the benefit and deliverance lately received, Ps 66:9-12.
III. A protestation and vow for himself, that he would serve the Lord, Ps 66:13-15.
IV. A declaration of God’s goodness to him, which he invites all to come and hear, Ps 66:16-19.
V. A doxology, with which he concludes, Ps 66:20.
I. The invitation to praise God affectionately and heartily.
1. “Make a joyful song.” 2. “Sing the honour of his name.” 3. “Make his praise glorious.” 4. “Say unto God,” c. Where he prescribes the form in which God shall be praised.
He calls all men to consider his works, and the double effect: – 1. On God’s enemies. 2. On his people.
1. On his enemies, a feigned obedience, Ps 66:3. See the note.
2. On his people, a willing service, Ps 66:4.
He calls on them again, Ps 66:5, to consider God’s works, specially in delivering his people: 1. At the Red Sea. 2. In passing Jordan on foot, Ps 66:6.
He calls them to behold God’s power and providence. 1. His power in ruling. 2. His providence in beholding, and, 3. His justice in punishing the rebellious, Ps 66:7.
II. He again invites them to praise God for some special mercy, without which they would have been destroyed, Ps 66:8. 1. He kept them alive. 2. Suffered not their feet to slip, Ps 66:9. 3. He tried, that he might purify, them.
He illustrates this trial by five similes taken, – 1. From silver. 2. From a net. 3. From a burden laid on the loins. 4. From bondage and slavery – men rode over us. 5. From fire and water useful servants, but cruel masters, Ps 66:10-12.
But the issue of all these trials was good: – they were brought through all, and profited by each.
III. For this he gives thanks, and purposes to pay his vows.
1. He would attend God’s worship: “I will go into thy house,” Ps 66:13.
2. He would there present his offerings, Ps 66:14.
3. These should be of the best kind, Ps 66:15.
IV. He declares God’s goodness, and invites all that fear God to hear what he has got to say. Not of what he was to offer to God, but of what God had done for him.
1. He cried to God, and he heard him.
2. He took care to avoid iniquity, that his prayers might not be cast out: “For God heareth not sinners.”
V. He closes the Psalm with a doxology, blessing God that, not through his merit, but his own mercy, he had heard and answered him. He attributes nothing to himself, but all mercy to his God, Ps 66:20.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Turned away, or rejected, or removed, to wit, from his sight and audience, but hath received and granted it.
His mercy: though he had now asserted his own innocency and sincere piety, yet he imputeth not Gods hearing of his prayers to that, but solely unto Gods grace and mercy.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Blessed [be] God, which hath not turned away my prayer,…. Has not been angry against it, shut it out, or covered himself with a cloud that it might not pass through, which sometimes saints have complained of, Ps 80:4; but graciously heard and received it;
nor his mercy from me; for that endures for ever, and is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear the Lord, Ps 103:17; all which require thankfulness and praise, which is here given.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
20 Blessed be God! who hath not turned away my prayer He concludes the psalm, as he began it, with thanksgiving, and gives the reason of his not having met with a repulse; or, to take the figurative expression which he employs, of God’s not having turned away his prayer. This was, that he had not withdrawn his mercy. For it is entirely of his free grace that he is propitious, and that our prayers are not wholly ineffectual.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Who hath not turned . . .i.e., he found himself able to pray, was not silenced. Notice the zeugma. God had not rejected his prayer nor withdrawn His grace.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy Prayer and mercy comprehend all. They belong together. Prayer represents our true attitude and implies our whole duty to God, and mercy comprehends the whole work of God for us.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
READER, while the Holy Ghost is here calling upon all lands to celebrate the praises of Jehovah, say what part can you, from a heart-felt satisfaction, bear in the song? Can you bless God for creation? So can the various characters of the earth. Can you bless God for providences? So can the Turk, the Jew, the infidel, the heretic: they can boast of their lands and vineyards, the fruitfulness of their soil, and the salubrity of their climate. Surely the Christian hath higher notes to sing besides these; and while he blesseth God as a God of creation and providence, he ought to bless him in louder strains of thanksgiving and love, as a God of redemption and grace.
Precious Jesus! let these be my notes: let my morning song, and evening hymn, while celebrating the nether springs of divine bounty, publish and proclaim the upper springs of grace and salvation; and all in thee! It is thou, Lord, that hast brought the glad tidings to thy people. It is thou alone that wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. Let this be my song of rejoicing all the day; and may I have grace to sing forth the honor of thy name, and make thy praise to be glorious.
And oh! ye ransomed souls, ye who fear, and know, and love, my God! come hither, and hearken to my relation of his mercy. I was brought low, cast out, and ready to perish: Jesus saved me, Jesus loved me, and will love me! Oh! put your trust in him alway, ye people pour out your hearts before him; hang upon him; cleave to him; and never give over your humble suit until he hath heard and attended to the voice of your prayer, so that you can, and do cry out, as all the faithful gone before you have done, Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 66:20 Blessed [be] God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Ver. 20. Blessed be God, &c. ] This is the conclusion of David’s syllogism, in this and the two former verses; and herein his logic is better than Aristotle’s.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
turned away = turned away [from Himself]. Figure of speech Ellipsis. App-6.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
To the chief Musician. See App-64.
on = relating to.
Neginoth = smitings: i.e. the smitings of Israel’s enemies by God. See App-65.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 51:11, Psa 86:12, Psa 86:13, 2Sa 7:14, 2Sa 7:15
Reciprocal: 2Ki 20:5 – I have heard 1Ch 4:10 – God granted Psa 6:9 – hath heard Psa 17:6 – I have Psa 28:6 – General Psa 116:1 – because