Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 67:2
That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
2. Lit. that men may know thy way in the earth. The blessings which God bestows upon Israel will shew the nations what a God He is, and make them desire to serve Him. Cp. Jer 33:9; Zec 8:20 ff; Isa 11:9. God’s way is His gracious method of dealing with men, explained in the next line as His saving health, i.e. salvation, as the word is generally translated. Health in old English meant healing power, deliverance, salvation. Cp. Psa 42:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That thy way may be known upon earth – The law of God; the principles and methods of the divine administration; the way in which God rules mankind and in which he bestows his blessings on people. The prayer is, that all the earth might be made acquainted with the methods in which God deals with his people, or confers favors on people. The happiness of man depends on a knowledge of the principles on which God bestows his favors; for all people are, in all things, dependent on him. The success of a farmer depends on his understanding, and complying with, the laws and principles on which God bestows a harvest; the preservation of health, the restoration of health when we are sick, depends on a knowledge of the great laws which God has ordained for the continuance of the healthy functions of our bodies, and on the use of the means which he has provided for restoring health when those functions are disordered; and, in like manner, the salvation of the soul depends on the right understanding of the method which God has appointed to secure his favor. In neither of these cases – in no case – is it the business of people to originate laws of their own; laws for the cultivation of the earth, or for the preservation of health, or for the saving of the soul. The business of man is to find out the rules in accordance with which God bestows his favors, and then to act in obedience to them. The psalmist here supposes that there are certain rules or principles, in accordance with which God bestows blessings on mankind; and he prays that those rules and principles may be everywhere made known upon the earth.
Thy saving health among all nations – The original word here rendered saving health, is salvation. It is with great uniformity so rendered. It is indeed translated welfare, in Job 30:15; help, in Psa 3:2; Psa 42:5; deliverance, in Psa 18:50; Psa 44:4; Isa 26:18; helping, Psa 22:1; and health, in Psa 42:11; but elsewhere it is in all cases rendered salvation. The words saving health were adopted from an older version, but no argument should be founded on, them. The word salvation expresses all that there is in the original; and the prayer is, that the method by which God confers salvation on people may be made known throughout all lands. Assuredly no more appropriate prayer could be offered than that all the race may be made acquainted with the way in which God saves sinners.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. That thy way may be known] That thy will, thy gracious designs towards the children of men, thy way of reconciling them to thyself, of justifying the ungodly, and sanctifying the unholy, may be known to all the nations upon the earth! God’s way is God’s religion; what he walks in before men; and in which men must walk before him. A man’s religion is his way of worshipping God, and going to heaven. The whole Gospel is called this way, Ac 19:9.
Thy saving health] yeshuathecha, “thy salvation.” The great work which is performed in God’s way, in destroying the power, pardoning the guilt, cleansing from the infection, of all sin; and filling the soul with holiness, with the mind that was in Christ. Let all nations – the whole Gentile world, know that way, and this salvation!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Nor do we desire this mercy only for our comfort, but also for the advancement of thy glory, and the propagation of the true religion among all nations, who by the contemplation of thy gracious and wonderful works to and for us will be induced to love and serve thee, and to list themselves among thy people. By Gods way he understands, either,
1. That way wherein God walks; or the manner of his dealing with his people: How gracious and bountiful a Master thou art to all thy servants! Or rather,
2. That way wherein God requires men to walk, the way of Gods precepts, the way of truth, or the true religion; as the way or ways of the Lord are frequently taken, Gen 17:19; Jdg 2:22; Psa 18:21; Psa 119:1; Act 18:25,26, &c.; the same which in the next clause is called his
saving health, Heb. salvation; and both together signify the way of salvation, which the psalmist desires may be known among all nations; which was expected by the ancient and godly Jews at the coming of the Messias, who is called the way, Joh 14:6, and Gods salvation, Luk 2:30. And so the sense of the place is this, Deal so graciously with thy people Israel, that thereby the Gentile world may at last be allured to join themselves with them, and to embrace their religion and Messias; according to that famous prophecy, Zec 8:23, In those days ten men out of all nations shall take hold of the skirt of a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. thy wayof gracious dealing(Isa 55:8), as explained by
saving healthorliterally, “salvation.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
That thy way may be known upon earth,…. God’s way and method of grace, in the salvation of sinners; the contrivance of it in Christ, the impetration of it by him, and the application of it by his Spirit; and the way of sinners to him through Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, the new and living way to the Father; and the way of life and salvation, which is grace, and by Christ alone; and the Gospel which points out this way, and is itself called the way of God, Ac 18:25; together with the ordinances of it, which are ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace; all this was made known by the apostles and first preachers of the Gospel; not only in the land of Judea, but throughout the whole earth;
thy saving health among all nations; or “thy salvation”; or “thy Jesus” l; whose name signifies a Saviour; and who is the only one, and an able and willing one, and is God’s salvation, of his appointing, promising, and sending; salvation is by him, and by him only; he came to obtain it, and he is the author of it; health is also by him, he is the physician of souls, and his blood the balm that cures every disease; so that he is the Saviour, salvation, and saving health, to his people; this was unknown to the nations of the world until the Gospel came among them, until the grace of God bringing this salvation appeared unto them, and shone upon them, Tit 2:11.
l “salutem tuam”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c. “i.e. salvatorem cujus nomen erit Jesus”, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2 That they may know thy way upon the earth. Here we have a clear prophecy of that extension of the grace of God by which the Gentiles were united into one body with the posterity of Abraham. The Psalmist prays for some conspicuous proof of favor to be shown his chosen people, which might attract the Gentiles to seek participation in the same blessed hope. (4) By the way of God is meant his covenant, which is the source or spring of salvation, and by which he discovered himself in the character of a Father to his ancient people, and afterwards more clearly under the Gospel, when the Spirit of adoption was shed abroad in greater abundance. (5) Accordingly, we find Christ himself saying,
“
This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,” (Joh 17:3)
(4) “ A fin que par la clarte d’icelle les Gentils soyent amenez a la participation de la mesme esperance.” — Fr.
(5) “The petition here offered is, that the Gospel, God’s ‘way,’ might be universally spread; — a prayer that is not yet accomplished, but is in progress towards completion. The mention of nations and peoples, all of them, intimates, that the time which is the object of supplication is the time when God will no longer be the God of the Jews, but of the Gentiles also.” — Walford.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Saving health.The Hebrew word is that generally rendered salvation, but often better rendered help, or deliverance. By health the translators meant healing power, as in Shakespeare, King John, Act V., Scene 2:
For the health and physick of our right.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. That thy way may be known Literally, for the knowing thy way. The telic use of the preposition denotes the end or object for which the blessing (Psa 67:1) is invoked upon the Church, namely, to the end that the ways of God may be made known in the earth. Thus, in all ages, through his Church, the world is to learn his ways with men.
Thy way Thy method, particularly thy plan of grace. “Way,” here, is the parallel word to salvation in the next line of the verse.
Saving health Hebrew, simply, salvation.
“Health” has nothing to answer to it in the original. The fuller form occurs Psa 28:8, where “saving strength,” is literally strength of salvations.
All nations All Gentile nations. The word usually bears this sense.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 67:2. That thy way may be known That is, that all the world may be sensible of the truth of the Jewish religion; and expect no blessing, but from the supreme God of the Jews. Thy saving health, or salvation, refers to the glad tidings of salvation through Christ. The Syriac version, in its preface to this psalm, says, “It gives us a prophesy of the calling of the Gentiles, and the preaching of the Apostles.” Theodoret thinks the same.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Observe how blessed are the effects which follow God’s mercy, and the shining of his countenance upon the soul. The church of our elder brother, the Jew, is praying for the conversion of her younger sister, the Gentile church, and desiring that the salvation by Jesus may be as universal as it is great. And we may suppose, with great propriety, that this is spoken, partly in a way of prayer, and partly by way of prophecy of what will be accomplished. The Lord had said, that in him, that is in Christ, should all the families of the earth be blessed. And here the church is looking forward to it, and longing to see it fulfilled. Gen 12:3 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 67:2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
Ver. 2. That thy way may be known ] Thy way of worship, that way that is called holy, the gospel, Act 19:23 ; Act 18:25-26 , the way of salvation, Act 16:17 .
Thy saving health
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
way = dealings. See note on Psa 103:7.
saving health = salvation, or saving help.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
That: Psa 98:2, Psa 98:3, Est 8:15-17, Zec 8:20-23, Act 9:31
thy way: Act 13:10, Act 18:25, Act 22:4
saving: Psa 43:5, Psa 66:1-4, Psa 117:2, Isa 49:6, Mat 28:19, Luk 2:30, Luk 2:31, Luk 3:6, Tit 2:11
Reciprocal: 1Ki 8:43 – General 1Ki 18:36 – let it 2Ki 19:19 – O Lord 1Ch 16:8 – make 2Ch 6:33 – that all people Psa 66:4 – General Psa 68:32 – ye kingdoms Psa 102:15 – General Isa 19:21 – Lord shall Isa 37:20 – that all Isa 64:2 – to make Isa 66:18 – that I Jer 16:19 – Gentiles Jer 33:6 – I will bring Dan 2:35 – and filled Hab 2:14 – the earth Mal 1:11 – my name Mar 16:15 – into Luk 2:10 – to Luk 24:47 – among Joh 7:35 – teach Act 13:47 – that thou Rom 3:29 – General Heb 3:10 – they have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
67:2 That {b} thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
(b) That both Jews and Gentiles may know God’s covenant made with them.