Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 66:9
Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
9. Who hath set our soul in life,
And not suffered our foot to be moved.
The nation was on the point of death and ruin, but God preserved and upheld it. The tenses indicate that the words are not the statement of a general truth (as A.V. renders them), but refer particularly to the deliverance from the trial described in the following verses.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Which holdeth our soul in life – Margin, as in Hebrew, putteth. That is, He has put (or placed) us in a state of safety. The word rendered in life means literally among the living. The word soul here is equivalent to us – ourselves; and the idea is, that he keeps us among the living. What is here said of this special deliverance is true of all people at all times, that they owe the fact that they are among the living to the care of God; or, it is because he puts them among the living, or keeps them alive.
And suffereth not our feet to be moved – That is, from their firm position of safety. The idea is taken from one who is walking, and who is kept from slipping or falling.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 66:9
Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
The safety of the saints
Now, in these words we notice–
I. The life. He holdeth our soul in life. This is–
1. A life of purity in opposition to sin.
2. Of plenty in opposition to a life of poverty.
3. Of godly exercise, or exercise unto godliness.
4. Of pleasing discovery.
II. The preservation. He holdeth, etc. This applies to all the four ideas adverted to.
III. The fixation. He suffereth not our feet to be moved. Now, how is it our feet cannot be moved finally? Why, because we have, in salvation matters, a covenant ordered in all things and sure. (James Wells.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. Which holdeth our soul in life] Literally, “he who placeth our soul bachaiyim, in lives.” We are preserved alive, have health of body, and feel the life of God in our hearts.
And suffereth not her feet to be moved.] Keeps us steadfast in his testimonies. We have our life, our liberty, and our religion. O, what hath the Lord wrought for us! “Make, therefore, the voice of his praise to be heard.” Let God and man know you are thankful.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Which holdeth our soul in life; who by a succession of miracles of mercy hath kept us alive in the midst of a thousand deaths, to which we were exposed, and hath restored us to life, when we were like dead men, and dry bones scattered at the mouth of the grave.
To be moved, to wit, so as to fall into mischief and utter ruin, as our enemies designed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. holdeth . . . in lifeliterally,”putteth our soul in life”; that is, out of danger (Psa 30:3;Psa 49:15).
to be moved(ComparePsa 10:6; Psa 55:22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Which holdeth our soul in life,…. Or, “putteth our soul in life” b, or “among the living”, which is not to be understood of infusing a living soul in man, nor of the preservation of natural life, which is common to all men; but of appointing and ordaining them unto eternal life, as the Targum; and of procuring it for them by Christ; and of implanting a principle of spiritual life in them, by his Spirit and grace; and of the preservation of the principle of life, that it be not lost; and of giving them a right and title to eternal life, and that itself: all which are a sufficient reason, and powerful argument, to bless our God, and praise his name. It follows:
and suffereth not our feet to be moved; that is, not to be greatly moved; or if moved so as to slip and fall, yet not so as to fall finally and totally; see Ps 55:22.
b “qui posuit”, V. L. Pagninus, Musculus, Vatablus; “ponene”, Montanus; “qui ponit”, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Which holdeth . . .The LXX. literally, which putteth our soul into life, i.e., keeps us alive, as the parallelism shows.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Holdeth our soul in life Setteth up, placeth firmly, our soul in the life; that is, in the true condition and life of thy covenant people; a literal description of an anastasis, or resurrection, where the Hebrew , ( seem,) to place, put, set up, and the corresponding Septuagint , answer to the New Testament , resurrection, “the person or thing put, [ placed, set up, ] regarded as standing erect rather than lying down.” Delitzsch. This idea is here sustained by the parallelism, thus:
Placing [erecting] our soul in the life,
And hast not given over [delivered, abandoned] our foot to
The firm, erect posture is contrasted with the tottering and sliding condition. Comp. Psa 9:13, and the use of , ( set up,) Psa 74:4; Job 5:11, et.al. This mode of speech, which is not unfrequent, belongs to a people who had an idea of the resurrection of the human body.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 66:9-12. Which holdeth our soul in life These verses plainly refer to the deliverance from Egypt. After having made his people pass through several trials in Egypt, God brought them into a net: “They are entangled, Pharaoh said, The wilderness hath shut them in.” Exo 14:3. He put that contrasting pain into their loins, which arises from a strong fear. He brought the Egyptian chariots close home upon their backs; he carried them through the fire, (the pillar of fire,) and through the Red Sea; and at last brought them into the rich land, flowing with milk and honey. Mudge. For affliction, in Psa 66:11 we may read, distress, restraint; and instead of a wealthy place, in Psa 66:12 a watered place.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 66:9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
Ver. 9. Which holdeth our soul in life ] Heb. putteth, that is, bestoweth life on us, preserveth it, restoreth it. Some think this psalm was made upon David’s deliverance from the giant that sought to kill him, 2Sa 21:16 .
And suffereth not our feet to be moved
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
our soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13. Some codices, with seven early printed editions, read plural
feet. So some codices, with three early printed editions; others read “foot”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
holdeth: Heb. putteth, Psa 22:29, 1Sa 25:29, Act 17:28, Col 3:3, Col 3:4
suffereth: Psa 37:23, Psa 37:24, Psa 62:2, Psa 62:6, Psa 94:18, Psa 112:6, Psa 121:3, Psa 125:3, 1Sa 2:9
Reciprocal: Deu 6:24 – he might Deu 30:20 – thy life Psa 3:5 – the Pro 2:8 – and Pro 24:12 – that keepeth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
66:9 Which {f} holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
(f) He signifies some special benefit that God had showed to his Church of the Jews, in delivering them from some great danger: of which he promises that the Gentiles will also be partakers.