Psalms 66:8-12

Context

66:8 Praise¹ our God, you nations!

Loudly proclaim his praise!²

66:9 He preserves our lives³

and does not allow our feet to slip.

66:10 For⁴ you, O God, tested us;

you purified us like refined silver.

66:11 You led us into a trap;⁵

you caused us to suffer.⁶

66:12 You allowed men to ride over our heads;

we passed through fire and water,

but you brought us out into a wide open place.⁷

[66:8] ¹tn Heb “bless,” in the sense of declaring “God to be the source of…special power” (see HALOT 160 s.v. II ברך pi).

[66:8] ²tn Heb “cause the voice of his praise to be heard.”

[66:9] ³tn Heb “the one who places our soul in life.”

[66:10] ⁵tn Or “indeed.”

[66:11] ⁷tn Heb “you brought us into a net.” This rare word for “net” also occurs in Ezek 12:13; 13:21; 17:20.

[66:11] ⁸tn Heb “you placed suffering on our hips.” The noun מוּעָקָה (mu’aqah, “suffering”) occurs only here in the OT.

[66:12] ⁹tc The MT reads רְוָיָה (“saturation”) but this should be emended to רְוָחָה (rÿvakhah, “wide open place”; i.e., “relief”), a reading supported by several ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Jerome, Targum).