Psalms 66:3

My Notes

What Does Psalms 66:3 Mean?

The psalmist calls for a declaration of God's terrifying power: say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

Say unto God — the command is to address God directly — not to speak about him but to him. The worship is personal, face-to-face, directed to God himself.

How terrible (yare) art thou in thy works — terrible means awe-inspiring, fearsome, terrifying. The word is the same root as the fear of the LORD. God's works inspire fear — not the fear of a bully but the awe of overwhelming power. The terribleness is in the works — the visible, historical, observable acts of God. Creation, the exodus, the parting of seas, the shaking of mountains — the works are terrible because the one who does them is beyond comprehension.

Through the greatness of thy power — the power (oz) is great (rob — abundance, magnitude). The submission of enemies is not produced by negotiation or persuasion. It is produced by power — raw, overwhelming, irresistible power. The greatness is the cause. The submission is the effect.

Shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee — submit (kachash) is a loaded word. It literally means to lie, to feign, to cringe. The enemies submit — but their submission may not be genuine. They yield not because they are convinced but because they are overpowered. The submission is compulsory, not voluntary. God's power is so great that even enemies who hate him are forced to acknowledge it — however insincerely.

The verse captures a reality about divine power: it does not depend on the consent of the governed. God's enemies may not love him. They may not worship sincerely. But they will submit. The power leaves no alternative.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What does 'terrible' mean when applied to God's works — and how is it different from cruelty?
• 2.What does it reveal about God's power that even his enemies are forced to submit?
• 3.How does the Hebrew word for 'submit' (carrying the sense of feigned obedience) describe reluctant acknowledgment of God?
• 4.Would you rather submit to God willingly now or be forced to submit later — and how does the choice affect your worship?

Devotional

Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! Terrible — not evil. Awe-inspiring. Fearsome. The kind of terrible that makes your knees buckle and your mouth go silent. God's works are terrible — not because they are cruel but because they are beyond anything you can comprehend. The parting of seas. The shaking of mountains. The raising of dead. Terrible works from a terrible God.

Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. Even God's enemies submit. Not willingly. Not joyfully. But they submit — because the power is too great to resist. The greatness of God's power does not ask for permission. It does not wait for agreement. It overwhelms opposition the way the ocean overwhelms a sandcastle. The enemies may cringe. They may fake it. But they bow.

Submit themselves — the Hebrew word carries the sense of feigned submission. Even the forced bow, the reluctant knee, the insincere acknowledgment — even that is produced by God's power. His enemies do not have the option of neutrality. They can love him or hate him. But they will submit either way.

This is the God you serve. Not a God who needs your enemies to cooperate. Not a God who is limited by resistance. A God whose works are terrible enough that even those who despise him are forced to their knees. The submission may be grudging. The power that produces it is not.

Every enemy of God — every force, every power, every person who opposes him — will submit. The only question is whether the submission is the joyful worship of someone who loves him or the forced bow of someone who could not resist. Which will yours be?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture