Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 66

Come and See

An invitation to witness what God has done. He turned the sea into dry land — they passed through the river on foot. Come, listen, and I'll tell you what He did for my soul.

King James Version BSB KJV
Read the commentary What this chapter means, the background behind it, and why it still matters

Every verse here opens — tap a number for what that one means.

1Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

2Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

3Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

4All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

5Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

6He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

7He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

8O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

9Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

10For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

11Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

12Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

13I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

14Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

15I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

16Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

17I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

19But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

20Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

Commentary

Psalm 66, explained

What Psalm 66 is saying

A hybrid psalm combining communal hymn (vv. 1–12) with individual thanksgiving (vv. 13–20), Psalm 66 moves from cosmic praise to national testimony to personal vow. The call for 'all the earth' to shout joyfully sets a universal scope before narrowing to Israel's specific exodus experience. The individual section features a remarkable transparency: 'If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.'

The background behind it

The psalm's reference to passing through water and fire echoes both the Red Sea crossing and wilderness trials. The individual thanksgiving section with its temple vows suggests a post-deliverance context where the psalmist fulfills promises made during crisis.

Themes running underneath

The psalm demonstrates how personal experience of God's faithfulness connects to the larger story of salvation history. The testing imagery—refined like silver, caught in a net, burdened—interprets suffering as divine purification rather than abandonment. The conditional statement about cherished sin establishes a connection between moral integrity and effective prayer.

Why it still matters

Psalm 66 challenges believers to connect their personal testimonies to God's larger redemptive narrative. The teaching that harbored sin hinders prayer invites honest self-examination as a prerequisite for authentic worship.

This is one chapter. BibleKey does all 1,189.

Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.

Get BibleKey

All 150 chapters of Psalms · Every book of the Bible · Browse by topic

Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.

In the App

What's in the app that isn't here.

Seven translations

NIV, NLT, NKJV, KJV and the Berean — plus the Catholic NLT-CE and Douay-Rheims, with the full deuterocanon in the reading order.

Every verse, as you read

Tap any of the 31,102 for what it means, and any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, without leaving the chapter.

Selah

Start recording at church and put your phone away. You get the transcript, the key moments, and every verse referenced.

Prayer Maker

Say what's sitting on your heart and hear it back as a real prayer, in a warm voice. Keep the ones that land.

Every Word

The whole Bible in a year — five chapters a day, five days a week, weekends off. Built to be finished.

Today's Light

A verse each morning with its meaning, how it lands today, something to sit with, and a prayer to close it.