John Calvin Commentary Psalms 67:1

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us, [And] cause his face to shine upon us; Selah" — Psalms 67:1 (ASV)

God be merciful to us, and bless us. The psalm contains a prediction of Christ’s kingdom, under which the whole world was to be adopted into a privileged relationship with God; but the Psalmist begins by praying for the divine blessing, particularly upon the Jews. They were the first-born (Exodus 4:22), and the blessing was to rest upon them first, and then extend to all the surrounding nations.

I have used the imperative mood throughout the psalm, as other translators have done, although the future tense, which is used in the Hebrew, would also suit well. The passage might then be understood as encouraging the minds of the Lord’s people to trust in the continuation and increase of divine favor.

The words, however, are generally construed as a prayer, and I merely offered this as a suggestion.

Speaking, as the Psalmist does, of those who belonged to the Church of God and not of those who were outside it, it is noticeable that he still traces all the blessings they received to God’s free favor. From this we may learn that as long as we are here, we owe our happiness, our success, and prosperity entirely to the same cause.

This being the case, how can anyone think to anticipate His goodness by their own merits?

The light of God’s countenance may refer either to the sense of His love shed abroad in our hearts or to its actual outward manifestation. On the other hand, His face may be said to be clouded when He strikes terrors into our conscience because of our sins, or withdraws the outward marks of His favor.