John Gill Commentary Psalms 66

Make a joyful noise unto God
The Creator of the ends of the earth; the Provider for all his creatures; and the Dispenser of the blessings of grace, under the Gospel dispensation, to men in all countries. The Messiah may well be thought to be intended, since the psalm refers to Gospel times; who is God over all, blessed for ever; to whom a joyful noise, shouts, and acclamations, are to be made by all his subjects, true believers in him, in all lands, as to their King; see (Numbers 23:21) ; who is ascended on high, has led captivity captive; received gifts for then, and gives them to them; is enthroned on his Father's right hand, is crowned with glory and honour, where he reigns, and must reign, till all enemies are put under his feet; when his kingdom will be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth: and upon the destruction of his enemies, and the enlargement of his kingdom in the latter day, voices will be heard in heaven, the church; and such joyful noises as are here exhorted and directed to, (Revelation 19:1–7) (11:15-17) (Revelation 15:3Revelation 15:4) .

Moreover, such acclamations are suitable to him, as a victorious conqueror; who, at his death, overcame sin, Satan, the world, and death itself; and, by the ministry of the Gospel, went forth conquering, and to conquer; and has subdued many people in all nations, and caused his ministers to triumph in him in every place; and who, by his Spirit and grace, still continues to bring souls to a subjection to him, to dispossess Satan from them, to set up his throne in their hearts, and reign there, and to make them more than conquerors through himself that has loved them: of which there will be more numerous instances in the latter day; and all such are under great obligations to make a joyful noise unto him, or to express their joy and thankfulness in loud singing of his praises;

all you lands ;
that is, all the inhabitants of the earth, as the Targum; not Judea, to which some restrain it, but the whole earth: for Christ is the Saviour of some, in all countries, of the children of God, that are scattered abroad throughout the whole world, for whom he is a propitiation. The Gospel has been sent to all nations, and preached to every creature; some in all lands have been converted, and made partakers of the blessings and privileges of the Gospel, and therefore have reason to be glad and make a joyful noise; and the more so, inasmuch as they were in a state of great darkness and ignorance before, without Christ, without hope, and without God in the world.

Sing forth the honour of his name
Meaning not any particular names of the Messiah, such as in (Isaiah 9:6) (7:14) ; or his name "Jesus", a Saviour; though they are all honourable and glorious, and furnish out sufficient matter for a song: but rather that by which he was made known to the sons of men, his Gospel; see (Acts 9:15) . Which is a glorious Gospel; the truths of which may be expressed in a song of praise, to the honour and glory of Christ, and to the instruction and profit of men, (Colossians 3:16) . Or rather Christ himself is meant; his name often designs himself, (Matthew 12:21) (Psalms 9:10) (Proverbs 18:10) .

There that is due unto him, and ought to be given which is done when all divine perfections and works are ascribed to him, divine worship is paid him, and the glory of salvation given him; which may be done in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs;

make his praise glorious :
let the high praises of him be in your mouths; give him, the most excellent praise; praise him in the best manner. This is done when we sing his praise with grace in our hears in exercise; when we with one mind and mouth glorify him; and when we honour him, the Son, as we honour the Father.

Say unto God ^F20 , as some; or, "before God", as the Targum; say to him as follows, in psalms and hymns of praise:

how terrible you are in your works ! ^F21 or "reverend"; to be feared and reverenced with a godly fear on account of them; such as the works of nature and providence, which are stupendous and marvellous, fearfully and wonderfully wrought; and especially those of grace and redemption, in which the goodness of Christ is manifest, and for which he is to be feared: unless rather his judgments upon his enemies are here meant; who, though he is a Lamb to his own people, is the Lion of the tribe of Judah to them, whom he will break in pieces as a potter's vessel it may be read, "how terrible", or "tremendous", is everyone of "your works"; so Aben Ezra, and also Jarchi, who interprets the next clause,

through the greatness of your power , thus, "when you show to the world your power, by the pestilence, or sword, or famine, or lightnings:"

shall your enemies submit themselves unto you ? ^F23 in a lying, flattering, and deceitful manner, as the word ^F23 here used signifies; (See Gill on Psalms 18:44); or, as the above interpreters, ``they shall, through the greatness of your fear, confess the lies and transgressions they have committed.'' It will be a forced, and not a free, confession and submission; Christ's enemies, whether they will or not, will be obliged to own that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:10Philippians 2:11) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F20: (Myhlal wrma) "dicite de Deo", Campensis apud Gejerum; and some in Michaelis.
• F21: (arwn) "reverendus", Junius & Tremellius.
• F23: (wvxby) "mentientur", V. L. Musculus, Montanus; "mendaciter se dedunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Amama.

All the earth shall worship you
The Messiah, who is equal with God; the Creator of men; the Redeemer of his people; the Head of the church, and King of saints; their Lord, and therefore to be worshipped; with internal worship, in the exercise of faith, hope, and love; and with external worship, in the word and ordinances, by prayer and praise, public and private. This universal worship, that will be yielded him, will be in the latter day; which shows that this psalm respects those times, when Christ shall be King over all the earth, and his name, worship, and religion, one, (Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:16) (Revelation 15:4) ;

and shall sing unto you ;
the song of Moses and the Lamb, the Lamb's new song, the song of redeeming grace; which none but the redeemed ever can sing aright, (Revelation 14:3) (15:3) ;

they shall sing [to] your name ;
or, "they shall", or "let them sing your name" ^F24 ; you shall be the subject of their song; your person, offices, kingdom, grace, and glory: or they shall sing to the honour of your name, as in (Psalms 66:2) .

Selah; on this word, (See Gill on Psalms 3:2).

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: (Kmv wrmzy) "cantent nomen tuum", Gejerus; "cantabunt nomen tuum", Michaelis.

Come and see the works of God
Of the Messiah, God manifest in the flesh; those divine works which he did when here on earth; his miraculous works, which were proofs of his deity and Messiahship; his preaching the Gospel, in so divine a manner as never man did; his works of obedience to the law, which were pure and perfect; the everlasting righteousness he wrought out for the justification of his people; and the great work of redemption and salvation finished by him, which none but God could ever have effected. This is an invitation to the inhabitants of all lands, where the Gospel should come with power, to take notice of and consider these works of Christ, and the glory of his might, wisdom, and grace in them, in order to engage them to sing his praise;

[he is] terrible [in his] doing toward the children of men ;
in his vengeance on the Jews, for disbelieving and rejecting him; in destroying antichrist, and pouring out the vials of his wrath on the antichristian states; and in the everlasting damnation of the wicked. So that as his other works in the former clause design these of grace, this doing of his respects his work, his strange work of judgment on his enemies; on account of which he is terrible to them, and reverenced by his people.