Psalms 65:5

The praise of God on account of the lovingkindness which Israel as a people among the peoples has experienced. The future תּעננוּ confesses, as a present, a fact of experience that still holds good in all times to come. נוראות might, according to Psa 20:7, as in Psa 139:14, be an accusative of the more exact definition; but why not, according to Sa1 20:10; Job 9:3, a second accusative under the government of the verb? God answers the prayer of His people superabundantly. He replies to it גוראות, terrible deeds, viz., בּצדק, by a rule which stringently executes the will of His righteousness (vid., on Jer 42:6); in this instance against the oppressors of His people, so that henceforth everywhere upon earth He is a ground of confidence to all those who are oppressed. "The sea (ים construct state, as is frequently the case, with the retention of the ) of the distant ones" is that of the regions lying afar off (cf. Psa 56:1). Venema observes, Significatur, Deum esse certissimum praesidium, sive agnoscatur ab hominibus et ei fidatur, sive non (therefore similar to γνόντες, Rom 1:21; Psychol. S. 347; tr. p. 408). But according tot he connection and the subjective colouring the idea seems to have, מבטח וגו is to be understood of the believing acknowledgment which the God of Israel attains among all mankind by reason of His judicial and redemptive self-attestation (cf. Isa 33:13; Ch2 32:22.). In the natural world and among men He proves Himself to be the Being girded with power to whom everything must yield. He it is who setteth fast the mountains (cf. Jer 10:12) and stilleth the raging of the ocean. In connection with the giant mountains the poet may have had even the worldly powers (vid., Isa 41:15) in his mind; in connection with the seas he gives expression to this allegori…

In this psalm we are directed to give to God the glory of his power and goodness, which appear, I. In the kingdom of grace (Psa 65:1), hearing prayer (Psa 65:2), pardoning sin (Psa 65:3), satisfying the souls of the people (Psa 65:4), protecting and supporting them (Psa 65:5). II. In the kingdom of Providence, fixing the mountains (Psa 65:6), calming the sea (Psa 65:7), preserving the regular succession of day and night (Psa 65:8), and making the earth fruitful (Psa 65:9-13). These are blessings we are all indebted to God for, and therefore we may easily accommodate this psalm to ourselves in singing it. To the chief musician. A psalm and song of David.