Let the people praise thee, O God - Do thou incline them to praise thee: a prayer that all people might so understand the character and ways of God, and might have such a sense of his claims upon them, as to lead them to praise him.

Let all the people praise thee - The people of all lands. See the notes at Psalm 22:27. Compare Psalm 66:4.

Let the people praise thee - When this is done, the people - the Gentiles, will praise thee; all will give thanks to God for his unspeakable gift.

Let the people praise thee, O God,.... Let them have occasion to praise God, the people of the Jews, for the mission of Christ, and for the blessings of grace and peace with him;

let all the people praise thee; all the nations of the world, for making known the way of life and grace, and the saving health or salvation of God unto them: the word used signifies to "confess" (m); and so the Targum,

"the people shall confess before thee, O God; all the people shall confess before thee;''

that is, shall confess their sins, being made sensible of them; and confess the true and living God, turning from their idols to serve him; and Christ to be the only Saviour and Redeemer, being now made known unto them, through the preaching of the Gospel.

(m) "confiteantur", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Now follows the prospect of the entrance of all peoples into the kingdom of God, who will then praise Him in common with Israel as their God also. His judging (שׁפט) in this instance is not meant as a judicial punishment, but as a righteous and mild government, just as in the christological parallels Psalm 72:12., Isaiah 11:3. מישׁר in an ethical sense for מישׁרים, as in Psalm 45:7; Isaiah 11:4; Malachi 2:6. הנחה as in Psalm 31:4 of gracious guidance (otherwise than in Job 12:23).

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

3-5. Thanks will be rendered for the blessings of His wise and holy government (compare Isa 2:3, 4; 11:4).

67:1-7 A prayer for the enlargement of Christ's kingdom. - All our happiness comes from God's mercy; therefore the first thing prayed for is, God be merciful to us, to us sinners, and pardon our sins. Pardon is conveyed by God's blessing, and secured in that. If we, by faith, walk with God, we may hope that his face will shine on us. The psalmist passes on to a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles, which shows that the Old Testament saints desired that their advantages might also be enjoyed by others. And many Scripture prophecies and promises are wrapped up in prayers: the answer to the prayer of the church is as sure as the performance of God's promises. The joy wished to the nations, is holy joy. Let them be glad that by his providence the Lord will overrule the affairs of kingdoms; that even the kingdoms of this world shall became the kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ. Then is declared a joyful prospect of all good when God shall do this. The success of the gospel brings outward mercies with it; righteousness exalts a nation. The blessing of the Lord sweetens all our creature-comforts to us, and makes them comforts indeed. All the world shall be brought to worship Him. When the gospel begins to spread, it shall go forward more and more, till it reaches to the ends of the earth. It is good to cast in our lot with those that are the blessed of the Lord. If nothing had been spoken in Scripture respecting the conversion of the heathen, we might think it vain to attempt so hopeless a work. But when we see with what confidence it is declared in the Scriptures, we may engage in missionary labours, assured that God will fulfil his own word. And shall we be backward to make known to the heathen the knowledge with which we are favoured, and the salvation we profess to glory in? They cannot learn unless they are taught. Then let us go forward in the strength of the Lord, and look to him to accompany the word the Holy Ghost; then Satan's kingdom shall be destroyed, and the kingdom of our Redeemer established.