Psalm 67: Overview

Psalm 67 is divided in two when said as part of Benedictine matins on Wednesday, and is, on the face of it, one of the more difficult psalms to interpret if read literally, as St Alphonsus Liguori noted:

This psalm is, moreover, very obscure. This psalm is thought to have been composed for the translation of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Kings, vi.). The first verse is a reproduction of the prayer of Moses in the desert when the Ark was raised to begin the journey;Surge, Domine, et dissipentur inimici tui; et fugiant, qui oderunt te, a facie tua Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee from before Thy face; (Num. x. 35).

He suggested, however, that:

In a figurative sense this psalm refers to Jesus Christ, who overcame death and ascended gloriously into heaven. It also foreshadows the sanctity of the Church and the protection that God, according to his promise, does not cease to give it a protection that should firmly establish it and make it glorious by so many victories. The prophet describes various prodigies of the Old Testament, figures of the prodigies that occurred in the New Testament. 

St Benedict's contemporary Cassiodorus sketched out this interpretation more fully, in mapping out its parts:

We must realise that throughout the psalm its composer speaks in mystical allegory; he is completely full of the gospel revelations, and shows himself especially concerned with a pious description of Christ's ascension...

The prophet is filled with the spirit of foresight, and at the beginning of this psalm by expressing his desires he appropriately proclaims what is to befall the Lord's enemies, and what is to happen to the faithful at the judgment to come. Thus he can frighten the disloyal with the prospect of punishment, and delight the Lord's servants with the promise of their reward.  

In the second section he shows the virtues which the Lord has bestowed on the Jewish people, and then states how He has fashioned His Church out of them.  

In the third part he uses the figure of the mountain to denote the Lord Saviour, and emphasises the benefits which He accorded the Church when He raised her up by the gift of His resurrection.  

In the fourth section he proclaims that the pride of the Lord's enemies will be shattered, and says that conversions and martyrdoms of both sexes will emerge out of even the worst of them, when the advent of the salvific Lord has shone upon the world.  

In the fifth section he says that the Lord must be blessed in the churches where the apostles and Christ himself preached, and prays that He may deign to preserve the gifts He has given to His faithful.  He also warns those who linger in this world as though in Egypt or Ethiopia to come in haste to the Lord. 

In the sixth part he gives an instruction to all to hymn the Lord Christ who has now made clear the miracles of His resurrection, and then ends the psalm with praise of the Lord. 

The text of the psalm

Psalm 67/1

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Psalmus cantici ipsi David.	Unto the end, a psalm of a canticle for David himself.
1  Exsúrgat Deus, et dissipéntur inimíci ejus, * et fúgiant qui odérunt eum, a fácie ejus.	Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face.
2  Sicut déficit fumus, defíciant: * sicut fluit cera a fácie ignis, sic péreant peccatóres a fácie Dei.	3 As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish away: as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3  Et justi epuléntur, et exsúltent in conspéctu Dei: * et delecténtur in lætítia.	4 And let the just feast, and rejoice before God: and be delighted with gladness.
4 Cantáte Deo, psalmum dícite nómini ejus: * iter fácite ei, qui ascéndit super occásum: Dóminus nomen illi.	5 Sing to God, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who ascends upon the west: the Lord is his name.
5  Exsultáte in conspéctu ejus: * turbabúntur a fácie ejus, patris orphanórum et júdicis viduárum.	Rejoice before him: but the wicked shall be troubled at his presence, 6 who is the father of orphans, and the judge of widows.
6  Deus in loco sancto suo: * Deus, qui inhabitáre facit uníus moris in domo:	God in his holy place: 7 God who makes men of one manner to dwell in a house:
7  Qui edúcit vinctos in fortitúdine, * simíliter eos qui exásperant, qui hábitant in sepúlcris.	Who brings out them that were bound in strength; in like manner them that provoke, that dwell in sepulchres.
8 Deus, cum egrederéris in conspéctu pópuli tui, * cum pertransíres in desérto:	8 O God, when you went forth in the sight of your people, when you passed through the desert:
9  Terra mota est, étenim cæli distillavérunt a fácie Dei Sínai, * a fácie Dei Israël.	9 The earth was moved, and the heavens dropped at the presence of the God of Sina, at the presence of the God of Israel.
10  Plúviam voluntáriam segregábis, Deus, hereditáti tuæ: * et infirmáta est, tu vero perfecísti eam.	10 You shall set aside for your inheritance a free rain, O God: and it was weakened, but you have made it perfect.
11  Animália tua habitábunt in ea: * parásti in dulcédine tua páuperi, Deus.	11 In it shall your animals dwell; in your sweetness, O God, you have provided for the poor.
12  Dóminus dabit verbum evangelizántibus, * virtúte multa.	12 The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power.
13  Rex virtútum dilécti dilécti: * et spéciei domus divídere spólia.	13 The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils.
14  Si dormiátis inter médios cleros, pennæ colúmbæ deargentátæ, * et posterióra dorsi ejus in pallóre auri.	14 If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold.
15  Dum discérnit cæléstis reges super eam, nive dealbabúntur in Selmon: * mons Dei, mons pinguis.	15 When he that is in heaven appoints kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon. 16 The mountain of God is a fat mountain.
16  Mons coagulátus, mons pinguis: * ut quid suspicámini montes coagulátos?	A curdled mountain, a fat mountain. 17 Why suspect, you curdled mountains?
17  Mons, in quo beneplácitum est Deo habitáre in eo: * étenim Dóminus habitábit in finem.	A mountain in which God is well pleased to dwell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end.
18  Currus Dei decem míllibus múltiplex, míllia lætántium: * Dóminus in eis in Sina in sancto	18 The chariot of God is attended by ten thousands; thousands of them that rejoice: the Lord is among them in Sina, in the holy place.
19  Ascendísti in altum, cepísti captivitátem: * accepísti dona in homínibus.	19 You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive; you have received gifts in men
20  Etenim non credéntes, * inhabitáre Dóminum Deum.	Yea for those also that do not believe, the dwelling of the Lord God.

(divisio)

 Psalm 67/2

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
21  Benedíctus Dóminus die quotídie: * prósperum iter fáciet nobis Deus salutárium nostrórum.	20 Blessed be the Lord day by day: the God of our salvation will make our journey prosperous to us.
22  Deus noster, Deus salvos faciéndi: * et Dómini Dómini éxitus mortis.	21 Our God is the God of salvation: and of the Lord, of the Lord are the issues from death.
23  Verúmtamen Deus confrínget cápita inimicórum suórum: * vérticem capílli perambulántium in delíctis suis.	22 But God shall break the heads of his enemies: the hairy crown of them that walk on in their sins.
24  Dixit Dóminus: Ex Basan convértam, * convértam in profúndum maris:	23 The Lord said: I will turn them from Basan, I will turn them into the depth of the sea:
25  Ut intingátur pes tuus in sánguine: * lingua canum tuórum ex inimícis, ab ipso.	24 That your foot may be dipped in the blood of your enemies; the tongue of your dogs be red with the same.
26  Vidérunt ingréssus tuos, Deus: * ingréssus Dei mei: regis mei qui est in sancto.	25 They have seen your goings, O God, the goings of my God: of my king who is in his sanctuary.
27  Prævenérunt príncipes conjúncti psalléntibus: * in médio juvenculárum tympanistriárum.	26 Princes went before joined with singers, in the midst of young damsels playing on timbrels.
28  In ecclésiis benedícite Deo Dómino, * de fóntibus Israël.	27 In the churches bless God the Lord, from the fountains of Israel.
29  Ibi Bénjamin adolescéntulus: * in mentis excéssu.	28 There is Benjamin a youth, in ecstasy of mind.
30  Príncipes Juda, duces eórum: * príncipes Zábulon, príncipes Néphtali.	The princes of Juda are their leaders: the princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephthali.
31  Manda, Deus, virtúti tuæ: * confírma hoc, Deus, quod operátus es in nobis.	29 Command your strength, O God confirm, O God, what you have wrought in us.
32  A templo tuo in Jerúsalem, * tibi ófferent reges múnera.	30 From your temple in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to you.
33  Increpa feras arúndinis, congregátio taurórum in vaccis populórum: * ut exclúdant eos, qui probáti sunt argénto.	31 Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, the congregation of bulls with the kine of the people; who seek to exclude them who are tried with silver.
34  Díssipa Gentes, quæ bella volunt: vénient legáti ex Ægypto: * Æthiópia prævéniet manus ejus Deo.	Scatter the nations that delight in wars: 32 Ambassadors shall come out of Egypt: Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God.
35 Regna terræ, cantáte Deo: * psállite Dómino.	33 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth: sing to the Lord:
36  Psállite Deo, qui ascéndit super cælum cæli, * ad Oriéntem.	Sing to God, 34 who mounts above the heaven of heavens, to the east.
37  Ecce dabit voci suæ vocem virtútis, date glóriam Deo super Israël, * magnificéntia ejus, et virtus ejus in núbibus.	Behold he will give to his voice the voice of power: 35 Give glory to God for Israel, his magnificence, and his power is in the clouds.
38  Mirábilis Deus in sanctis suis, Deus Israël ipse dabit virtútem, et fortitúdinem plébi suæ, * benedíctus Deus.	36 God is wonderful in his saints: the God of Israel is he who will give power and strength to his people. Blessed be God.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm 

NT references	Acts 12:6 (7); Hebrews 12:26 (9); Acts 1: 9; Ephesians 4:8-10 (19) Rev 21:24(32); Acts 8:26-29 (34)
RB cursus	Wednesday Matins I, 5-6
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	AN 3988 – O antiphon for dec 18 (cf18) AN 4386 (19) AN 1626 (29) AN 1873 (29, 30)
Responsories	6704 (4) 6703 (common of several martyrs) 6982 (cf 6) 6901 - Easter 4&5 no 5: v 5, 27 7445 (33-35)
Roman pre 1911	Wednesday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thursday Matins. 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	Ascension AL (18, 19); CO (36); Pentecost OF (5, 27, 29, 30. 33. 34); Pentecost IN (1); Pentecost Ember Wednesday IN  (1, 8-9) PP11 – IN (6,7,36, 2) Common of several martyrs OF (36, 2)