Comment – Psalm 65 constitutes a beautiful hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God, written on the occasion of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem during the Easter season at the temple. Of universal imprint, this canticle presents God as salvation for the people of Israel, but also as the one in whom to trust from all peoples, because men, by their nature, tend to pray to the God who is not seen but you feel intimate, thus appreciating its extreme goodness. The value of the encounter with God offered by the temple is well known by the psalmist who feels joyful envy for those who can constantly attend it, having become citizens of Jerusalem. It is the temple erected by Solomon, when God put an end to the tumult of peoples, finally following a time of peace and freedom for Israel after previous controversies.
Psalm 65 complete
[1] To the choir master. Psalm. Di Davide. I sing.
[2] O praise you, O God, in Zion; let the vow be dissolved in Jerusalem.
[3] Every mortal comes to you who hear the prayer.
[4] Our sins weigh upon us, but you forgive our sins.
[5] Blessed are you who have chosen and called your neighbor to live in your halls. We will be satisfied with the goods of your home, with the sanctity of your temple.
[6] With the wonders of your righteousness, you answer us, O God, our salvation, hope of the ends of the earth and distant seas.
[7] You secure the mountains with your strength, girded with power.
[8] You silence the roar of the sea, the roar of its waves, you placate the tumult of the peoples.
[9] The inhabitants of the extreme borders amaze in front of your wonders: for joy you make the earth cry out, the thresholds of the east and the west.
[10] You visit the earth and quench it: fill it with its riches. The river of God is swollen with water; you make wheat grow for men. So prepare the earth:
Recommended readings- Psalm 76: complete, commentary
- Psalm 62: complete, commentary
- Psalm 102: complete, commentary
- Psalm 6: complete, commentary
- Psalm 20: complete, commentary
[11] Irrigate the furrows, flatten the clods, wet it with rains and bless its shoots.
[12] You crown the year with your benefits, plenty abounds when you pass.
[13] The desert pastures and the hills gird themselves with exultation.
[14] The meadows are covered with flocks, the valleys are covered with wheat; everything sings and cries for joy.
