psalm 67 chiastic structure

Read Psalm 67 at Bible Gateway.

paragraph divisions:

1 God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
2 That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.
4a Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! {n}
4b For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.
6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. [p}

chiastic structure:

1a) Psa 67:1, God be merciful to us and bless us + cause His face to shine upon us;

1b) Psa 67:2, That Your way + Your salvation may be known on earth;

1c) Psa 67:3, Let the peoples praise You, O God;

central axis) Psa 67:4, “Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! {n} For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth;”

2c) Psa 67:5, Let the peoples praise You, O God;

2b) Psa 67:6a, Then the earth shall yield her increase;

2a) Psa 67:6b-7, God shall bless us + ends of the earth shall fear Him.

God will judge the people righteously, and Himself govern the nations of the earth when Messiah Yeshua returns to rule and reign for 1000 years (central axis, Rev 20:4-6). As the earth increases in the knowledge of God’s way and salvation, the fruitfulness of the earth shall increase (B pair). The Hebrew word torah (the knowledge of God’s way and path) incidentally comes from the Hebrew root word yarah, the agricultural term that means, the heavens cast forth rain, and the earth casts forth fruit. The knowledge of God’s way and His salvation is intricately tied to the blessing of the earth’s increase, and is even embedded in Hebrew, God’s beautiful language from the beginning!