The Meaning of Psalms 66:3 Explained

Psalms 66:3

KJV: Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

YLT: Say to God, 'How fearful are Thy works, By the abundance of Thy strength, Thine enemies feign obedience to Thee.

Darby: Say unto God, How terrible are thy works! because of the greatness of thy strength, thine enemies come cringing unto thee.

ASV: Say unto God, How terrible are thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Say  unto God,  How terrible  [art thou in] thy works!  through the greatness  of thy power  shall thine enemies  submit  themselves unto thee. 

What does Psalms 66:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 66:1-15 - "come And See The Works Of God"
Some of the old expositors speak of this psalm as "the Lord's Prayer in the Old Testament."
A summons to praise, Psalms 66:1-4
The devout soul cannot be glad alone. It demands sympathy in its raptures. All the earth is not too great for an orchestra, nor all mankind for a choir. God's love may compel a feigned obedience, Psalms 66:3, R.V., margin, but the divine Spirit changes the heart.
Divine deliverance, Psalms 66:5-12
Come and see. Compare John 1:39-40. Let us never forget the great past. The Red Sea and the Jordan have their counterparts in all lives. How often God has turned our seas into dry land, and cleaved paths through our rivers! Through the flood on foot is a miracle of daily experience. The rebels exalt themselves, but we are unmoved. We are tried in the fire, but no atom perishes. We go through persecution and oppression, but we come forth into abundance.
The payment of vows, Psalms 66:13-15
Let us pay under bright skies what we vowed under dark ones. Pay your vows; declare what God has done for you; offer not beasts, but offer yourself, as a living sacrifice unto God! Romans 12:1. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 66

1  David exhorts to praise God
5  observe his great works
8  to bless him for his gracious benefits
12  He vows for himself reverent service to God
16  He declares God's special goodness to himself

What do the individual words in Psalms 66:3 mean?

Say to God how awesome [are] Your works Through the greatness of Your power shall submit themselves to You Your enemies
אִמְר֣וּ לֵ֭אלֹהִים מַה־ נּוֹרָ֣א ! מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ בְּרֹ֥ב עֻ֝זְּךָ֗ יְֽכַחֲשׁ֖וּ לְךָ֣ אֹיְבֶֽיךָ

אִמְר֣וּ  Say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לֵ֭אלֹהִים  to  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מַה־  how 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
נּוֹרָ֣א  awesome  [are] 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
! מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ  Your  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
בְּרֹ֥ב  Through  the  greatness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
עֻ֝זְּךָ֗  of  Your  power 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.
יְֽכַחֲשׁ֖וּ  shall  submit  themselves 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּחַשׁ  
Sense: to deceive, lie, fail, grow lean, be disappointing, be untrue, be insufficient, be found liars, belie, deny, dissemble, deal falsely.
לְךָ֣  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
אֹיְבֶֽיךָ  Your  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.