The Meaning of Psalms 67:1 Explained

Psalms 67:1

KJV: {To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.} God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

YLT: To the Overseer, with stringed instruments. -- A Psalm, a Song. God doth favour us and bless us, Doth cause His face to shine with us. Selah.

Darby: {To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm: a Song.} God be gracious unto us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah,

ASV: God be merciful unto us, and bless us, And cause his face to shine upon us; Selah

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{To the chief Musician  on Neginoth,  A Psalm  [or] Song.  }} God  be merciful  unto us, and bless  us; [and] cause his face  to shine  upon us; Selah. 

What does Psalms 67:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Neginoth
Neginoth, stringed instruments.

Context Summary

Psalms 67:1-7 - "let All The Peoples Praise Thee"
Come and hear, Psalms 66:16-20
The psalm began with Come and see, Psalms 66:5. Compare Mark 5:19-20; John 4:29. It will be one of the employments of heaven to go from group to group to tell what God has done for us. But each hearer will have a tale as wonderful as ours. We must praise without stint, and pray with pure and unselfish motives. From such prayers God will not turn away.
Psalms 67:1-7, like Psalms 65:1-13, was composed for use at an annual festival. "Bless us," say the saints in yearning prayer. "God shall bless us," is the certain answer of faith, Psalms 67:1; Psalms 67:7. We desire blessing, not to hoard for ourselves, but that all mankind may share with us. Ask for God's smile on yourself alone, and you will miss it; ask for it that you may reflect and pass it on, and the Lord will become your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be ended.
Four times the psalmist cries, Let the peoples praise thee, R.V. In answer to his appeal, it seemed as if the whole world had broken out into fresh fertility. Our own God, Psalms 67:6. He has given Himself to us, and each may have the whole of the fullness as an estate of boundless extent and wealth, Numbers 18:20; Psalms 16:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 67

1  A prayer for the enlargement of God's kingdom
3  to the joy of the people
6  and the increase of God's blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 67:1 mean?

To the Chief Musician On stringed instruments a Psalm a Song God be merciful to us and bless us [And] cause to shine His face upon us Selah
לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ יָ֤אֵ֥ר פָּנָ֖יו אִתָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה

לַמְנַצֵּ֥ח  To  the  Chief  Musician 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת  On  stringed  instruments 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural
Root: נָדַב  
Sense: to incite, impel, make willing.
מִזְמ֥וֹר  a  Psalm 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְמֹור  
Sense: melody, psalm.
שִֽׁיר  a  Song 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁיר 
Sense: song.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יְחָנֵּ֥נוּ  be  merciful  to  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
וִֽיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ  and  bless  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
יָ֤אֵ֥ר  [And]  cause  to  shine 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: to be or become light, shine.
פָּנָ֖יו  His  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אִתָּ֣נוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
סֶֽלָה  Selah 
Parse: Interjection
Root: סֶלָה  
Sense: to lift up, exalt.