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1 O God, to us show mercy
and bless us in Your grace;
cause now to shine upon us
the brightness of Your face;
that so Your way most holy
on earth may soon be known,
and unto every people
Your saving grace be shown.
2 O God, let all men praise You,
let all the nations sing;
in every land let praises
and songs of gladness ring;
for You shall judge the people
in truth and righteousness,
and through the earth the nations
shall Your just rule confess.
3 O God, let people praise You,
let all the nations sing,
for earth in rich abundance
to us her fruit shall bring.
The Lord our God shall bless us,
our God shall blessing send,
and all the earth shall fear Him
to its remotest end.
Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #67A
First Line: | O God, to us show mercy And bless us in thy grace |
Title: | God be Merciful |
Meter: | 7.6.7.6 D |
Language: | English |
Notes: | Spanish translation: See "Oh Dios, ten misericordia" by Priscilla Piñero |
Copyright: | Public Domain |
A communal prayer for God’s promised blessing on his people; a call to all nations to join in God's praise.
Scripture References:
[Psalm 67]
st. 1 = vv. 1-2
st. 2 = vv. 3-4
st. 3 = vv. 5-6
This short communal prayer for God's blessing may have served as a liturgical prayer of the people at the close of worship. Its echoes of the priestly benediction (Num. 6:22-27) suggest that it may have been used just prior to that divinely authorized blessing. The prayer begins with an allusion to the priestly blessing and asks that God will fulfill the purpose of that blessing-to bring "salvation among the nations" (v. 2; st. 1). In its request that all earth's people may join in praise to God, whose universal rule is just and good (st. 2), this prayer anticipates God's blessings upon the earth for such praise. And it anticipates as well the whole world's recognition that the LORD is the one true God (st. 3). The versification of this psalm was altered from The Book of Psalms (1871), a text-only psalter that was later published with music in 1887.
Liturgical Use:
The combination of blessing from God and praise to God in this psalm makes it most useful at the end of worship. It can also be used for Pentecost and whenever the church reflects on its evangelistic mission, since the psalmist calls all nations to acknowledge and praise God.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988