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Psalms 65:9-13

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

9. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, [which] is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. 10. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. 11. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. 12. They drop [upon] the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. 13. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

Psalms 65:9-13 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Psalms 65:9

Theological / Devotional

Thou visitest the earth. God is adored as the Giver of an abundant harvest. In the beautiful verses of this section of the psalm (vs. 9–13) the psalmist adores God for His bountiful providence in the harvest, tracing the various steps in the processes of nature, until the glorious culmination is reached. The verses are a graphic description of the hills and valleys of Palestine, terraced tier on tier, and covered with olives, vines, and expanses of wheat, barley, and millet. Especially because of this section of the poem, Ps. 65 has been called The Farmer’s Psalm. Nature is not celebrated for its own sake, but only as it points to God.

Waterest. Compare Job 36:27, 28; 37:6; Job 38:26–28.

River of God. A reference to the abundance of water provided. God’s reservoir of water in the heavens is always full.

Corn. Heb. dagan, “grain,” a generic term which includes any grain commonly used for making bread.

Hast so provided. God prepares the earth for the harvest and then gives the harvest. The harvest depends upon the preparation of the ground and upon the rain, and both depend upon God. God follows the order of things that He has ordained, working through natural law.

By SdaBc