Psalm 67 is the 67th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us". In Latin, it is known as "Deus misereatur".[1] In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 66. Its theme is a prayer for God's mercy, blessing and light.
Biblical commentator Cyril Rodd divides it into three sections: two "broadly parallel" sections in verses 1-3 and 4–5, which seek God's favour and blessing, and verses 6–7, which express universal joy as "all the nations" [2] experience God's blessing.[3] Verses 3 and 5 are a repeated refrain:
The following table shows the Hebrew text[5][6] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
Verse
Hebrew
English translation (JPS 1917)
1
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מִזְמ֥וֹר שִֽׁיר׃
For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm, a Song.
Saint Benedict of Nursia selected this psalm as the first psalm of the solemn office at the Sunday lauds. (Rule of St. Benedict, chapter XII).[8] In a certain number of abbeys which maintain tradition, this Sunday service always begins with it. Saint Benedict also asked to perform this psalm during the lauds of the week (chapter XIII).[9][8] However, other psalms later replaced Psalm 66 (67), with the exception of Sunday, so that all 150 psalms are read weekly.[9]
It is one of the four invitatory prayers of the daily office, and is recited at the vespers of Wednesday of the second week, 8 and at the lauds of the Tuesday of the third week of the four weekly cycle of liturgical prayers.
It is read or sung at several Masses throughout the year because of its theme of the universal grace of God: on the Friday of the third week of Advent, and in the octave of the nativity of Mary. It is also found on the 20th Sunday of the year A (the first of the three years of the cycle of readings intended to ensure that "a more representative portion of sacred Scripture should be read to the people over a prescribed number of years"), the 6th Sunday of Easter in year C and the Wednesday of the 4th week of Easter.[10]
Anglican Church
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the 12th day of the month,[11] and it may be recited as a canticle in the Anglican liturgy of Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer as an alternative to the Nunc dimittis, when it is referred to by its incipit as the Deus misereatur, also A Song of God's Blessing.
Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 67 in a metred version in German, "Es woll uns Gott genädig sein", SWV 164, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.
