Psalms 66:7
in Psalms 66He rules forever by His power; His eyes watch the nations. Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He ruleth by his might for ever; His eyes observe the nations: Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. [Selah
KJV
He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
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This verse in Psalms 66
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHe ruleth by his power forever,.... Christ is the Ruler in Israel, King over his holy hill of Zion; who must reign till all enemies are put under his feet. He rules in the kingdom of nature and providence by his power, and does whatsoever he pleases; nor can any stay his hand.
This site's exposition
Come and see the works of God
on Psalms 66:5-7
He turned the sea into dry land. Delitzsch reads the there of verse 6 as a later Israel standing where its fathers stood, claiming their rejoicing as its own. Verse 7 turns the recital into warning: His eyes watch the nations, and the rebellious are told not to exalt themselves.
This site's exposition
His eyes watch the nations
Albert Barnes renders the first clause literally as "ruling by his power forever," a rule that continues in every generation. Charles Spurgeon links the watching eyes to the Lord who looked out of the cloud on the Egyptians at the sea. The same eye now marks every conspiracy.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In whom? "In Him that reigneth in His virtue for everlasting" [Psalm 66:7]. For what virtue have we and is it everlasting? If everlasting were our virtue, we should not have slipped, should not have fallen into sin, we should not have deserved penal mortality. He, of His good pleasure, took up that whereunto our desert threw us down. "That reigneth in His virtue for everlasting." Of Him partakers let us be made, in whose virtue we shall be strong, but He in His own. We enlightened, He a light enlightening: we, being turned away from Him, are in darkness; turned away from Himself He cannot be. With the heat of Him we are warmed; from whence withdrawing we had grown cold, to the Same drawing near again we are warmed. Therefore let us speak to Him that He may keep us in His virtue, because "in Him we will be joyous that reigneth in His virtue for everlasting."
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
His eyes run to and fro through the earth; the most remote and obscure nations are under his inspection. (2.) He has a commanding arm; his power rules, rules for ever, and is never weakened, never obstructed. Strong is his hand, and high is his right hand.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
He ruleth by his power for ever. He has not deceased, nor abdicated, nor suffered defeat. The prowess displayed at the Red Sea is undiminished: the divine dominion endures throughout eternity. His eyes behold the nations. Even as he looked out of the cloud upon the Egyptians and discomfited them, so does he spy out his enemies, and mark their conspiracies. His hand rules and his eye observes, his hand has not waxed weak, nor his eye dim. As so many grasshoppers he sees the people and tribes, at one glance he takes in all their ways. He oversees all and overlooks none. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. The proudest have no cause to be proud. Could they see themselves as God sees them they would shrivel into nothing. Where rebellion reaches to a great head, and hopes most confidently for success, it is a sufficient reason for abating our fears, that the Omnipotent ruler is also an Omniscient observer. O proud rebels, remember that the Lord aims his arrows at the high soaring eagles and brings them down from their nest among the stars. "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." After a survey of the Red Sea and Jordan, rebels, if they were in their senses, would have no more stomach for the fight, but would humble themselves at the Conqueror's feet. Selah. Pause again, and take time to bow low before the throne of the Eternal.
He ruleth by his power for ever. He has not deceased, nor abdicated, nor suffered defeat. The prowess displayed at the Red Sea is undiminished: the divine dominion endures throughout eternity. His eyes behold the nations. Even as he looked out of the cloud upon the Egyptians and discomfited them, so does he spy out his enemies, and mark their conspiracies. His hand rules and his eye observes, his hand has not waxed weak, nor his eye dim. As so many grasshoppers he sees the people and tribes, at one glance he takes in all their ways.
Be ruleth by his power - His omnipotence is employed to support his followers, and cast down his enemies. His eyes behold the nations - He sees what they purpose, what they intend to do; and what they will do, if he restrain them not. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves - They shall not succeed in their designs: they have their own aggrandizement in view, but thou wilt disappoint and cast them down. Selah - Mark this. It is true.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He ruleth by his power for ever - literally, “Ruling by his power forever.” The idea is, that he does this constantly; in each age and generation. He never has ceased to rule; he never will. His dominion extends from age to age, and will stretch forward forever. The power which he evinced in delivering his people he retains now, and will retain forever. In that unchanging power, his people may confide; that unchanging power, the wicked should fear. His eyes behold the nations - All nations; all people. He sees all their conduct. They can conceal nothing from him. They should, therefore, stand in awe. The wicked have much to fear from One who sees all that they do, and who has power to crush and destroy them. Compare the notes at Psa 11:4. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves - Be lifted up with pride, or feel secure. They cannot overcome an Almighty God; they cannot escape from his power. The word rebellious here has reference to those who are impatient under the restraints of the law of God, and who are disposed to east off his authority. The admonition is one that may be addressed to all who thus rebel against God, whether they are nations or individuals. Alike they must feel the vengeance of his arm, and fall beneath his power.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מֹ֘שֵׁ֤ל | moshel | [he is] ruling | H4910 → | 81 times |
| בִּגְבוּרָת֨וֹ׀ | bigvurato | by might his | H1369 → | 61 times |
| עוֹלָ֗ם | olam | forever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| עֵ֭ינָיו | ʾeinav | eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם | bagoyim | on the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| תִּצְפֶּ֑ינָה | titzpeinah | they keep watch | H6822 → | 36 times |
| הַסּוֹרְרִ֓ים׀ | hasorim | the rebellious [people] | H5637 → | 17 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יָר֖וּמוּ | yarumu | they be exalted | H7311 → | 190 times |
| לָ֣מוֹ | lamo | <to> themselves | ||
| סֶֽלָה׃ | selah | Selah | H5542 → | 74 times |
מֹ֘שֵׁ֤ל[he is] ruling
moshelH4910 →81 times
בִּגְבוּרָת֨וֹ׀by might his
bigvuratoH1369 →61 times
עוֹלָ֗םforever
olamH5769 →438 times
עֵ֭ינָיוeyes his
ʾeinavH5869 →887 times
בַּגּוֹיִ֣םon the nations
bagoyimH1471 →561 times
תִּצְפֶּ֑ינָהthey keep watch
titzpeinahH6822 →36 times
הַסּוֹרְרִ֓ים׀the rebellious [people]
hasorimH5637 →17 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יָר֖וּמוּthey be exalted
yarumuH7311 →190 times
לָ֣מוֹ<to> themselves
lamo
סֶֽלָה׃Selah
selahH5542 →74 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.
- Proverbs 5:21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
- 1 Peter 3:12
Through
Matthew 28:18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
it leads to
- John 3:35
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
- 1 Peter 3:22
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
- Matthew 11:27
All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses…
- Ephesians 1:20–22
which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,
- John 3:35
About Psalms

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, On the Psalms, Psalm 66; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
