1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Commentary

Verse 1

John Calvin Bible Commentary
God be merciful unto us, and bless usThe psalm contains a prediction of Christ’s kingdom, under which the whole world was to be adopted into a privileged relationship with God; but the Psalmist begins by praying for the Divine blessing, particularly upon the Jews. They were the first-born, (Exodus 4:22,) and the blessing was to terminate upon them first, and then go out to all the surrounding nations. I have used the imperative mood throughout the psalm, as other translators have done, although the future tense, which is that employed in the Hebrew, would suit sufficiently well, and the passage might be understood as encouraging the minds of the Lord’s people to trust in the continuance and increase of the Divine favor. The words, however, are generally construed in the form of a prayer, and I merely threw out this as a suggestion. Speaking, as the Psalmist does, of those who belonged to the Church of God, and not of those who were without, it is noticeable that yet he traces all the blessings they received to God’s free favor; and from this we may learn, that so long as we are here, we owe our happiness, our success, and prosperity, entirely to the same cause. This being the case, how shall any think to anticipate his goodness by merits of their own?The light of God’s countenancemay refer either to the sense of his love shed abroad in our hearts, or to the actual manifestation of it without, as, on the other hand, his face may be said to be clouded, when he strikes terrors into our conscience on account of our sins, or withdraws the outward marks of his favor.
McArther Bible Commentary
This brief psalm develops two optimistic themes: the need and result of God's mercy, and the future, universal worship of God. The psalm reflects the promise to Abraham that God would bless his descendants, and in Abraham, "all the families of the earth" (Gen 12:1-3).
Bible Cross References
Genesis 43:29 Numbers 6:25 Psalm 4:6 Psalm 31:16 Psalm 80:3 Psalm 80:7 Psalm 89:15 Psalm 119:135

Verse 2

John Calvin Bible Commentary
That they may know thy way upon the earth.Here we have a clear prophecy of that extension of the grace of God by which the Gentiles were united into one body with the posterity of Abraham. The Psalmist prays for some conspicuous proof of favor to be shown his chosen people, which might attract the Gentiles to seek participation in the same blessed hope.By theway of God is meant his covenant, which is the source or spring of salvation, and by which he discovered himself in the character of a Father to his ancient people, and afterwards more clearly under the Gospel, when the Spirit of adoption was shed abroad in greater abundance.Accordingly, we find Christ himself saying,“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,” (John 17:3)
Bible Cross References
Acts 18:25 Titus 2:11 1 Kings 8:43 Psalm 98:2 Isaiah 52:10

Verse 3

John Calvin Bible Commentary
Let the people praise thee, O God!Having spoken of all nations participating in the saving knowledge of God, he next tells us that they would proclaim his goodness, and exhorts them to the exercise of gratitude. The repetition used clearly shows of itself that he alludes to an event of a new and unprecedented kind. Had the allusion been to some such manifestation of his favor as he ordinarily made to the Jews, we would not have looked for the same vehemency of expression. First he says,Let the people praise thee; then he adds,Let all the people praise theeAfterwards he repeats the exclamation once more. But he appropriately makes mention, between, ofrejoicing, and the occasion there was for it, since it is impossible that we can praise God aright, unless our minds be tranquil and cheerful — unless, as persons reconciled to God, we are animated with the hope of salvation, and “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,” reign in our hearts, (Philippians 4:7.) The cause assigned for joy plainly in itself points to the event of the calling of the Gentiles. The reference is not to that government of God which is general in its nature, but to that special and spiritual jurisdiction which he exercises over the Church, in which he cannot properly be said to govern any but such as he has gathered under his sway by the doctrine of his law. The wordrighteousnessis inserted in commendation of his government. Language almost identical is used by Isaiah and Micah when they speak of the times in which the word of salvation would be diffused throughout all the earth, (Isaiah 11:4;Micah 4:3.)
McArther Bible Commentary
peoples … nations … ends of the earth. These are references to the inclusion of the Gentile nations in the millennial kingdom (cf. Isa 56:3-8; Isa 60:1-14; Zec 14:16-19; Mat 8:11; Mat 25:31-46; Rev 20:1-10).
Bible Cross References
Psalm 66:4 Psalm 67:5

Verse 4

Bible Cross References
Psalm 9:8 Psalm 47:8 Psalm 58:11 Psalm 66:4 Psalm 68:32 Psalm 75:2 Psalm 96:10 Psalm 96:13 Psalm 98:9 Psalm 100:1 Psalm 100:2 Obadiah 1:21

Verse 5

Bible Cross References
Numbers 10:32 Psalm 67:3 Joel 2:26

Verse 6

John Calvin Bible Commentary
The earth has given its increaseMention having been made of the principal act of the Divine favor, notice is next taken of the temporal blessings which he confers upon his children, that they may have everything necessary to complete their happiness. And here it is to be remembered, that every benefit which God bestowed upon his ancient people was, as it were, a light held out before the eyes of the world, to attract the attention of the nations to him. From this the Psalmist argues, that should God liberally supply the wants of his people, the consequence would be, to increase the fear of his name, since all ends of the earth would, by what they saw of his fatherly regard to his own, submit themselves with greater cheerfulness to his government.
Bible Cross References
Leviticus 26:4 Psalm 29:11 Psalm 85:12 Psalm 115:12 Ezekiel 34:27 Zechariah 8:12

Verse 7

Bible Cross References
Psalm 2:8 Psalm 22:27 Psalm 33:8 Psalm 66:4 Psalm 102:15 Isaiah 41:5