Big Idea: Nature’s wonders and God’s forgiveness come together as dual witnesses of grace.

Understanding the Text

Psalm 65 is a community psalm of thanksgiving,1 grammatically indicated by the plural pronouns (“we” and “our”) in verses 1–5. (See the sidebar “Psalms of Thanksgiving” in the unit on Pss. 9–10.) The psalm of thanksgiving includes two essential elements: a report of the crisis that generated the thanksgiving (“we were overwhelmed by sins,” 65:3a) and the acknowledgment of deliverance (“you forgave our transgressions,” 65:3b). The account of an abundant harvest (65:9–13) leads some scholars to connect this psalm to one of the agricultural festivals (Passover / Unleavened Bread—barley harvest; Feast of Weeks—wheat harvest; Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot]—grape harvest). It cert…