Psalms 66:3 Meaning and Explanation
“Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Praise can become vague when it speaks only of our feelings. This verse gives worship a clear center: God's works. It invites us to name before God the awe his deeds deserve and to recognize that no human resistance can finally stand outside his rule. The line also prepares us to hear the rest of the psalm as testimony, prayer, and public praise.
Psalms 66:3 calls the worshipping congregation to address God directly, confessing that his mighty works inspire reverent awe and that even his enemies will finally yield before his great power.
The Context of Psalms 66:3
Psalm 66 opens with a summons for all lands to make joyful praise to God. Verses 1 through 4 call the earth to sing of his name, and verse 3 supplies words for that praise. The speaker addresses God directly, then urges others in verse 5 to come and see God's deeds toward the children of men. The psalm recalls the crossing of the sea in verse 6, declares God's enduring rule in verse 7, remembers testing and deliverance in verses 8 through 12, and concludes with vowed offerings and personal testimony that God heard prayer.
What Does Psalms 66:3 Mean?
"Say unto God" makes this more than a statement made about God. The worshipper speaks in God's presence, openly acknowledging what God's works reveal. "Terrible" in this setting carries the sense of fearful majesty and awe. The psalmist is not describing a passing feeling of alarm. He is honoring deeds so great that they humble those who behold them. The next phrase identifies the source of that awe: "the greatness of thy power." God's power is neither hidden nor merely claimed. It is shown in works that call forth praise. Reverence grows as we remember that the Lord acts with a strength beyond every creature's control.
The verse belongs to a song that joins universal praise with Israel's remembered deliverance. Verse 5 repeats that God is terrible in his doing toward the children of men, and verse 6 gives a chief example: he made a way through the waters. Verse 7 then warns the rebellious against self-exaltation because God rules by his power for ever. Submission in verse 3 therefore describes the certain effect of God's greatness upon his enemies. The psalm does not celebrate human domination. It confesses God's righteous sovereignty over peoples and nations. Those who oppose him may resist for a time; his power establishes the limits of their resistance and calls every proud claim to account.
This confession reaches forward to the Bible's witness that God's reign will be openly acknowledged. Philippians 2:10-11 speaks of every knee bowing and every tongue confessing the lordship of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father. That later passage gives a particular focus to the psalm's confidence in God's victorious rule. Jesus' exaltation does not lessen the Father's glory; it displays it. Psalms 66:3 teaches us to praise God for works already seen while awaiting the full disclosure of his rule. Such hope gives weight to worship and steadiness when evil or opposition appears strong in the present.
Psalms 66:3 in the Original Language
nora (נוֹרָא), 'terrible' -- awe-inspiring and fearsome, describing works whose greatness awakens reverence, holy fear, humility, wonder, and sober recognition of God's power among all humanity.
Bible Verses Related to Psalms 66:3
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”
- Exodus 15:11
“For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.”
- Psalm 47:2
“I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
- Isaiah 45:23
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”
- Philippians 2:10
Where Psalms 66:3 Echoes in Scripture
Philippians 2:10-11 provides a strong canonical echo of this verse's certainty that opposition to God will finally give way before his rule. Paul presents the universal bowing of every knee and confession of Jesus Christ's lordship as an event that brings glory to God the Father. The echo helps us read Psalm 66:3 as praise shaped by God's final and public vindication of his authority.
How to Apply Psalms 66:3 Today
This verse gives us a way to make our praise more attentive. In prayer, we can speak directly to God about particular works that show his power, mercy, preservation, correction, or deliverance. The psalm itself models remembrance of communal history, personal trouble, answered prayer, and worship offered in God's house. We can also let God's greatness correct anxious calculations about hostile powers, public pressures, and our own stubborn impulses. Reverence does not remove every hard question. It places those questions before the God whose rule outlasts every temporary display of strength.
Reflection & Prayer
Where have we seen God's works in a way that calls for deeper reverence rather than casual speech? Consider naming one specific act of preservation, deliverance, or faithful guidance before him. Suggested prayer: "O God, your works are great and worthy of awe. Teach us to speak of them truthfully, to praise your power humbly, and to trust your righteous rule."