Tehillim 67 | “For You Judge the Peoples Justly”

This psalm is built in a chiastic way (see diagram here). Ignoring the superscription, the first verse of the psalm mirrors the last: “May God be gracious to us and bless us” (67:2) parallels “God will bless us” (67:8). The second verse parallels the second-to-last: “Then will Your way be known on earth” (67:3) aligns with “The earth has yielded its harvest” (67:7), and so on. Kabbalists noticed this structure and arranged the psalm in the shape of a menorah (see attached image). In some synagogues, the psalm is even displayed in this layout, emphasizing both its mystical significance and its literary structure.

The purpose of a chiastic structure is to draw the reader’s attention to the center, where the psalm’s core message lies. The central verse “Let nations rejoice and sing for joy, for judge the peoples justly” (67:5) echoes themes found in other psalms: the great joy that will come to the world when God judges with justice. When God hides His face and does not judge, it creates a vacuum quickly filled by the wicked, who seek to exploit the moment to benefit themselves. But when God returns to judge the world, all humanity will submit to His authority, and an era of righteousness and blessing will appear.