Psalms 68
68
The Exodus and Conquest, Pledge of Future Help
1For the leader. A psalm of David; a song.
I
2#The opening line alluding to Nm 10:35 makes clear that God’s assistance in the period of the exodus and conquest is the model and assurance of all future divine help.May God arise;
may his enemies be scattered;
may those who hate him flee before him.#Nm 10:35.
3As the smoke is dispersed, disperse them;
as wax is melted by fire,
so may the wicked perish before God.#Ps 97:5; Jdt 16:15; Wis 5:14; Mi 1:4.
4Then the just will be glad;
they will rejoice before God;
they will celebrate with great joy.
II
5Sing to God, praise his name;
exalt the rider of the clouds.#Exalt the rider of the clouds: God’s intervention is in the imagery of Canaanite myth in which the storm-god mounted the storm clouds to ride to battle. Such theophanies occur throughout the Psalm: Ps 68:2–3, 8–10, 12–15, 18–19, 22–24, 29–32, 34–35. See Dt 33:26; Ps 18:8–16; Is 19:1.
Rejoice before him
whose name is the Lord.#Ps 18:10; 104:3; Dt 33:26; Is 19:1.
6Father of the fatherless, defender of widows#Ps 103:6; 146:7, 9; Ex 22:20–22; Bar 6:37.—
God in his holy abode,
7God gives a home to the forsaken,
who leads prisoners out to prosperity,
while rebels live in the desert.#While rebels live in the desert: rebels must live in the arid desert, whereas God’s people will live in the well-watered land (Ps 68:8–11).
III
8God, when you went forth before your people,#Ps 44:10; 114:4, 7; Jgs 5:4–5; Heb 12:26.
when you marched through the desert,
Selah
9The earth quaked, the heavens poured,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
10You poured abundant rains, God,
your inheritance was weak and you repaired it.
11Your creatures dwelt in it;
you will establish it in your goodness for the poor, O God.
IV
12The Lord announced:
“Those bringing news are a great Army.
13The kings of the armies are in desperate flight.#Jgs 5:19, 22.
Every household will share the spoil,
14though you lie down among the sheepfolds,#Jgs 5:16.
you shall be covered with silver as the wings of a dove,
her feathers bright as fine gold.”
15When the Almighty routs the kings there,
it will be as when snow fell on Zalmon.#Zalmon: generally taken as the name of a mountain where snow is visible in winter, perhaps to be located in the Golan Heights or in the mountains of Bashan or Hauran east of the Sea of Galilee.
V
16You mountain of God, mountain of Bashan,
you rugged mountain, mountain of Bashan,
17You rugged mountains, why look with envy
at the mountain#The mountain: Mount Zion, the site of the Temple. where God has chosen to dwell,
where the Lord resides forever?#Ps 132:13–14; Ez 43:7.
18God’s chariots were myriad, thousands upon thousands;
from Sinai the Lord entered the holy place.
19You went up to its lofty height;
you took captives, received slaves as tribute,#Ps 47:8; Eph 4:8–10.
even rebels, for the Lord God to dwell.
VI
20Blessed be the Lord day by day,
God, our salvation, who carries us.#Ps 34:2; 145:2; Is 46:3–4; 63:9.
Selah
21Our God is a God who saves;
escape from death is the Lord God’s.
22God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy scalp of the one who walks in sin.#Dt 32:42.
23The Lord has said:
“Even from Bashan I will fetch them,
fetch them even from the depths of the sea.#Even from Bashan…from the depths of the sea: the heights and the depths, the farthest places where enemies might flee.
24You will wash your feet in your enemy’s blood;
the tongues of your dogs will lap it up.”#Ps 58:11; 1 Kgs 21:19; 22:38; Is 63:1–6.
VII
25#Your procession: the procession renews God’s original taking up of residence on Zion, described in Ps 68:16–19.Your procession comes into view, O God,
your procession into the holy place, my God and king.
26The singers go first, the harpists follow;
in their midst girls sound the timbrels.#Ps 81:2–3; 87:7; 149:3; 150:3–5; 2 Sm 6:5.
27In your choirs, bless God;
Lord, Israel’s fountain.
28In the lead is Benjamin, few in number;
there the princes of Judah, a large throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali, too.#Is 8:23.
VIII
29Summon again, O God, your power,
the divine power you once showed for us,
30From your temple on behalf of Jerusalem,
that kings may bring you tribute.
31Roar at the wild beast of the reeds,#The wild beast of the reeds: probably the Nile crocodile, a symbol for Egypt; see Ps 68:32 and Ez 29:2–5.
the herd of mighty bulls, the calves of the peoples;
trampling those who lust after silver
scatter the peoples that delight in war.
32Let bronze be brought from Egypt,#Ez 29:2ff.
Ethiopia hurry its hands to God.#Is 18:7; 45:14.
IX
33You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;#Ps 138:4.
chant the praises of the Lord,
Selah
34Who rides the heights of the ancient heavens,
Who sends forth his voice as a mighty voice?
35Confess the power of God,
whose majesty protects Israel,
whose power is in the sky.
36Awesome is God in his holy place,
the God of Israel,
who gives power and strength to his people.#Ps 28:8; 29:11.
Blessed be God!
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalms 68
68
PSALM 68
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
To the chief Musician,
A Psalm or Song of David.
1Let God arise, and scatterèd
let all his en'mies be;
And let all those that do him hate
before his presence flee.
2As smoke is driv'n, so drive thou them;
as fire melts wax away,
Before God's face let wicked men
so perish and decay.
3But let the righteous be glad:
let them before God's sight
Be very joyful; yea, let them
rejoice with all their might.
4To God sing, to his name sing praise;
extol him with your voice,
That rides on heav'n, by his name Jah,
before his face rejoice.
5Because the Lord a father is
unto the fatherless;
God is the widow's judge, within
his place of holiness.
6God doth the solitary set
in fam'lies: and from bands
The chain'd doth free; but rebels do
inhabit parched lands.
7O God, what time thou didst go forth
before thy people's face;
And when through the great wilderness
thy glorious marching was;
8Then at God's presence shook the earth,
then drops from heaven fell;
This Sinai shook before the Lord,
the God of Israel.
9O God, thou to thine heritage
didst send a plenteous rain,
Whereby thou, when it weary was,
didst it refresh again.
10Thy congregation then did make
their habitation there:
Of thine own goodness for the poor,
O God, thou didst prepare.
11The Lord himself did give the word,
the word abroad did spread;
Great was the company of them
the same who published.
12Kings of great armies foiled were,
and forced to flee away;
And women, who remained at home,
did distribute the prey.
13Though ye have lien among the pots,
like doves ye shall appear,
Whose wings with silver, and with gold
whose feathers covered are.
14When there th' Almighty scatter'd kings,
like Salmon's snow 'twas white.
15God's hill is like to Bashan hill,
like Bashan hill for height.
16Why do ye leap, ye mountains high?
this is the hill where God
Desires to dwell; yea, God in it
for aye will make abode.
17God's chariots twenty thousand are,
thousands of angels strong;
In's holy place God is, as in
mount Sinai, them among.
18Thou hast, O Lord, most glorious,
ascended up on high;
And in triumph victorious led
captive captivity:
Thou hast received gifts for men,
for such as did rebel;
Yea, ev'n for them, that God the Lord
in midst of them might dwell.
19Blessed be the Lord, who is to us
of our salvation God;
Who daily with his benefits
us plenteously doth load.
20He of salvation is the God,
who is our God most strong;
And unto God the Lord from death
the issues do belong.
21But surely God shall wound the head
of those that are his foes;
The hairy scalp of him that still
on in his trespass goes.
22God said, My people I will bring
again from Bashan hill;
Yea, from the sea's devouring depths
them bring again I will;
23That in the blood of enemies
thy foot imbrued may be,
And of thy dogs dipped in the same
the tongues thou mayest see.
24Thy goings they have seen, O God;
the steps of majesty
Of my God, and my mighty King,
within the sanctuary.
25Before went singers, players next
on instruments took way;
And them among the damsels were
that did on timbrels play.
26Within the congregations
bless God with one accord:
From Isr'el's fountain do ye bless
and praise the mighty Lord.
27With their prince, little Benjamin,
princes and council there
Of Judah were, there Zabulon's
and Napht'li's princes were.
28Thy God commands thy strength; make strong
what thou wrought'st for us, Lord.
29For thy house at Jerusalem
kings shall thee gifts afford.
30The spearmen's host, the multitude
of bulls, which fiercely look,
Those calves which people have forth sent,
O Lord our God, rebuke,
Till ev'ry one submit himself,
and silver pieces bring:
The people that delight in war
disperse, O God and King.
31Those that be princes great shall then
come out of Egypt lands;
And Ethiopia to God
shall soon stretch out her hands.
32O all ye kingdoms of the earth,
sing praises to this King;
For he is Lord that ruleth all,
unto him praises sing.
33To him that rides on heav'ns of heav'ns,
which he of old did found;
Lo, he sends out his voice, a voice
in might that doth abound.
34Strength unto God do ye ascribe;
for his excellency
Is over Israel, his strength
is in the clouds most high.
35Thou'rt from thy temple dreadful, Lord;
Isr'el's own God is he,
Who gives his people strength and pow'r:
O let God blessed be.
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