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
Psalm 68
68
God Shall Scatter His Enemies
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1 #
Num. 10:35; Isa. 33:3 God shall arise, his enemies shall be #[Ps. 89:10; 92:9]scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2As #See Ps. 37:20 smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
#
Ps. 22:14; 97:5; Mic. 1:4 as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3But #See Ps. 32:11the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4Sing to God, #Ps. 66:4 sing praises to his name;
# [Isa. 62:10] lift up a song to him who #ver. 33; [Ps. 18:10] rides through #Isa. 40:3 the deserts;
his name is #Ps. 89:8the Lord;
exult before him!
5 # See Ps. 10:14 Father of the fatherless and #Deut. 10:18protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6God #Ps. 113:9; 1 Sam. 2:5 settles the solitary in a home;
he #Ps. 69:33; 107:10, 14; 146:7; Acts 12:7; 16:26 leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but #ver. 18 the rebellious dwell in #[Ps. 107:33, 40]a parched land.
7O God, when you #Ex. 13:21; Judg. 4:14; Hab. 3:13; Zech. 14:3 went out before your people,
#
Judg. 5:4 when you marched through #Ps. 78:40the wilderness, Selah
8 #
Ex. 19:18; Judg. 5:4 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,#68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God the God of Israel.
9 # See Ps. 65:9, 10 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10your flock#68:10 Or your congregation found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you #Ps. 65:9; 78:20provided for the needy.
11The Lord gives #[Ps. 33:9] the word;
# [Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6] the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 #
Ps. 110:5; [Num. 31:8; Josh. 10:16; Judg. 5:19]; See Josh. 12:7-24 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home #Judg. 5:30divide the spoil—
13though you men lie among #[Gen. 49:14; Judg. 5:16]the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on #Judg. 9:48Zalmon.
15O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked#68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God #Ps. 132:13, 14; [Ps. 78:54; 87:1, 2; Deut. 12:5]desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 #
2 Kgs. 6:17; Hab. 3:8 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 #
Ps. 7:7; 47:5; Cited Eph. 4:8; [Acts 1:9] You ascended on high,
#
Judg. 5:12 leading a host of captives in your train
and #[Acts 2:4, 33] receiving gifts among men,
even among #[Rom. 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:13] the rebellious, #Ps. 78:60; Ex. 29:45; Rev. 21:3; [John 14:23]that the Lord God may dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord,
who daily #[Isa. 46:4]bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20Our God is a God of salvation,
#
Deut. 32:39; Eccles. 7:18; Rev. 1:18 and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 #
Ps. 110:6; Hab. 3:13 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22The Lord said,
“I will bring them back #Num. 21:33 from Bashan,
# See Amos 9:2-4 I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23that you may #Ps. 58:10 strike your feet in their blood,
that #[1 Kgs. 21:19; 22:38]the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24Your procession is#68:24 Or has been seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 #
Ps. 47:5; 1 Chr. 13:8; 15:16 the singers in front, #See Ps. 33:3 the musicians last,
between them #Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34virgins playing tambourines:
26 #
Ps. 22:25; 26:12 “Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you#68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here who are of #Deut. 33:28; Isa. 48:1; [Isa. 51:1]Israel’s fountain!”
27There is #[1 Sam. 9:21] Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of #[Judg. 5:18]Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 # See Ps. 42:8 Summon your power, O God,#68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall #Ps. 45:12; 76:11; 1 Kgs. 10:10, 25; 2 Chr. 32:23; Isa. 18:7bear gifts to you.
30Rebuke #Job 40:21; Isa. 19:6; Ezek. 29:3, 4; [Ezek. 32:2] the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of #Ps. 22:12 bulls with the calves of the peoples.
# [2 Sam. 8:2, 6] Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.#68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
31Nobles shall come from #Isa. 19:19, 21 Egypt;
#
Ps. 87:4; Isa. 45:14; Zeph. 3:10 Cush shall hasten to #Ps. 44:20stretch out her hands to God.
32 #
Ps. 102:22
O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33to him #Ps. 18:10; 104:3; Deut. 33:26 who rides in #Deut. 10:14; 1 Kgs. 8:27 the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he #Ps. 29:4; See Ps. 46:6sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 #
Ps. 29:1 Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose #Ps. 150:1 power is in #Ps. 36:5; 57:10; 108:4the skies.
35 # [Ps. 65:5]; See Ps. 47:2 Awesome is God from his#68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your #[Ps. 110:2] sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives #Isa. 40:29; See Ps. 29:11power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
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