Psalms 68
68
To the Overseer. — A Psalm, a song of David.
1Rise doth God — scattered are His enemies! And those hating Him flee from His face.
2As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.
3And the righteous rejoice, they exult before God, And they joy with gladness.
4Sing ye to God — praise His name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In Jah [is] His name, and exult before Him.
5Father of the fatherless, and judge of the widows, [Is] God in His holy habitation.
6God — causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only — the refractory have inhabited a dry place.
7O God, in Thy going forth before Thy people, In Thy stepping through the wilderness, Selah.
8The earth hath shaken, Yea, the heavens have dropped before God, This Sinai — before God, the God of Israel.
9A shower of free-will gifts thou shakest out, O God. Thine inheritance, when it hath been weary, Thou hast established it.
10Thy company have dwelt in it, Thou preparest in Thy goodness for the poor, O God.
11The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host.
12Kings of hosts flee utterly away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportioneth spoil.
13Though ye do lie between two boundaries, Wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold.
14When the Mighty spreadeth kings in it, It doth snow in Salmon.
15A hill of God [is] the hill of Bashan, A hill of heights [is] the hill of Bashan.
16Why do ye envy, O high hills, The hill God hath desired for His seat? Jehovah also doth tabernacle for ever.
17The chariots of God [are] myriads, thousands of changes, The Lord [is] among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary.
18Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Jah God.
19Blessed [is] the Lord, day by day He layeth on us. God Himself [is] our salvation. Selah.
20God Himself [is] to us a God for deliverances, And Jehovah Lord hath the outgoings of death.
21Only — God doth smite The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.
22The Lord said: ‘From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea.
23So that thou dashest thy foot in blood, [In the blood of] enemies — the tongue of Thy dogs.’
24They have seen Thy goings, O God, Goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary.
25Singers have been before, Behind [are] players on instruments, In the midst virgins playing with timbrels.
26In assemblies bless ye God, The Lord — from the fountain of Israel.
27There [is] little Benjamin their ruler, Heads of Judah their defence, Heads of Zebulun — heads of Naphtali.
28Thy God hath commanded thy strength, Be strong, O God, this Thou hast wrought for us.
29Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem, To Thee do kings bring a present.
30Rebuke a beast of the reeds, a company of bulls, With calves of the peoples, Each humbling himself with pieces of silver, Scatter Thou peoples delighting in conflicts.
31Come do fat ones out of Egypt, Cush causeth her hands to run to God.
32Kingdoms of the earth, sing ye to God, Praise ye the Lord. Selah.
33To him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Lo, He giveth with His voice a strong voice.
34Ascribe ye strength to God, Over Israel [is] His excellency, and His strength in the clouds.
35Fearful, O God, out of Thy sanctuaries, The God of Israel Himself, Giving strength and might to the people. Blessed [is] God!
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Psalms 68: YLT98
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
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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