Psalm 68 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

 ¹Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered;

Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.

²As smoke is driven away,

So drive them away;

As wax melts before the fire,

So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

³But let the righteous be glad;

Let them rejoice before God;

Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

⁴Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Extol Him who rides on the clouds,

By His name Yah,

And rejoice before Him.

⁵A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.

⁶God sets the solitary in families;

He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;

But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

⁷O God, when You went out before Your people,

When You marched through the wilderness, Selah

⁸The earth shook;

The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;

Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,

Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,

When it was weary.

¹⁰Your congregation dwelt in it; You,

O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.

¹¹The Lord gave the word;

Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

¹²“Kings of armies flee, they flee,

And she who remains at home divides the spoil.

¹³Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,

You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And her feathers with yellow gold.”

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in it,

It was white as snow in Zalmon.

¹⁵A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;

A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.

¹⁶Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?

This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;

Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are twenty thousand,

Even thousands of thousands;

The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.

¹⁸You have ascended on high,

You have led captivity captive;

You have received gifts among men,

Even from the rebellious,

That the Lord God might dwell there.

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord,

Who daily loads us with benefits,

The God of our salvation! Selah

²⁰Our God is the God of salvation;

And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

²¹But God will wound the head of His enemies,

The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.

²²The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

²³That your foot may crush them in blood,

And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

²⁴They have seen Your procession, O God,

The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;

Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

²⁶Bless God in the congregations,

The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

²⁷There is little Benjamin, their leader,

The princes of Judah and their company,

The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸Your God has commanded your strength;

Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.

²⁹Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,

Kings will bring presents to You.

³⁰Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,

The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,

Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.

Scatter the peoples who delight in war.

³¹Envoys will come out of Egypt;

Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;

Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah

³³To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!

Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.

³⁴Ascribe strength to God;

His excellence is over Israel,

And His strength is in the clouds.

³⁵O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Blessed be God!

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 ¹Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered;

Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.

²As smoke is driven away,

So drive them away;

As wax melts before the fire,

So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

This psalms opens with a call for God to arise and to scatter all of His enemies, for all who hate Him will flee before Him on His Day. For as the smoke is driven away by the wind and as wax melts before the fire so will the wicked perish at the presence of God. This then was a triumphant song composed by David for the carrying the Ark of the Covenant to its resting place at Jerusalem. 

Vs. 3 “But let the righteous be glad;

Let them rejoice before God;

Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.”

With God’s enemies dealt with once and for all forever, the righteous will be glad, yes all who enter His Kingdom will rejoice before God, for we will all rejoice before Him exceedingly!

Vs. 4-6 ⁴Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Extol Him who rides on the clouds,

By His name Yah,

And rejoice before Him.

⁵A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.

⁶God sets the solitary in families;

He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;

But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

The leader of the choir now gives the command to sing to God, to sing praises to His Name, for His name is above every name that is named. Here given as YAH, an abbreviation of the covenant Name of God, Yahweh (4615x) which is often rendered as LORD, or LORD GOD, and for us now in the New Covenant we do this through the Lord Jesus Christ’s Name, who has brought us into an everlasting covenant relationship with the LORD GOD Himself. Thus, we His people are to extol Him who rides on the clouds. For in His Sovereign Majesty rides He majestically on the clouds; for He is above all created things. And yet God looks down upon downtrodden humanity with empathy. For He greatly cares for the fatherless and the widow; the stranger and the oppressed. Just consider then what He told and warned Israel when He gave them the Law through Moses which gives us all principles on how we are to treat them, (see Exodus 22:22-23; Deut. 10:16-19; 14:28-29; 24:19-2126:12-13; Psalm 146:9; Prov. 15:25; Isaiah 1:16-17, 23; 10:1-4; Jer. 5:26-29 etc.). Clearly then those who oppress and mistreat them only set themselves against Him! For it is God who sets the solitary in families, He gives them a home, and in His Kingdom none will be friendless or alone, for He is a friend to all! Only the rebellious does He turn away from, leaving them to their own ways, and so they miss out on His Person, Presence, and Life and only dwell in a very dry spiritual land where their thirst will not be quenched.

Vs. 7-8 ⁷O God, when You went out before Your people,

When You marched through the wilderness, Selah

⁸The earth shook;

The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;

Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Now God in caring for His people always goes before them, always leads the Way for us, (are we following Him and His way?). And so now is recalled God’s bringing Israel out of Egypt and His leading them through the wilderness, bringing them to Mount Sinai where the heavens opened pouring forth rain while Sinai itself literally shook and quaked at the Presence of God, the God of Israel. His Presence then before His people caused creation itself to tremble and fear!

Vs. 9-10 ⁹You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,

Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,

When it was weary.

¹⁰Your congregation dwelt in it; You,

O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.

The care of God for His people is further admonished, as the the Scripture now recalls to us that God sent a plentiful rain whereby He confirmed His inheritance when it was weary (vs. 9). And not just then, but throughout their history God has time again confirmed them, provided for them, and saved them when all was thought lost (consider Isaiah 41:17). Thus, God Himself made the barren land plentiful for them, so that the congregation of His people could dwell in it. For “You O God, have provided from Your goodness for the poor.” Is not just a literal principal and work of God but also a spiritual one as well. For it is our God who enables us to be established in the land of our inheritance with Him.

Vs. 11-13 ¹¹The Lord gave the word;

Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

¹²“Kings of armies flee, they flee,

And she who remains at home divides the spoil.

¹³Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,

You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And her feathers with yellow gold.”

Recalling the Lord’s command for His armies to march through the land of Canaan and take it as a possession for themselves, the Scripture recalls the fleeing of the Canaanite kings and their armies as Israel triumphed over them all. Which again was not by their skill or strength of arm, but by His! Such then was the routing of the Canaanites that the women folk who stayed to manage their homes and care for the flocks are now remembered dividing the spoil, majestic kingly spoil, that made them look like doves covered with silver and gold gleaning in the shinning sun.

Vs. 14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it,

It was white as snow in Zalmon.

When God leads His enemies always scatter! and Such was the scattering of the Canaanite kings and their armies that the land is here described as being as white as snow on Zalmon.

Vs. 15-16 ¹⁵A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;

A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.

¹⁶Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?

This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;

Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.

A mountain of God, is the mountain city which God choose for himself, Jerusalem, and because God has chosen it for Himself here it's glory is said to surpass the glory of mount Bashan (also mount Sirion or Senir which was the highest peak in ancient Israel serving as the northern border for the land of Bashan, separating ancient Israel, Aram, and Phoenicia. Lexham Press.(Lexham Bible Dictionary). Thus, this passage recalls God passing over the higher peaks of the mountains of Bashan and instead choosing Jerusalem to be His city where His King will dwell.  

Vs. 17 “The chariots of God are twenty thousand,

Even thousands of thousands;

The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.”

Here the chariots of God are to be understood as innumerable; for He has more than enough resources to conquer anything or anyone. Thus, He is seen with Israel’s armies as He directs them and they follow Him, just as He was seen among them on Sinai, so now He is with them (as He was among them in Sinai) but now in the Holy Place, in His Holy city. Our confidence then is not in our own might or prowess, but in the Lord who guides, saves, and delivers us as we follow Him.

Vs. 18 “You have ascended on high,

You have led captivity captive;

You have received gifts among men,

Even from the rebellious,

That the Lord God might dwell there.”

This verse not only foretells God ascending the heights of Jerusalem to take His seat on His Throne there, but it also clearly foretells the Ascension of Christ (Eph. 4:8-10). For when He Ascended on High He led captivity captive, freeing men and women from their spiritual chains and bondages by His fulfilling the Gospel for us all. That He received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell there, is looking forward to His Glorious reign on earth, as they will all be made subservient to Him. And so now He gives gifts, Spiritual gifts as the Apostle Paul rightly notes in the N.T. and believers everywhere experience as we are made new creations In Christ. But then He will be receiving gifts as the nations will bring their riches to Him there (see Isaiah 60:1-22).

 Vs. 19-20 ¹⁹Blessed be the Lord,

Who daily loads us with benefits,

The God of our salvation! Selah

²⁰Our God is the God of salvation;

And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

Yes, let us all bless the Lord for His salvation freely given us here and now, for it is He who daily loads us with benefits, not the least of which is having the fruits of the Spirit in our lives, which enable us to live abundant lives here and now that will overcome whatever we must overcome in this life. For the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of our salvation who having conquered death and brought life and immortality to us through the Gospel has also sealed us with His Holy Spirit for the Day of redemption. Our God then is the God of salvation! and to God the Lord belong escapes from death. Therefore, we who believe in Him have escaped death, death no more has dominion over us He does!  And so even though our outward man is perishing, our inward man is being renewed day by day! We are all then exceedingly rich in Christ, for everlasting life is ours!

Vs. 21-23 ²¹But God will wound the head of His enemies,

The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.

²²The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

²³That your foot may crush them in blood,

And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

Just as those who repent and believe receive God’s blessings in their lives, so do the rebellious receive their reward! For God Himself will wound the head of all His enemies, “the hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.” Thus those men then whose long hair reflects their inner rejection and rebellion against Him will feel His wrath! Verses twenty-two and three then give a vivid accounting of God hunting down His enemies (even from the depths of seas) and crushing them before His people, laying all their corpses on the open field for the dogs to feast upon. And so just as they lived like dogs before Him, so now dogs will feast upon them in His Presence.

Vs. 24-27 ²⁴They have seen Your procession, O God,

The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;

Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

²⁶Bless God in the congregations,

The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

²⁷There is little Benjamin, their leader,

The princes of Judah and their company,

The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

The glorious triumphant procession of God's people, of our King is now seen preparing the way for our King to enter the sanctuary. And so, there is the procession of peoples following the king, with singers going before and players on instruments following, women playing timbrels and dancing, all in a great celebration for God coming to His City and into His Sanctuary! “Bless God in the congregations, the Lord from the fountain of Israel,” goes out the cry (vs. 26). All the tribes are there with Benjamin the smallest tribe leading, while the princes of Judah and their company, yes, the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali are also of note there.

Vs. 28 “Your God has commanded your strength;

Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.”

Verse twenty-eight then encapsulates the peoples desire in prayer. That God will Strengthen (and ultimately complete) what He has done for us!

Vs. 29 “Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,

Kings will bring presents to You.”

When this verse was written there was no Temple at Jerusalem and so like much of this Psalm it is also pointing to the future when Christ will Reign in Jerusalem in the Millenia and the nations kings will bring presents to Him. For God will be glorified in all the earth.

Vs. 30 “Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,

The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,

Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.

Scatter the peoples who delight in war.”

According to the Believers Bible Commentary the “beasts of the reeds” is a metaphor for Egypt’s leadership, for they are here likened to crocodiles and hippopotami; that is both carnivorous (crocodiles) and frequently unpredictable and dangerous (hippopotami) in their nature. For recall that they ordered Israel’s firstborn male children to be thrown into the Nile. That said, the Nile River runs throughout northeastern Africa, and there were many peoples and nations who used the Nile’s waters in ancient times who also made war with Israel, (i.e., Ethiopia 2 Chr. 9-14). Thus, this verse is likely encompassing all those peoples of war whose leadership is likened to be like crocodiles and hippopotami (i.e., the beasts of the reeds) for they all ruled the Nile River in ancient times. While the other analogy given is that of the herd of bulls with their calves of peoples, which then must be all the Canaanite kings and neighboring nations who also set their gaze upon Israel for its harm. Therefore, the call to God is to rebuke them all, to bring them all into subjugation, till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver; to then scatter the peoples who delight in war, to bring all of their might and zeal to nothing. For In Christ’s Kingdom there will be none who hurt, harm, or destroy anymore.

Vs. 31 “Envoys will come out of Egypt;

Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

And so instead of ruling the world as in times past, by the Word of the Lord, Egypt is now a humbled and subdued people, here seen sending its envoys to Jerusalem. and Ethiopia, another Nile River people likewise will quickly will quickly stretch out its hands to God in prayer. 

Vs. 32-36 ³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;

Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah

³³To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!

Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.

³⁴Ascribe strength to God;

His excellence is over Israel,

And His strength is in the clouds.

³⁵O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Blessed be God!

With what was then the mightiest and most feared nation on earth fully subdued by God Himself. The call now goes out for all the kingdoms of the earth to sing His praises everywhere (vs. 32). For He alone rides on the heavens which were of old; for before there were nations and kingdoms, He ruled all. And His voice alone is mighty, for when He speaks (i.e., sends it out) all are silenced (vs. 33). Therefore everyone, ascribe strength to God, because mans strength and power is very temporary and limited, but God’s is eternal, describe as being in the clouds, for it is limitless! Yet His excellence is over Israel, the nation He has chosen for Himself (vs. 34). Therefore, in closing let us all to give glory to God, for all glory and power and strength belongs to Him alone, and He is more awesome and exceedingly more glorious than all His holy places that Israel according to His command created for Him. Therefore, let us never forget that it is Him we adore and worship, not them. Truly then it is the God of Israel who gives strength and power to His people, to all who believe in Him, Blessed be God!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.