Psalms 68:35

35 A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It's Israel's strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people - bless God!

Psalms 68:35 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 68:35

O God, [thou art] terrible
In his judgments and acts of vengeance, on antichrist and the antichristian states; being the Lion of the tribe of Judah, that will break them to pieces as a potter's vessel: or "reverend" F19; to be feared and worshipped by his saints;

out of thy holy places;
both out of heaven, the habitation of his holiness, by angels and glorified saints there; and out of all his churches, the several assemblies of them, among whom he is greatly to be feared and adored: the Targum interprets it of the house of the sanctuary;

the God of Israel [is] he that giveth strength and power unto [his]
people;
his peculiar covenant people, his Israel he is the God of. These are weak, and encompassed about with infirmities; he has strength in himself for them; he has promised it to them, and he gives it to them as a pure gift and unmerited favour of his. It may be understood of the great degree of strength that will be given them in the latter day; when a small one shall be a strong nation, and the feeble shall be as David, and David as God, as the Angel of the Lord, ( Isaiah 60:21 ) ( Zechariah 12:8 ) ; and of the dominion and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven; which will be given to the saints of the most High, ( Daniel 7:27 ) ;

blessed [be] God:
the psalm is concluded with an ascription of blessing to the Messiah, who is God blessed for evermore; and who, as Mediator, is the promised seed, in whom all nations were to be blessed, and now will be; see ( Revelation 5:12 Revelation 5:13 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F19 (arwn) "venerandus", Michaelis.

Psalms 68:35 In-Context

33 There he is: Sky-Rider, striding the ancient skies. Listen - he's calling in thunder, rumbling, rolling thunder.
34 Call out "Bravo!" to God, the High God of Israel. His splendor and strength rise huge as thunderheads.
35 A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It's Israel's strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people - bless God!
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.