Psalm 68:1-10

1 {To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm: a Song.} Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, and let them that hate him flee before him.

2 As smoke is driven, thou wilt drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, the wicked shall perish at the presence of God.

3 But the righteous shall rejoice: they shall exult before God and be glad with joy.

4 Sing unto God, sing forth his name; cast up a way for him that rideth in the deserts: his name is Jah; and rejoice before him.

5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6 God maketh the solitary into families; those that were bound he bringeth out into prosperity: but the rebellious dwell in a parched [land].

7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness -- (Selah) --

8 The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God, yon Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 Thou, O God, didst pour a plentiful rain upon thine inheritance, and when it was weary thou strengthenedst it.

10 Thy flock hath dwelt therein: thou hast prepared in thy goodness, for the afflicted, O God!

Psalm 68:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, A Psalm [or] Song of David. The Targum makes the argument of this psalm to be the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; in which it is followed by many of the Jewish interpreters: but Aben Ezra rejects such an interpretation of it, and thinks that David composed it, concerning the war he had with the uncircumcised nations, the Philistines and others, 2 Samuel 8:1, &c. And so the title of the Syriac version begins, "a psalm of David, when the kings prepared themselves to fight against him:" and Kimchi says it was composed on account of Sennacherib's army coming against Jerusalem, in the times of Hezekiah, and so delivered by David, under a spirit of prophecy concerning that affair; though he owns that some of their writers interpret it of the war of Gog and Magog, in the times of the Messiah they yet expect. But they are much nearer the truth, who take it that it was written on occasion of the ark being brought to the city of David; seeing it begins with much the same words that Moses used when the ark set forward in his times, Numbers 10:35; and the bringing of which was attended with great joy and gladness, 2 Samuel 6:14; such as the righteous are called upon to express in this psalm, Psalm 68:3. And this being a type of Christ, and of his ascending the holy hill of God, may be allowed of; for certain it is that this psalm treats of the coming of Christ, and of blessings by him, and of victory over his enemies; and particularly of his ascension to heaven, as most evidently appears from Ephesians 4:8; and from prophecies in it, concerning the calling of the Gentiles. Wherefore the latter part of the Syriac inscription of it is very pertinent; "also a prophecy concerning the dispensation of the Messiah, and concerning the calling of the Gentiles to the faith." Jarchi interprets Psalm 68:31 of the Messiah.

Footnotes

• [a] See Num 10.35.
• [b] Or 'triumph in.'
• [c] The existing One, objectively. Jah occurs 43 times from Psalms 68 to 150 and 7 times elsewhere -- Ex. 15.2, see Note; 17.16; Cant. 8.6; Isa. 12.2; 26.4; 38.11 (twice).
• [d] Or 'maketh the solitary to dwell in a home.'
• [e] Or 'prisoners,' as Ps. 69.33.
• [f] See Judg. 5.3,5.
• [g] Or 'a rain of free gifts.'
• [h] Or 'living assembly,' 'incorporated people;' as 'troop,' Ps. 74.19.