Psalms 68:4

4 Sing to God, ¹sing praises to His name; ²Lift up a song for Him who ³rides through the deserts, Whose ⁴name is the LORD, and exult before Him.

Psalms 68:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 68:4

Sing unto God
Manifest in the flesh, risen from the dead, ascended on high, set down at the right hand of his divine Father; having exerted his great strength in their redemption; and therefore should sing the song of redeeming love, with grace and melody in their hearts, unto him;

sing praises to his name:
to the honour of his name Jesus, a Saviour, because of the great work of salvation wrought out by him; give him all the praise and glory of it, which due unto his name;

extol him that rideth upon heavens:
having ascended above them, and being higher than they, and so is exalted above all blessing and praise; and uses his power and greatness for the help of his people: see ( Deuteronomy 33:26 ) . Some choose to render the words, "prepare the way" ^F17, as John the Baptist is said to do before him, ( Isaiah 11:3 ) ; "for him that rideth through the deserts", or "fields" ^F18; as he did through the fields of Judea on an ass; and through the nations of the world, in the ministry of the word, carried thither by his apostles; whereby places, comparable to deserts for their barrenness and unfruitfulness, became like the garden of the Lord: or rather, "that rideth in the west"; it being at the west end of the tabernacle and temple, where the cherubim were, on which Jehovah rode, they being his chariot;

by his name JAH;
or Jehovah; which being a name incommunicable to creatures, and given to Christ, shows him to be the most High; a self-existent Being, the immutable and everlasting "I AM"; which is, and was, and is to come; from whom all creatures receive their being, and are continued in it; and who is also Jehovah our righteousness; and by, in, and because of this name, is he to be extolled and magnified;

and rejoice before him; (See Gill on Psalms 68:3).

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (wlo) "elevate viam lapidibus", Vatablus; "parata viam", Gejerus; "make an highway", Ainsworth.
F18 (twbdeb) "per deserta", Hieron. Theodoret. Bugenhagius, aliique in Michaelis; "in campestribus", Piscator, Cocceius; "in campis, vel per campos", Gussetius, p. 641. "in the deserts", Ainsworth.

Psalms 68:4 In-Context

2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God.

3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD , and exult before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 66:2
• 2. Isaiah 57:14; Isaiah 62:10
• 3. Deuteronomy 33:26; Psalms 18:10; Psalms 68:33; Isaiah 40:3
• 4. Exodus 6:3; Psalms 83:18

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Cast up" a highway
• [b]. Heb YAH