To the chief musician, a psalm, a song of David
68
📚May God arise, may his enemiesbe scattered,
and may those who hate him flee
from his presence.
68:1 The subject of this great psalm is the entry of God into His sanctuary in Jerusalem. The author speaks of Him coming through the desert (v 7), stopping at Mount Sinai (v 8), leading His people victoriously into Canaan (vs 12,14), choosing Mount Zion as His dwelling place (v 16), ascending there (v 18), and ruling in power and majesty (vs 18,21,31-35). In the New Testament the Holy Spirit applies v 18 to the ascension of the Lord Jesus to the heavenly Jerusalem (Eph 4:8). This indicates that there is a prophetic quality in this psalm. There is far more here than events in the history of Israel.
Many scholars believe that it was written to be sung at the occasion of the taking of the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to Mount Zion (2 Sam 6:1-19). The first verse supports this. It is based on the blessing of the high priest in the wilderness journeys when the ark set out (Num 10:35). The ark was the sign of God’s presence. Where God went His enemies scattered, His haters fled. But are there indeed haters of the one true God? There are many (John 7:7; 15:18, 24, 25; Rom 1:30; 8:7).⚜
2 📚As smoke is driven away,
drive them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
so may the wicked perish
at the presence of God.
3 📚But may the righteous be glad;
may they rejoice before God, yes,
may they rejoice exceedingly.
4 📚Sing to God, sing praises
to his name.
Extol him who rides on the heavens
by his name YHWH 📖, and rejoice
before him.
68:1-4 The wicked are enemies of truth, of righteousness, of holiness, and of all that is truly good. They hate God Himself. When they perish it is because they fully deserve it. It is a display of God’s magnificent justice by eliminating the earth of harmful beings. And shall He not cause the righteous to rejoice with Him?⚜
5 📚A father for the fatherless and a
defender of widows,
is God in his holy habitation.
6 📚God places the solitary
in families.
He brings out those who are bound
with chains;
but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
68:5-6 God is the King of the universe, the one who destroys wicked enemies and reigns in majesty. Is this all God is? No – He is the tender, compassionate One who loves and helps the fatherless, the widow, the lonely. No earthly monarch ever showed such love and concern for his subjects as God does (Ex 22:22-24; Deut 10:18; 14:29; 24:17-21; Ps 10:14, 18; 82:3; 86:15; Isa 1:17; Jer 7:6; Matt 9:36). He deals gently with prisoners and gives them joy – Ps 69:33; 102:19-20; 107:10, 14; 146:7; Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18. Only the rebellious fail to receive God’s blessing, and He wants them also to turn to Him and enjoy His goodness (Prov 1:23; Isa 55:7; Jer 3:14; Ezek 18:32).⚜
7 📚O God, when you went out
before your people,
when you marched through
the wilderness, Selah
8 📚The earth shook, the heavens
also dropped at the presence
of God;
even Sinai itself was moved at the
presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 📚You, O God, sent abundant rain
which you provided for
your inheritance when
it was weary.
10 📚Your congregation has lived
in it.
You, O God, have provided from
your goodness for the poor.
68:10 Note on “poor” at Ps 41:1.⚜
11 📚The Lord gave the word;
great was the company
of those who proclaimed it.
12 📚Kings of armies hurriedly fled,
and she who stayed at home divided
the plunder.
68:11-12 This takes us back to the opening verses of the psalm. “The Lord gave the word” here means that by His almighty command He secured victory for His people over their enemies in Canaan. The women in v 12 benefitted from that.⚜
13 📚Though you lie down among
the pots,
yet you will be like the wings
of a dove covered with silver,
and her feathers with yellow gold.
68:13 This verse, very difficult in Hebrew, seems to suggest peace and prosperity after battle.⚜
14 📚When the Almighty 📖 scattered
kings in it,
it was like snow on Zalmon.
68:14 Zalmon is a hill near Shechem in a central part of Canaan. The scattering of the kings was like snow being driven before the wind on the dark slopes of that hill.⚜
15 📚The mountain of God is like
the mountain of Bashan,
a high mountain like the mountain
of Bashan.
16 📚Why do you watch with envy,
you high peaks?
This is the mountain where
God desires to dwell.
Yes, the LORD will dwell in it
forever.
68:15-16 The mountain range of Bashan rose high and imposing to the northeast of Canaan. The peaks there are much grander than the hills around Jerusalem. But God chose Mount Zion for His dwelling, not one of earth’s high and lofty mountains (Ps 2:6; 9:11; 76:2; 87:1-3; 132:13-14). This was one of the peaks in the region of Moriah where God confirmed His covenant with Abraham to bring blessing to the whole world. Mount Zion on earth is only a pale picture of the heavenly Mount Zion or Jerusalem (Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22; Rev 3:12; 21:10).⚜
17 📚The chariots of God are twenty
thousand,
and thousands of thousands.
The Lord is among them,
as on Sinai,
in the Holy Place.
68:17 Deut 33:2; 2 Kings 6:17; Dan 7:10; Hab 3:8; Matt 26:53. The KJV has added the word “angels” here, but this is not in the Hebrew.⚜
18 📚You have ascended on high,
you have led captivity captive,
you have received gifts among men 📖,
yes, among the rebellious also,
that the LORD God might dwell
among them.
68:18 This has two meanings. First, it refers to God ascending to Mount Zion with the ark of the covenant to dwell in the midst of His people Israel, having conquered all enemies. But according to Eph 4:8-11 this verse refers to the Lord Jesus who conquered sin, death, Satan and all his hordes, and ascended into the heavenly mount Zion. The ark is a symbol of the Lord Jesus. See note at Ex 25:10-16. There is a difference between this verse and Eph 4:8. Here it says the Lord “received gifts”, there it says He “gave gifts”. The Lord God needs nothing from men. He takes from them only what He has first given, and only that He might give them the more. In either taking or giving He is the eternal King, ruling in majesty and might (Ps 47:2).⚜
19 📚Blessed be the Lord,
who daily loads us 📖
with good things,
the God of our salvation. Selah
20 📚He who is our God
is the God of salvation,
and to God the Lord belong
escapes from death.
68:20 One meaning of this is He keeps His people alive on earth until their course is finished. A deeper meaning is He delivers from spiritual death and gives eternal life with Him forever (John 5:24; 11:25; Rom 6:23; 8:2; 1 Cor 15:21, 26, 54; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:14; Rev 20:14; 21:4).⚜
21 📚But God will wound the head
of his enemies,
and the hairy scalp
of the one who still goes
on in his trespasses.
22 📚The Lord said, “I will
bring back from Bashan,
I will bring my people
back from the depths of the sea,
23 📚That your foot may be dipped
in the blood of your enemies,
and the tongue of your dogs
have their share.
68:21-23 Terrible words but none the less true for that.⚜
24 📚They have seen your procession,
O God, the procession of my God,
my King, in the sanctuary.
25 📚The singers went in front,
the musicians followed.
Among them were the
maidens playing on tambourines.
26 📚Praise God in the congregations;
the Lord, from the fountain
of Israel.
27 📚There is little Benjamin
with their leader,
the princes of Judah and
their company,
the princes of Zebulun
and the princes
of Naphtali.
68:24-27 He resumes the description of the triumphal procession of the ark into the sanctuary in Jerusalem.⚜
28 📚Your God has commanded
strength for you.
Strengthen, O God, what you have
done for us.
29 📚Because of your temple at
Jerusalem kings will bring
presents to you.
30 📚Rebuke the beast of the reeds 📖,
the herd of the bulls with the
calves of the people,
until everyone submits
himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the people who
delight in war.
31 📚Princes will come
from Egypt.
Ethiopia will soon stretch
out her hands to God.
68:28-31 God will show Himself strong for His people, for His city and His sanctuary, and will subdue the nations some of which are here referred to as beasts (compare Isa 43:3; 45:14; 60:5; Dan 7:3-9; Rev 21:24-26).⚜
32 📚Sing to God, you kingdoms
of the earth.
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 📚To him who rides on the heavens
of heavens, which are
of old.
See, he sends out his voice,
a mighty voice.
34 📚Ascribe strength to God.
His majesty is over Israel,
and his strength is in the clouds.
35 📚O God, you are awe-inspiring
from your holy places.
The God of Israel is the one
who gives strength and power to
his people.
Blessed be God.
68:32-35 The psalm closes with a fitting exhortation to all nations to praise this mighty, splendid God. These verses are prophetic. The time will come when all nations will worship the one true God.⚜