68:1ffThis psalm begins just like Moses’ cry in Numbers 10:35 as the Israelites foltowed the Ark of the Covenant. It undoubtedly brought to mind the time when David led a joyous procession and brought the Ark from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem (2 Samuel! 6:114-15).
Life Application Study BiblePsalmsChapter 68
Psalm 68
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 912, 913, 914
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
68Psalm 68
Author: David
168 For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2Blow them away like smoke.Melt them like wax ina fire.Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3But let the godly rejoice.Let them be glad in God’s presence.Let them be filled with joy.
4Sing praises to God and to his name!Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.His name is the LORD—rejoice in his presence!
5Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6God places the lonely in families;he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.? OGod, when you led your people out from Egypt,when you marched through the dry wasteland,8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rainbefore you, the God of Sinai,before God, the God of Israel.
8You sent abundant rain, O God,to refresh the weary land.
10There your people finally settled,and with a bountiful harvest, O God,you provided for your needy people.
11The LORD gives the word,and a great army* brings the good news.
12Enemy kings and their armies flee,while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—doves with wings of silverand feathers of gold.
14The Almighty scattered the enemy kingslike a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
15The mountains of Bashan are majestic,with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,where the LORD himself will live forever?
17Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,the LORD came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18When you ascended to the heights,you led a crowd of captives.You received gifts from the people,even from those who rebelled against you.Now the LORD God will live among us there.
19Praise the LORD; praise God our savior!For each day he carries us in his arms.
20Our God is a God who saves!The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death.
21But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways. 22The LORD says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan; I will bring them up from the depths of the sea. 23You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood, and even your dogs will get their share!”
24Your procession has come into view, O God—the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
25Singers are in front, musicians behind;between them are young women playing tambourines.
26Praise God, all you people of Israel;praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life.
27Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judahand all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28Summon your might, O God.Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
29The kings of the earth are bringing tributeto your Temple in Jerusalem.
30Rebuke these enemy nations—these wild animals lurking in the reeds,this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals*;let Ethiopia* bow in submission to God.
32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.Sing praises to the LORD.
33Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
34Tell everyone about God’s power.His majesty shines down on Israel;his strength is mighty in the heavens.
35God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! Theme: A cry of distress in a sea of trouble. We may have to suffer severely for our devotion to God, but that should cause us to look forward with joy to the day when evil and injustice will be gone forever.
Textual footnotes
- 68:11 Or a host of women.
- 68:31a Or of rich cloth.
- 68:31b Hebrew Cush.
Life Application Notes 10 notes
68:3-6With shouts of praise and the sound of trumpets, David and his people took the holy Ark toward Mount Zion (2 Samuel 6:15). It was a time to sing praises to the LORD, whose presence brings great joy. Only in God is there hope for orphans, widows, prisoners, and all other lonely people. If you are lonely or disadvantaged, join David in praise, and discover great joy from loving and praising God.
68:4-6David praised God for his protection and provision. When we see God's true majesty, aur response should be to praise him. This was a song of faith because many of these benefits had nat yet come true in David's time. It should also be our song of faith. We must continue to trust God because, in time, he will fulfill all his promises.
68:8Mount Sinai had a prominent role in Israelite history. It was at Mount Sinai that God met Moses and commissioned him to lead Israet out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-10). It was to Mount Sinai that the nation of Israel returned to receive God’s laws (Exodus 19:1-3), and God’s presence made the entire mountain tremble (Exodus 19:18). This sacred mountain was a constant reminder of Gad’s words and promises.
68:13The dove is a symbol of God’s beloved Israel, who is so protected and blessed that it has taken silver and gold from its enemies, even though it stayed in camp.
68:15,16Bashan, the land northeast of Israel, was the home of mighty mountains, including Mount Hermon, the tallest and most awesome mountain in the region. God’s choice of Mount Zion, a foothill by comparison, for the site of the Temple led the psalm writer to poetically describe the envy of the mountains of Bashan.
68:17This psalm celebrates the final stages of a journey that began at Mount Sinai with the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and finally ended at Mount Zion (site of the sanctuary), the chosen dwelling place of God among his people. It may describe the moving of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.
68:18This verse, quoted in Ephesians 4:8, is applied to the ministry of the ascended Christ. It celebrates his victory over evil. it assures all of us who believe in Christ that by trusting him, we can overcome evil.
68:19-21God sets his people free and crushes his enemies. Salvation is freedom from sin and death. Those who refuse to turn to God will be crushed by sin and death. They will be trapped by the sin they loved and destroyed by the death they feared. How much better it will be for those who love God and fear the consequences of sin.
68:34,35When we consider all God has done for us, we should feel an overwhelming sense of awe as we kneel before the LORD in his sanctuary. Nature surrounds us with countless signs of God’s wonderful power. His unlimited power and unspeakable majesty leave us breathless in his presence. How fortunate we are that God cares for us.
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