Psalms 68
Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·
35 verses · 631 words · ~3 min read · ~4 min listen
Godʼs Enemies Are Scattered
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song.
1God arises. His enemies are scattered,
and those who hate Him flee His presence.
2As smoke is blown away,
You will drive them out;
as wax melts before the fire,
the wicked will perish in the presence of God.
3But the righteous will be glad
and rejoice before God;
they will celebrate with joy.
4Sing to God!
Sing praises to His name.
Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—
His name is the Lord—
and rejoice before Him.
5A father of the fatherless,
and a defender of the widows,
is God in His holy habitation.
6God settles the lonely in families;
He leads the prisoners out to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
7O God, when You went out before Your people,
when You marched through the wasteland,
Selah
8the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain
before God, the One on Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9You sent abundant rain, O God;
You refreshed Your weary inheritance.
10Your flock settled therein;
O God, from Your bounty You provided for the poor.
11The Lord gives the command;
a great company of women proclaim it:
12“Kings and their armies flee in haste;
she who waits at home divides the plunder.
13Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
the wings of the dove are covered with silver,
and her feathers with shimmering gold.”
14When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land,
it was like the snow falling on Zalmon.
15A mountain of God is Mount Bashan;
a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.
16Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain God chose for His dwelling,
where the Lord will surely dwell forever.
17The chariots of God are tens of thousands—
thousands of thousands are they;
the Lord is in His sanctuary
as He was at Sinai.
18You have ascended on high;
You have led captives away.
You have received gifts from men,
even from the rebellious,
that the Lord God may dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears our burden,
the God of our salvation.
Selah
20Our God is a God of deliverance;
the Lord God is our rescuer from death.
21Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.
22The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan,
I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,
23that your foot may be dipped
in the blood of your foes—
the tongues of your dogs in the same.”
24They have seen Your procession, O God—
the march of my God and King into the sanctuary.
25The singers lead the way,
the musicians follow after,
among the maidens playing tambourines.
26Bless God in the great congregation;
bless the Lord from the fountain of Israel.
27There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them,
the princes of Judah in their company,
28Summon Your power, O God;
show Your strength, O God,
which You have exerted on our behalf.
29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring You gifts.
30Rebuke the beast in the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations,
until it submits, bringing bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.
31Envoys will arrive from Egypt;
Cush will stretch out her hands to God.
32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
sing praises to the Lord—
Selah
33to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old;
behold, His mighty voice resounds.
34Ascribe the power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose strength is in the skies.
35O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary;
the God of Israel Himself
gives strength and power to His people.
Blessed be God!
Footnotes (6)
- a v4 Or rides through the deserts
- b v14 Hebrew Shaddai
- c v17 Or the Lord has come from Sinai in His holiness
- d v18 Cited in Ephesians 4:8
- e v28 LXX and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned your power
- f v31 That is, the upper Nile region
Study notes on this chapter · 1
QuotationLinked by the New Testament
When he ascended on high he led captives
Paul quotes a psalm picturing God going up to his mountain with captives, and says it speaks of Christ's ascent and gifts to the church. Where the Hebrew text says God 'received gifts among people', Paul says he 'gave gifts', a difference discussed at length by commentators.
When: A psalm of David; Ephesians, c. AD 60–62.
Original passagePsalms 68:18
Where the New Testament applies itEphesians 4:7–13
Ways people read this (3)
- Paul adapts the victory-procession picture: the conqueror receives tribute and then distributes it.
- Paul follows an ancient interpretive tradition (attested in the Aramaic targum) that reads the verb as 'gave'.
- The captives are variously read as powers defeated by Christ or as people freed by him.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.