Psalm 68 Bible Commentary

68:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm [or] Song of David.» Let God ^a arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

(a) The prophet shows that even though God permits the wicked tyrants to oppress his Church for a time, yet eventually he will take revenge on them.

68:3 ^b But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

(b) He shows that when God declares his power against the wicked, it is for the convenience and salvation of his Church, who praise him for it.

68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name ^c JAH, and rejoice before him.

(c) Jah and Jehovah are the names of God, signifying his incomprehensible essence and majesty, so that by this it is declared that all idols are vanity and that the God of Israel is the only true God.

68:6 God ^d setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a ^e dry [land].

(d) He gives children to those who are childless, and increases their families.
(e) Which is devoid of God's blessings, which before they had abused.

68:7 ^f O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:

(f) He teaches that God's favour belongs specifically to his Church as appears by their wonderful deliverance out of Egypt.

68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy ^g goodness for the poor.

(g) God blessed the land of Canaan, because he had chosen that place for his Church.

68:11 The Lord gave the word: great [was] the company of ^h those that published [it].

(h) The fashion then was that women sang songs after the victory, as did Miriam, Deborah, Judith and others.

68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and ⁱ she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

(i) The prayer was so great, that not only the soldiers, but the women also had part of it.

68:13 Though ye have lien among the ^k pots, [yet shall ye be as] the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

(k) Though God permits his Church for a time to lie in black darkness, yet he will restore it, and make it most shining and white.

68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings ^l in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.

(l) In the land of Canaan, where his Church was.

68:15 ^m The hill of God [is as] the hill of Bashan; an high hill [as] the hill of Bashan.

(m) Zion the Church of God exceeds all worldly things, not in pomp and outward show, but by the inward grace of God, which remains because of his dwelling there.

68:16 ⁿ Why leap ye, ye high hills? [this is] the hill [which] God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell [in it] for ever.

(n) Why do you boast of your strength and beauty against this Mountain of God.

68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast ^o led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, [for] the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell [among them].

(o) As God overcame the enemy of his Church, took them prisoners, and made them tributaries: so Christ, which is God manifested in the flesh, subdued Satan and sin under us, and gave to his Church most liberal gifts of his Spirit, (Ephesians 4:8).

68:20 [He that is] our God [is] the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord [belong] the ^p issues from death.

(p) Even in most extreme dangers, God has infinite ways to deliver his.

68:22 The Lord said, I will bring again from ^q Bashan, I will bring [my people] again from the depths of the sea:

(q) As he delivered his Church once from Og of Bashan and other tyrants and from the danger of the Red Sea, so will he still do as often as it is necessary.

68:23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of [thine] enemies, [and] the tongue of thy dogs ^r in the same.

(r) That is, in the blood of that great slaughter, where dogs will lap blood.

68:24 They have seen ^s thy goings, O God; [even] the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

(s) That is, how you who are chief King goes out with your people to war, and gives them the victory.

68:25 The ^t singers went before, the players on instruments [followed] after; among [them were] the damsels playing with timbrels.

(t) He describes the order of the people, when they went to the temple to give thanks for the victory.

68:26 Bless ye God in the congregations, [even] the Lord, from the fountain ^u of Israel.

(u) Who come of the patriarch Jacob.

68:27 There [is] ^x little Benjamin [with] their ^y ruler, the princes of Judah [and] their council, the princes of Zebulun, [and] the princes of Naphtali.

(x) Benjamin is called little, because he was the youngest son of Jacob.
(y) Who was some chief ruler of the tribe.

68:29 ^z Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

(z) Declare out of your holy palace your power for the defence of your Church Jerusalem.

68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, [till every one] ^a submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people [that] delight in war.

(a) He desires that the pride of the mighty may be destroyed, who were accustomed to garnishing their shoes with silver, and therefore for their glittering pomp thought themselves above all men.

68:31 Princes shall come out ^b of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

(b) He prophecies that the Gentiles will come to the true knowledge and worship of God.

68:33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, [which were] of old; lo, he doth send out his ^c voice, [and that] a mighty voice.

(c) By his terrible thunders he will make himself be known as the God of all the world.

68:35 O God, [thou art] ^d terrible out of thy holy ^e places: the God of Israel [is] he that giveth strength and power unto [his] people. Blessed [be] God.

(d) In showing fearful judgments against your enemies for the salvation of your people.
(e) He alludes to the tabernacle which was divided in three parts.