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1God springs into action![#tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.]
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries run from him.
2As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away.[#tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”]
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
3But the godly are happy;[#tn By placing the subject first the psalmist highlights the contrast between God’s ecstatic people and his defeated enemies (vv. 1-2).]
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy.
4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds!
For the Lord is his name!
Rejoice before him!
5He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows.
God rules from his holy palace.
6God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes;[#tn Heb “God causes the solitary ones to dwell in a house.” The participle suggests this is what God typically does.]
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity.
But sinful rebels live in the desert.
7O God, when you lead your people into battle,[#tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).]
when you march through the desert, (Selah)
8the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9O God, you cause abundant showers to fall on your chosen people.[#tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).; #tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.]
When they are tired, you sustain them,
10for you live among them.[#tn The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear; it appears to read, “your animals, they live in it,” but this makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some suggest that חָיָּה (khayah) is a rare homonym here, meaning “community” (BDB 312 s.v.) or “dwelling place” (HALOT 310 s.v. III *הַיָּה). In this case one may take “your community/dwelling place” as appositional to the third feminine singular pronominal suffix at the end of v. 9, the antecedent of which is “your inheritance.” The phrase יָשְׁבוּ־בָהּ (yashvu-vah, “they live in it”) may then be understood as an asyndetic relative clause modifying “your community/dwelling place.” A literal translation of vv. 9b-10a would be, “when it [your inheritance] is tired, you sustain it, your community/dwelling place in [which] they live.”]
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
11The Lord speaks;[#tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.]
many, many women spread the good news.
12Kings leading armies run away – they run away![#tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.]
The lovely lady of the house divides up the loot.
13When you lie down among the sheepfolds,[#tn Or “if.”; #tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.]
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold.
14When the sovereign judge scatters kings,[#tn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (“Shaddai”). Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life, blesses and kills, and judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses (protects) and takes away life and/or happiness.; #tn The Hebrew text adds “in it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix may refer back to God’s community/dwelling place (v. 10).]
let it snow on Zalmon!
15The mountain of Bashan is a towering mountain;[#sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.; #tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”]
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks.
16Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,[#tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).; #tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.]
at the mountain where God has decided to live?
Indeed the Lord will live there permanently!
17God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands.
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor.
18You ascend on high,[#tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.]
you have taken many captives.
You receive tribute from men,
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed the Lord God lives there!
19The Lord deserves praise![#tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”]
Day after day he carries our burden,
the God who delivers us. (Selah)
20Our God is a God who delivers;
the Lord , the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death.
21Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion.
22The Lord says,
“I will retrieve them from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23so that your feet may stomp in their blood,[#tc Some (e.g. NRSV) prefer to emend מָחַץ (makhats, “smash; stomp”; see v. 21) to רָחַץ (rakhats, “bathe”; see Ps 58:10).]
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.”
24They see your processions, O God –[#tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.]
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor.
25Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments,
in the midst of young women playing tambourines.
26In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord , in the assemblies of Israel!
27There is little Benjamin, their ruler,[#sn Little Benjamin, their ruler. This may allude to the fact that Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin.]
and the princes of Judah in their robes,
along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
28God has decreed that you will be powerful.[#tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).]
O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,
29as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem![#tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.]
Kings bring tribute to you.
30Sound your battle cry against the wild beast of the reeds,[#tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts such as Ps 68 this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.; #sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.]
and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls!
They humble themselves and offer gold and silver as tribute.
God scatters the nations that like to do battle.
31They come with red cloth from Egypt,[#tn This noun, which occurs only here in the OT, apparently means “red cloth” or “bronze articles” (see HALOT 362 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NEB “tribute”). Traditionally the word has been taken to refer to “nobles” (see BDB 365 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NIV “envoys”). Another option would be to emend the text to הַשְׁמַנִּים (hashmannim, “the robust ones,” i.e., leaders).]
Ethiopia voluntarily offers tribute to God.
32O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah)
33to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times![#tc Heb “to the one who rides through the skies of skies of ancient times.” If the MT is retained, one might translate, “to the one who rides through the ancient skies.” (שְׁמֵי [shÿmey, “skies of”] may be accidentally repeated.) The present translation assumes an emendation to בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִקֶּדֶם (bashamayim miqqedem, “[to the one who rides] through the sky from ancient times”), that is, God has been revealing his power through the storm since ancient times.]
Look! He thunders loudly.
34Acknowledge God’s power,[#tn Heb “give strength to God.”]
his sovereignty over Israel,
and the power he reveals in the skies!
35You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple![#tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).]
It is the God of Israel who gives the people power and strength.
God deserves praise!