Psalm 68
Rejoice before the LORD.
REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.
VERSE 1. Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.
VERSE 2. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
Mountains are among the most solid things we know. Yet before the awesome power of the LORD God, they will melt. And so will our troubles. Read more »
VERSE 3. But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
NET translation. But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy.
ICEL translation. The just shall rejoice at the presence of God, they shall exult and dance for joy.
VERSE 4. Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to the LORD, his name! Rejoice before him!
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! That is …
MSG translation. “Enjoy GOD, cheer when you see him!”
NAB translation. “Sing to God, praise the divine name”
the divine name. The Divine Name refers to the Hebrew word יהוה. Scholars call it the Tetragrammaton. They transliterate it as YHWH. Nobody knows how to pronounce it. Read more »
rides on the clouds. This had been an ancient epithet of the Canaanite storm god. David applies it to the LORD.
VERSE 5. A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
VERSE 6. God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
VERSE 7. God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness … Selah.
VERSE 8. The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai—at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
VERSE 9. You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.
VERSE 10. Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
VERSE 11. The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.
VERSE 12. “Kings of armies flee! They flee!” She who waits at home divides the plunder,
VERSE 13. while you sleep among the camp fires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.
VERSE 14. When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.
VERSE 15. The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
VERSE 16. Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever.
the mountain where God chooses to reign. This is understood to be Mount Zion.
VERSE 17. The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
VERSE 18. You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there.
You have ascended on high. Paul expands upon this in Ephesians chapter 4:
Ephesians 4:8. Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”
Ephesians 4:9. Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10. He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
VERSE 19. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
VERSE 20. God is to us a God of deliverance. To the LORD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
VERSE 21. But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
VERSE 22. The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea;
VERSE 23. That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
VERSE 24. They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
VERSE 25. The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, among the ladies playing with tambourines,
VERSE 26. “Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”
VERSE 27. There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
VERSE 28. Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
VERSE 29. Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.
VERSE 30. Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war.
VERSE 31. Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
VERSE 32. Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.
VERSE 33. To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
VERSE 34. Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.
VERSE 35. You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!
gives strength and power to his people. Thank God for that!
PSALMS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Deuterocanonical chapter: 151
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David’s Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.