Psalms 68:15-19

The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.

-God has chosen Zion whereon to dwell forever, with His countless chariots, in spite of all the resistance of the pagan. This He has shown by the victory just given to His people; therefore, blessed be the Lord.

Verse 15. The hill of God (is as) the hill of Bashan; all high hill, (as) the hill of Bashan. So Zion is called "the hill of the Lord," Psalms 24:3; but it is not likely that the greatness of Zion should be illustrated by the physical height of the hill of God-opposed Bashan, a representative of the world-hills. Rather, a hill of God (a Hebraism for a great hill), an high hill, (is) the hill of Bashan. But high as it is, mount Zion, being the habitation of God, is, in a moral point of view, infinitely higher (Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 8:6). The world's physical greatness must yield to the Church's spiritual grandeur. The "hill of God" is here an emblem of the world-kingdoms, which (Psalms 65:6) are great only by the grace of God. A great hill reminds us of the creative power of God. Hence, 'the hill of 'Elohiym (H430)' (the general name of God as the Creator), stands in contrast to the hill which (Psalms 68:16) 'the Lord' ( Yahweh (H3068)) will dwell in forever. It lay in the north of the region east of Jordan, or the land of Hermon, the kingdom of Og, the most formidable enemy whom Israel encountered on their march to Canaan. 'The hill of Basan is the high snow-summit of Anti-Lebanon, or Hermon, the extreme limit of Basan. There was a special propriety, from its position on the boundary between Judea and the pagan world, in employing it as a symbol, of the world's might (Psalms 68:22; Psalms 42:6; Psalms 89:12)' (Hengstenberg). The original name of Hermon was Sion; i:e., lofty (Deuteronomy 4:48); allied in sound to Zion, which suggested the contrast here between the world-hills and the Lord's hill.

Verse 16. Why leap ye, ye high hllls? - namely, with envious desire of destroying the hill which God loves, and of setting yourselves up above it х tªratsªduwn (H7520); the same as waaqad, to leap with joy or pride]. But Jerome translates, 'Why do ye look with suspicion?' In Arabic it means to watch against, to lay snares. I prefer, therefore, with Cocceius, Maurer, etc., 'Why do ye watch with hostile, envious intent?' [So the Greek, teerein (G5083), parateerein (G3906), Luke 6:7.] The Septuagint translate, 'suspect.' The Chaldaic, supports the English version. "High hills" - literally, 'mountains-summits;' i:e., not merely one hill, but mountain ranges. The "why," as in Psalms 2:1, points to the suicidal folly of the enmity of the world-kingdoms.

Yea, (for) the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell (among them). The word "rebellious," which explains the previous "men," shows that 'among men' is not gifts to be distributed among David's people. but gifts received among David's enemies just vanquished, God being the real conqueror and receiver, David only the instrument. In Gospel application, the human enemies subdued by grace are one with those unto whom the gifts are given, the rebellious being converted into the obedient. The "rebellious" in David's case are the refractory Ammonites, who had persisted in opposition, even after God had plainly shown that He was on Israel's side. The words "among them" are not in the Hebrew. Translate, 'yea, among the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell'-namely, among His people on Zion (corresponding to which, antitypically, is God now dwelling in His Church, the temple of the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 6:16), as Psalms 68:16 shows, 'yea, the Lord will dwell (in Zion) forever.' Contrast "the rebellious dwell in a dry land" (Psalms 68:6). The rebellious are not here regarded as objects of grace, but of punishment (Psalms 66:7).

Verse 19. Blessed (be) the Lord, (who) daily loadeth us (with benefits, even) the God of our salvation. From the particular benefit the Psalmist rises to the universal, praising God as the Saviour of His Church. "Loadeth" may refer to a burden of calamities, not benefits. 'Blessed be the Lord daily: (when) He layeth burdens on us, (yet) He is the God of our salvation.' The Hebrew accent upon us distinguishes that clause from the following. The God who wounds is the same who also heals the wound (1 Samuel 2:6). So in Psalms 68:20, He who inflicts death also bestows "the issues from death." So De Dieu. The Chaldaic takes it, 'He loadeth us with precept upon precept.' Compare "My burden is light" (Matthew 11:30). Hengstenberg translates 'Men lay burdens on us; the Lord is our Salvation.' I prefer this, as forming the subject of the strophe which it introduces.