INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 68 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, A PSALM [OR] SONG OF DAVID. The Targum makes the argument of this psalm to be the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; in which it is followed by many of the Jewish interpreters: but Aben Ezra reject... [ Continue Reading ]
LET GOD ARISE,.... Which, as Kimchi observes, is either by way of prayer, or by way of prophecy; and in either way the sense is the same: for, if it is considered as a prayer, it is a prayer of faith that so it would be; or, if as a prophecy, it is certain that so it should be. And this is to be und... [ Continue Reading ]
AS SMOKE IS DRIVEN AWAY, SO DRIVE [THEM] AWAY,.... This both describes the character of wicked men, Christ's enemies; as their darkness and ignorance, their will worship and superstition, and their detestableness to God, Revelation 9:2; and the manner of their destruction; which is as easily brought... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT LET THE RIGHTEOUS BE GLAD,.... At the incarnation of Christ, which is matter of joy to all people that believe in him; as did Zacharias and Elisabeth, who were both righteous, and also Simeon; and at his resurrection from the dead, since it is for their justification, by which they are denominat... [ Continue Reading ]
SING UNTO GOD,.... Manifest in the flesh, risen from the dead, ascended on high, set down at the right hand of his divine Father; having exerted his great strength in their redemption; and therefore should sing the song of redeeming love, with grace and melody in their hearts, unto him; SING PRAISE... [ Continue Reading ]
A FATHER OF THE FATHERLESS,.... In a literal sense, so as to show mercy to them, take care of then, and protect them; and this is a character which the great God often assumes, partly to express his power and providence over such, and partly to signify his tenderness, mercy, and goodness to them; an... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD SETTETH THE SOLITARY IN FAMILIES,.... Which the Jewish writers generally understand of an increase of families, with children in lawful marriage; see Psalms 113:9; an instance of which we have in Abraham and Sarah; from which single or solitary ones, when joined in marriage, sprung a numerous of... [ Continue Reading ]
O GOD, WHEN THOU WENTEST FORTH BEFORE THY PEOPLE,.... In the pillar of cloud, and in the pillar of fire, as the Targum adds; and this divine Person was the Son of God, the Angel of his presence, in whom his name was, even his name JAH or Jehovah before mentioned; WHEN THOU DIDST MARCH THROUGH THE W... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH SHOOK,.... Not only about Sinai, but in other places; see Psalms 114:1. It may also design the dread and trembling of the inhabitants of the earth, when they heard of the wonderful things God did for his people, Exodus 15:14; THE HEAVENS ALSO DROPPED AT THE PRESENCE OF GOD; the Targum sup... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU, O GOD, DIDST SEND A PLENTIFUL RAIN,.... Not of water literally taken, as when the Israelites passed through the sea, Psalms 77:17; or when the thunderings and lightnings were on Mount Sinai, at the giving of the law, which are commonly attended with rain, Exodus 19:16; or in the land of Cana... [ Continue Reading ]
THY CONGREGATION HATH DWELT THEREIN,.... That is, in the Lord's inheritance, in the midst of his church and people. The word for "congregation" signifies "beasts" or "living creatures" w: some understand them of the Gentiles, who, before the Gospel came among them, were comparable to such; but, unde... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD GAVE THE WORD,.... The word of the Gospel to his apostles. He committed the word of reconciliation to them; he intrusted them with it, as a sacred depositum; he gave gifts unto them, qualifying them for the ministration of it; he gave them a commission to preach it; and he gave them a door... [ Continue Reading ]
KINGS OF ARMIES DID FLEE APACE,.... Or "they fled, they fled" y; or "they flee, they flee". This is either the subject matter of the word "published", the words of the publishers so saying; or the effect of the publication of the Gospel: for though some, by these kings of armies, understand the apos... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH YE HAVE LAIN AMONG THE POTS,.... Kimchi takes these words to be the words of the women, or of the psalmist addressing the Israelites going out to war; that though they should lie in a low, dark, and disagreeable place, in the camp, in the open field, exposed to wind and weather; yet they shou... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE ALMIGHTY SCATTERED KINGS IN IT,.... His inheritance, his congregation, the church, Psalms 68:9. Which some understand of his diffusing, and spreading and giving, in large numbers, ministers and preachers of the Gospel, pastors and teachers; who are kings and spiritual governors, are over ch... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HILL OF GOD [IS AS] THE HILL OF BASHAN,.... The church is the hill of God, an excellent and supereminent one, and in which he dwells, as is said in Psalms 68:16; called an hill for its visibility, and especially as it will be in the latter day, when it will be established and exalted above the m... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY LEAP YE, YE HIGH HILLS?.... Meaning the kingdoms of this world that lift up themselves above, and look with contempt upon the interest, kingdom, and church of Christ; lie in wait for it, leap upon it, insult over it, and endeavour to crush and extirpate it; but all in vain; these high hills and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHARIOTS OF GOD [ARE] TWENTY THOUSAND,.... By which are meant the angels, as the following clause shows; called "chariots", because they have appeared in such a form, 2 Kings 2:11; and because, like chariots of war, they are the strength and protection of the Lord's people; and because of their... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST ASCENDED ON HIGH,.... Which is to be understood, not of Moses ascending up to the firmament, as the Targum and Jarchi interpret it, of which we nowhere read; nor of David's going up to the high fortresses, as Aben Ezra; nor of God's ascent from Mount Sinai; but of Christ's ascension to hea... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE THE LORD, WHO DAILY LOADETH US [WITH BENEFITS],.... With all spiritual blessings, with an abundance of grace, as well as with temporal mercies, for which he is, and ought to be, praised day by day: so Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply the text, and suppose the word "blessings" or "goodness" to... [ Continue Reading ]
[HE THAT IS] OUR GOD,.... Or "God for us" q; is on our side; and is the mighty God, able to save to the uttermost; [IS] THE GOD OF SALVATION; or "God for salvations" r; for the obtaining of them for his people, and giving them to them, even of every kind; AND UNTO GOD THE LORD [BELONG] THE ISSUES... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GOD SHALL WOUND THE HEAD OF HIS ENEMIES,.... Him who is the chief of his enemies, even Satan the prince of devils, the god of the world, the father of the wicked Jews, all enemies of Christ; to "wound" is the same as to bruise him, as in Genesis 3:15; and so the Targum here, "but God shall brea... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SAID,.... Within himself, in his own heart; he resolved upon it in his mind; or he said it in council and in covenant; he undertook and engaged to do what follows; or he spoke of it in promise and in prophecy, as what would be done; I WILL BRING AGAIN FROM BASHAN; as he delivered his peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THY FOOT MAY BE DIPPED IN THE BLOOD OF [THINE] ENEMIES,.... This verse is in connection with Psalms 68:21, with Psalms 68:23 being to be read in a parenthesis: the sense is, that the Messiah would so wound the head and hairy scalp of his people's enemies, and there should be such a large effusi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE SEEN THY GOINGS, O GOD,.... In saving his people, and destroying his enemies; [EVEN] THE GOINGS OF MY GOD, MY KING, IN THE SANCTUARY; the walk and conversation of Christ, when he was made flesh, and dwelt among men; his manner of life and deportment; his works and miracles, his sufferings... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SINGERS WENT BEFORE,.... The apostles and ministers of the word, the sweet singers of Israel, the charmers that charm so very wisely: the Gospel is a joyful sound; it is like vocal music, harmonious and delightful; it is as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, as Ezekiel's minis... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESS YE GOD IN THE CONGREGATIONS,.... This was what they said as they sung and played; they called upon the churches, and the members of them, and upon one another, to bless the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh; not by invoking or bestowing a blessing on him, which cannot be, and of whi... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE [IS] LITTLE BENJAMIN, [WITH] THEIR RULER,.... Or who is "their ruler" y; that is, in the congregations or churches, where he was a ruler; or in the procession, the triumphal progress of Christ in Judea, and in the Gentile world, by the ministry of the word; where the singers and players of ins... [ Continue Reading ]
THY GOD HATH COMMANDED THY STRENGTH,.... Which is either an apostrophe or an address to the Messiah, as in Psalms 45:7; declaring, that as his God and Father had purposed and promised to send forth, so he had sent forth, the rod of his strength out of Zion, Psalms 110:1; that is, his Gospel, both in... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE OF THY TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM,.... Not the material temple there, which was not in being in David's time, but was built by his son, and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar; and though it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, repaired by Herod, and was the Messiah's temple, into which he entered as the Lord and pr... [ Continue Reading ]
REBUKE THE COMPANY OF SPEARMEN,.... Or, "of the reed" d; that is, men that use and fight with spears, like to reeds, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it. Aben Ezra says, that spears are so called in the Kedarene or Arabian language; and the Arabians use a sort of reed for a spear, as Mr. Castel ou... [ Continue Reading ]
PRINCES SHALL COME OUT OF EGYPT,.... The Vulgate Latin and all the Oriental versions render it "ambassadors". This verse is a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, under the names of Egypt and Ethiopia; which will be at the same time that the kings of the earth will become Christians, and anti... [ Continue Reading ]
SING UNTO GOD, YE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH,.... Not only the Egyptian and Ethiopian kingdoms, but all the kingdoms of the world; which will now be converted to Christ, and become his, even all the Papal, Pagan, and Mahometan kingdoms; see Revelation 11:15. These are called upon to sing songs and hymns... [ Continue Reading ]
TO HIM THAT RIDETH UPON THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS, [WHICH WERE] OF OLD,.... Or "eastward" q; the first, second, and third heavens, which were created from the beginning of time by Christ himself, Psalms 102:25 compared with Hebrews 1:10. These he rode upon when he ascended on high, even far above all h... [ Continue Reading ]
ASCRIBE YE STRENGTH UNTO GOD,.... The Messiah; by asserting him to be the mighty God, even the Almighty; by attributing works of strength and power to him: such as the creation of all things; upholding all things in their being; the redemption and preservation of his people; the resurrection of the... [ Continue Reading ]
O GOD, [THOU ART] TERRIBLE,.... In his judgments and acts of vengeance, on antichrist and the antichristian states; being the Lion of the tribe of Judah, that will break them to pieces as a potter's vessel: or "reverend" s; to be feared and worshipped by his saints; OUT OF THY HOLY PLACES; both out... [ Continue Reading ]