# Psalm 68



## jw (Nov 15, 2005)

Psalm 68 
To the chief Musician,
A Psalm or Song of David. 
Perhaps this psalm was composed on the same occasion as the 24th and 47th, when David brought up the ark of God to that tabernacle, which he had pitched for it in Zion, 2 Sam. 6. We have in it, (1.) Fervent supplications that God would scatter and defeat the projects of his enemies, ver. 1-2. (2.) High praises to God for his infinite greatness and grace; his righteous relieving of the afflicted and oppressed; his directing of Israel in the Arabian desert; his manifesting of his glory at Sinai; his comfortable providing for his people in the wilderness, and in Canaan, ver. 3-10; and for his easy conquest of their Canaanitish enemies; his fixing his temple on mount Zion; for the ascension of Christ to glory, to receive gifts for men; and for the spread of the gospel among Jews and Gentiles, by means of the apostles; while the obstinate Jews are severely punished, ver. 11-32; and, in fine, for his superior dominion; his awful majesty; his mighty power; for the glory of his sanctuary, and the grace he bestows upon his people, ver. 33-35. 

While I sing, let me behold, let me admire, what God is, and hath done for, and to my soul, and to the church of God, of which I am a member. Let me behold what God hath done, in instances unnumbered, in prosecution of the covenant he made with his eternal Son. 

1 Let God arise, and scattered
let all his en'mies be;
And let all those that do him hate
before his presence flee.

2 As smoke is driv'n, so drive thou them;
as fire melts wax away,
Before God's face let wicked men
so perish and decay.

3 But let the righteous be glad:
let them before God's sight
Be very joyful; yea, let them
rejoice with all their might.

4 To God sing, to his name sing praise;
extol him with your voice,
That rides on heav'n, by his name Jah,
before his face rejoice.

5 Because the Lord a father is
unto the fatherless;
God is the widow's judge, within
his place of holiness.

6 God doth the solitary set
in fam'lies: and from bands
The chain'd doth free; but rebels do
inhabit parched lands.

7 O God, what time thou didst go forth
before thy people's face;
And when through the great wilderness
thy glorious marching was;

8 Then at God's presence shook the earth,
then drops from heaven fell;
This Sinai shook before the Lord,
the God of Israel.

9 O God, thou to thine heritage
didst send a plenteous rain,
Whereby thou, when it weary was,
didst it refresh again.

10 Thy congregation then did make
their habitation there:
Of thine own goodness for the poor,
O God, thou didst prepare.

11 The Lord himself did give the word,
the word abroad did spread;
Great was the company of them
the same who published.

12 Kings of great armies foiled were,
and forc'd to flee away;
And women, who remain'd at home,
did distribute the prey.

13 Though ye have lien among the pots,
like doves ye shall appear,
Whose wings with silver, and with gold
whose feathers cover'd are.

14 When there th' Almighty scatter'd kings,
like Salmon's snow 'twas white.
15 God's hill is like to Bashan hill,
like Bashan hill for height.

16 Why do ye leap, ye mountains high?
this is the hill where God
Desires to dwell; yea, God in it
for aye will make abode.

17 God's chariots twenty thousand are,
thousands of angels strong;
In's holy place God is, as in
mount Sinai, them among.

18 Thou hast, O Lord, most glorious,
ascended up on high;
And in triumph victorious led
captive captivity:

Thou hast received gifts for men,
for such as did rebel;
Yea, ev'n for them, that God the Lord
in midst of them might dwell.

19 Bless'd be the Lord, who is to us
of our salvation God;
Who daily with his benefits
us plenteously doth load.

20 He of salvation is the God,
who is our God most strong;
And unto God the Lord from death
the issues do belong.

21 But surely God shall wound the head
of those that are his foes;
The hairy scalp of him that still
on in his trespass goes.

22 God said, My people I will bring
again from Bashan hill;
Yea, from the sea's devouring depths
them bring again I will;

23 That in the blood of enemies
thy foot imbru'd may be,
And of thy dogs dipp'd in the same
the tongues thou mayest see.

24 Thy goings they have seen, O God;
the steps of majesty
Of my God, and my mighty King,
within the sanctuary.

25 Before went singers, players next
on instruments took way;
And them among the damsels were
that did on timbrels play.

26 Within the congregations
bless God with one accord:
From Isr'el's fountain do ye bless 
and praise the mighty Lord.

27 With their prince, little Benjamin,
princes and council there
Of Judah were, there Zabulon's
and Napht'li's princes were.

28 Thy God commands thy strength; make strong
what thou wrought'st for us, Lord.
29 For thy house at Jerusalem
kings shall thee gifts afford.

30 The spearmen's host, the multitude
of bulls, which fiercely look,
Those calves which people have forth sent,
O Lord our God, rebuke,

Till ev'ry one submit himself,
and silver pieces bring:
The people that delight in war
disperse, O God and King.

31 Those that be princes great shall then
come out of Egypt lands;
And Ethiopia to God
shall soon stretch out her hands.

32 O all ye kingdoms of the earth,
sing praises to this King;
For he is Lord that ruleth all,
unto him praises sing.

33 To him that rides on heav'ns of heav'ns,
which he of old did found;
Lo, he sends out his voice, a voice
in might that doth abound.

34 Strength unto God do ye ascribe;
 for his excellency
Is over Israel, his strength
is in the clouds most high.

35 Thou'rt from thy temple dreadful, Lord;
Isr'el's own God is he,
Who gives his people strength and pow'r:
O let God blessed be.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 15, 2005)

In the French Wars of Religion, Psalm 68 was known as the "Huguenot Marseillaise."

_Que Dieu se montre seulement
Et l'on verra dans un moment
Abandonner la place ;
Le camp des enncmics epars,
Epouvante de toutes parts,
Fuira devant sa face_


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## LarryCook (Nov 15, 2005)

It's a small world...last week during a workout at the gym I met a Christian named Omar on the day that I had, that morning, read from Psalm 65 through 70. And although I didn't see him before I left it was my intention to suggest that he read, you guessed it, Psalm 68.

When I see him again I'll definitely suggest it.

Larry


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 20, 2005)

*The Comprehensive Psalter sets Psalm 68:1-8 to the tune ASPURG (CM, JOHANN GEORG FRECH). Text below is as it is in the CP. Download tune below text.

Psalm 68:1-8

To the chief Musician,
A Psalm or Song of David.*

mf 1 Let God arise, and scattered let all his en´mies be;
And let all those that do him hate before his presence flee.
2 As smoke is driv´n, so drive thou them; as fire melts wax away,
Before God´s face let wicked men so perish and decay.

f 3 But let the righteous be glad: let them before God´s sight
Be very joyful; yea, let them rejoice with all their might.
4 To God sing, to his name sing praise; extol him with your voice,
That rides on heav´n, by his name Jah, before his face rejoice.

m 5 Because the Lord a father is unto the fatherless;
God is the widow´s judge, within his place of holiness.
6 God doth the solitary set in fam´lies: and from bands
The chain´d doth free; but rebels do inhabit parched lands.

mf 7 O God, what time thou didst go forth before thy people´s face;
And when through the great wilderness thy glorious marching was;
8 Then at God´s presence shook the earth, then drops from heaven fell;
This Sinai shook before the Lord, the God of Israel.


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 20, 2005)

*The Comprehensive Psalter sets Psalm 68:9-17 to the tune ST ANNE (CM, WILLIAM CROFT). Text below is as it is in the CP. Download tune below text.

Psalm 68:9-17*

m 9 O God, thou to thine heritage didst send a plenteous rain,
Whereby thou, when it weary was, didst it refresh again.
10 Thy congregation then did make their habitation there:
Of thine own goodness for the poor, O God, thou didst prepare.

11 The Lord himself did give the word, the word abroad did spread;
Great was the company of them the same who published.
12 Kings of great armies foiled were, and forc´d to flee away;
And women, who remain´d at home, did distribute the prey.

13 Though ye have lien among the pots, like doves ye shall appear,
Whose wings with silver, and with gold whose feathers cover´d are.
mf 14 When there th´ Almighty scatter´d kings, like Salmon´s snow ´twas white.
15 God´s hill is like to Bashan hill, like Bashan hill for height.

16 Why do ye leap, ye mountains high? this is the hill where God
Desires to dwell; yea, God in it for aye will make abode.
f 17 God´s chariots twenty thousand are, thousands of angels strong;
In´s holy place God is, as in mount Sinai, them among.

[Edited on 11-21-2005 by NaphtaliPress]


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 20, 2005)

*The Comprehensive Psalter sets Psalm 68:18-26 to the tune PEMBROKE (CMR, THOMAS CLARK). Text below is as it is in the CP. Download tune below text.

Psalm 68:18-26*

f 18 Thou hast, O Lord, most glorious, ascended up on high;
ff And in triumph victorious led captive captivity:
mf Thou hast received gifts for men, for such as did rebel;
Yea, ev´n for them, that God the Lord in midst of them might dwell.

19 Bless´d be the Lord, who is to us of our salvation God;
Who daily with his benefits us plenteously doth load.
20 He of salvation is the God, who is our God most strong;
And unto God the Lord from death the issues do belong.

21 But surely God shall wound the head of those that are his foes;
The hairy scalp of him that still on in his trespass goes.
22 God said, My people I will bring again from Bashan hill;
Yea, from the sea´s devouring depths them bring again I will;

23 That in the blood of enemies thy foot imbru´d may be,
And of thy dogs dipp´d in the same the tongues thou mayest see.
24 Thy goings they have seen, O God; the steps of majesty
Of my God, and my mighty King, within the sanctuary

25 Before went singers, players next on instruments took way;
And them among the damsels were that did on timbrels play.
26 Within the congregations bless God with one accord:
From Isr´el´s fountain do ye bless and praise the mighty Lord.

[Edited on 11-21-2005 by NaphtaliPress]


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 20, 2005)

*The Comprehensive Psalter sets Psalm 68:27-35 to the tune ELIJAH (CM, JOHN CAMPBELL). Text below is as it is in the CP. Download tune below text.

Psalm 68:27-35*

mf 27 With their prince, little Benjamin, princes and council there
Of Judah were, there Zabulon´s and Napht´li´s princes were.
28 Thy God commands thy strength; make strong what thou wrought´st for us, Lord.
29 For thy house at Jerusalem kings shall thee gifts afford.

30 The spearmen´s host, the multitude of bulls, which fiercely look,
Those calves which people have forth sent, O Lord our God, rebuke,
Till ev´ry one submit himself, and silver pieces bring:
The people that delight in war disperse, O God and King.

31 Those that be princes great shall then come out of Egypt lands;
And Ethiopia to God shall soon stretch out her hands.
f 32 O all ye kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to this King;
For he is Lord that ruleth all, unto him praises sing.

33 To him that rides on heav´ns of heav´ns, which he of old did found;
Lo, he sends out his voice, a voice in might that doth abound.
34 Strength unto God do ye ascribe; for his excellency
Is over Israel, his strength is in the clouds most high.

35 Thou´rt from thy temple dreadful, Lord; Isr´el´s own God is he,
Who gives his people strength and pow´r: O let God blessed be.


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