2 That thy way may be known in the earth, Thy salvation among all the heathen.

3

Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let the peoples praise thee, all of them.

4 Let the nations be glad and shout for joy;

5

6

For thou wilt judge the peoples righteously,

And the nations in the earth, thou wilt guide them. (Pause.) Let the peoples praise thee, O God;

Let the peoples praise thee, all of them.

The earth has yielded her increase; God, our God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us;

And all the ends of the earth will fear him.

1

PSALM LXVIII.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

LET God arise, let his enemies be scattered ;
And let them that hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven, thou wilt drive them;
As wax is melted before the fire,

The wicked shall perish before God.

3 But the righteous shall be glad ;

4

They shall exult before God,

And shall rejoice with gladness.

Sing to God; sing praise to his name.

Cast up a way for him that rides through the deserts,

By his name, JAH, and triumph before him.

V. 4. Cast up a way.] As a preparation for the march of a king and his armies, over pathless wastes. Compare Is. 40: 3, 4.

V. 4, 3d member. By his name, Jah.] In the character denoted by it and the power implied in it. This abbreviation of JEHOVAH, frequent in the Psalms, is found in the song of Moses and the children of Israel, Ex. 15 : 2 (properly, "Jah is my strength and song"); and in ch. 17: 16 (properly Jah, instead of Lord, in the first instance).

10

5

A father of the orphans, and a judge of the widows, Is God in his holy habitation.

6 God makes the solitary dwell in families;

He brings out prisoners into prosperity;

But rebels inhabit a parched land.

7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the desert, (Pause.)

8 Earth shook, yea, the heavens dropped, at the presence of God,

9

That Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

With plentiful rain thou didst sprinkle, O God, thy heritage,

And when fainting, thou thyself hast raised it up.

10 Thy flock, they have dwelt therein;

Thou, O God, dost provide in thy goodness for the poor. 11 The Lord gives the word;

12

The women that publish the glad tidings are a mighty host. Kings of armies flee, they flee,

And the dweller in the house, she divides the spoil.

V. 6, 1st member. Compare Ps. 113: 9.

V. 8. The heavens.] The upper air, the region of clouds and storms, as in the following references.-Dropped.] Fell in drops. Compare Judges 5:4, "the heavens dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water;" Is. 45 : 8, drop down ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness."

V. 8, 2d member. That Sinai.] Thus pointed out, as the scene of God's most wonderful manifestation of his presence and authority.

V. 9. Or, With a rain of free gifts (namely, manna, etc.).

V. 11. The women that publish the glad tidings] As in Ex. 15 : 20, ("all the women went out with timbrels"); 1 Sam. 18:6 (“the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing," etc.). VV. 12-14 may be understood to be the message which they proclaim.

Others translate:

Women publish the glad tidings to the mighty host.

In the first member of this verse, “word” may mean, either the word of command to march on the enemy, followed by the triumphant announcement of victory, or the joyful message of victory to be proclaimed.

V. 12. Kings of armies.] Compare Judges 5: 19, "The kings came and fought.”—The dweller in the house.] The housewife.

13

Will ye lie down among the sheepfolds, The wings of the dove overlaid with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold?

14 When the Almighty scattered kings therein, It was snow-white on Salmon.

A mount of peaks is the mount of Bashan. 16 Why watch ye jealously, ye mountain peaks, The mount which God desired, to dwell in it?

17

Yea, Jehovah will abide here forever.

The chariots of God are myriad-fold, thousands upon thousands;

The Lord is among them--Sinai in the sanctuary!

18 Thou hast ascended on high, hast led captive the captured, Hast taken gifts among men,

19

And even rebels, that Jah, God, may abide here.

Blessed be the Lord, day by day;

He bears our burden; God is our salvation. (Pause.)

V. 13. A sharp remonstrance. Will ye lie at ease, in the quiet of your pastoral life, as the dove with unsoiled plumage in her peaceful nest, while your brethren are in the tumult and dust of the conflict! Compare Judges 5 16 (from which this allusion is taken) and 17.

V. 14. Salmon] Probably an eminence in the vicinity of Shechem. Snow-white.] With the bones of the slain.

V. 15. A mount of God.] Denoting what is greatest and noblest of its kind. A mount of peaks, a mountain range with many lofty summits. These are conceived as jealously watching the more humble eminence, which God has distinguished above them by choosing it for his abode.

V. 17. Myriad-fold.] Compared with those of the enemy. Compare 2 Kings 6: 17.

V. 17. Sinai in the sanctuary.] In the sanctuary is repeated the scene of Sinai, where Jehovah appeared, as he now does here, with "myriads of holy ones" (Deut. 33:2).

V. 18. Hast led captive the captured.] That is, hast led the captured as captives, in the train of the victor. Compare Judges 5:12, properly, "lead thy captured captive."

V. 18. Gifts.] Exacted of the vanquished by the conqueror.

V. 18. Abide here.] Compare v. 16, 3d member.

20 God is to us a God for deliverances;

21

And to Jehovah the Lord belong ways of escape from death. Surely God will crush the head of his enemies,

The hairy crown of him that goes on in his trespasses. 22 The Lord has said: From Bashan will I bring back,

I will bring back from the depths of the sea;

23 That thy foot may bathe in blood,

The tongue of thy dogs have its portion from the enemies. 24 They saw thy goings, O God,

The goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary.

25 Before went singers, behind, players on stringed instruments, In the midst of maidens beating timbrels.

26 In companies they bless God,

The Lord, they that are of Israel's fountain. 27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler; Princes of Judah, their multitude;

Princes of Zebulon, princes of Naphtali. 28 Thy God has commanded thy strength;

Strengthen, O God, what thou hast wrought for us. 29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem,

Kings shall bring presents to thee.

30 Rebuke the beast of the reeds,

31

The herd of bullocks, with the calves of the peoples,
Prostrating themselves with pieces of silver.

He has scattered peoples that delight in wars.
Princes shall come out of Egypt;

Ethiopia shall eagerly stretch out her hands to God.

V. 24. Goings.] Solemn processions, on account of victory over the enemy, or other occasions of gratitude and rejoicing.

V. 27. There.] In the triumphal procession, the description of which commences with v. 24.-Their ruler.] An ancient prophetic idea. Compare Mic. 5: 2.

V. 30. Beast of the reeds.] Egypt, designated by one of its characteristic representatives in the animal kingdom. Compare Job 40 : 21.

V. 30, 2d member. Bullocks.] The strong ones of the people, their leaders.-Calves of the peoples.] The weaker ones, the common people. V. 30, 3d member. With pieces of silver.] As tribute money for the

conqueror.

32

Kingdoms of the earth, sing unto God;

Sing praises to the Lord; (Pause.)

33 To him that rides in the heavens of heavens of old.

Lo, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

34 Ascribe strength to God.

Over Israel is his majesty,

And his strength in the clouds.

35 Terrible art thou, O God, out of thy holy places,
Mighty One of Israel;

He that gives strength and peace to the people.
Blessed be God!

1

PSALM LXIX.

To the chief Musician. To [the melody] "Lilies." [A Psalm] of David.

SAVE me, O God,

For the waters have come in, even to the soul.

2 I am sunk in mire of the deep, and there is no standing-place.

3

I am come into the depths of waters,

And the flood has overwhelmed me.

I am weary with my crying, my throat is parched;

My eyes fail, while I wait for my God.

4 More than the hairs of my head are they that hate me with

5

out cause;

Strong are they that would destroy me, my enemies wrong

fully.

What I took not away, must I then restore.

O God, thou knowest as to my foolishness,

And my trespasses have not been hidden from thee. 6 Let not them be ashamed in me, that wait for thee, O Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

Let not them be dishonored in me, that seek thee,

O God of Israel.

V. 4, 3d member. Then.] In that case, though I took it not, as falsely charged.

V. 6. In me.] As representing them all.