Psalms 68:1

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

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

Psalms 68 THE The occasion of this Psalm seems to have been David’ s translation of the ark to Zion, which was managed with great solemnity and devotion, and celebrated with some Psalms, and this among the rest. For the first words are the very same which Moses appointed for such occasions, , and the following verses pursue the same matter with the first. Thence he falls into a description of some of the excellent properties and glorious works of the God to whom this ark belonged. But because David very well knew that both himself and the ark were types of Christ, and that the church and people of Israel were a type of the catholic church, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, and that the legal administrations and actions were types of those of the gospel, he therefore, by the Spirit of prophecy, looked through and beyond the present actions and types, unto the great mysteries of Christ’ s resurrection and ascension into heaven, and of the special privileges of the Christian church, and of the conversion of the Gentiles unto God, and therefore intermixeth some passages which directly and immediately belong to these things, although the words be so ordered that they carry a manifest allusion to the present actions, and may in some sort be applied to them, though in a more obscure and improper and secondary sense. Nor is it at all strange that in the same Psalm there is such a mixture of things, whereof some belong only to the actions or events of that time, and some only to Christ and the gospel times, if it be considered that the psalmist in himself doth frequently express divers, and those contrary, passions and dispositions, as hope and fear, &c., in the same Psalm, and sometimes in the same verse, and especially that the sacred penmen in the composition of these writings were men wholly inspired, and governed, and moved by the Holy Ghost, , by whom they were variously transported, as he saw fit, and sometimes carried away to speak of the highest mysteries of the gospel, even such things as they themselves did not fully understand, as appears from ,11. At the removing of the ark, David exhorteth to praise the Lord, , for his wonderful power and love in delivering his people out of Egypt, ; leading them through the wilderness, ; subduing their enemies, ; and choosing Zion for his habitation, . He blesseth God for his judgments on the church’ s enemies, ; for his promises to his people, ; and for his threats to the cruel, . The kingdoms of the earth are called to sing to the Lord, whose power and majesty is heard in the heavens, and whose strength and excellency is over Israel, . Let God arise; oh that God would arise from his seat, and bestir himself and go forth to fight with his enemies! who, if he do so, will easily and suddenly be scattered. Or, God will arise.

Psalms 68:1 « To the chief Musician, A Psalm [or] Song of David. » Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.A Psalm or Song of David] Made at that time when, having overcome his enemies, he brought arcam in arcem, the ark of God into the tower of Sion. Confer Psalms 68:1 with Numbers 10:35. Herein also he treateth of the greatest secrets of Christ’ s kingdom, and prophesieth of things to come, as Acts 2:30-31; witness the apostle, Ephesians 4:8. Ver. 1. Let God arise] He need do no more that his enemies may be scattered, though never so closely united, etiamsi cataphraetus incedat Satan, as Luther speaketh; digitum suum tantum moveat, et dissipabuntur hostes, Let the Lord but stir his finger only, let him but look unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire, and they shall be troubled, as Exodus 14:24, funduntur et fugantur cum primum se exserit Deus, as those Philistines, 2 Samuel 5:17-25 Let them also that hate him flee before him] Athanasius telleth us that evil spirits may be put to flight by this psalm; and that Antony, the hermit, fought against the devil with this verse, and worsted him. This may be done also as well with other texts of Scripture. Luther encountered the devil with that sentence, Thou hast put all things under his feet (Colloq. Mens.); another Dutch divine with this, The Son of God came to dissolve the works of the devil; a third with those words, The seed of the woman shall break the serpent’ s head (Cramerus). As the rocks repel the boisterous waves - conantia frangere, frangunt; so doth Christ, the Rock (the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, Daniel 2:45), all his Church’ s enemies.

(1) Let God arise.—A reminiscence of the battlecry raised as the ark was advanced at the head of the tribes (Numbers 10:35). For interesting historical associations with this verse, see Gibbon (chap. 58), and Carlyle, Cromwell’s Letters and Speeches (Vol. II, 185).

PSALM LXVIII The psalmist calls upon God to arise, bless his people, and scatter his enemies, 1-3; exhorts them to praise him for has greatness, tenderness, compassion, and judgments, 4-6; describes the grandeur of his march when he went forth in the redemption of his people, 7, 8; how he dispensed his blessings, 9, 10; what he will still continue to do in their behalf, 11-13; the effects produced by the manifestation of God's majesty, 14-18; he is praised for has goodness, 19, 20; for his judgments, 21-23; he tells in what manner the Divine worship was conducted, 24-27; how God is to be honoured, 28-31; all are invited to sing his praises, and extol his greatness, 32-35. NOTES ON PSALM LXVIII In the title of this Psalm there is nothing particular to be remarked. It is probable that this Psalm, or a part of it at least, might have been composed by Moses, to be recited when the Israelites journeyed. See Numbers 10:35; and that David, on the same model, constructed this Psalm. It might have been sung also in the ceremony of transporting the ark from Kirjath-jearim, to Jerusalem; or from the house of Obed-edom to the tabernacle erected at Sion. I know not how to undertake a comment on this Psalm: it is the most difficult in the whole Psalter; and I cannot help adopting the opinion of Simon De Muis: In hoc Psalmo tot ferme scopuli, tot labyrinthi, quot versus, quot verba. Non immerito crux ingeniorum, et interpretum opprobrium dici potest. "In this Psalm there are as many precipices and labyrinths as there are verses or words. It may not be improperly termed, the torture of critics, and the reproach of commentators." To attempt any thing new on it would be dangerous; and to say what has been so often said would be unsatisfactory. I am truly afraid to fall over one of those precipices, or be endlessly entangled and lost in one of these labyrinths. There are customs here referred to which I do not fully understand; there are words whose meaning I cannot, to my own satisfaction, ascertain; and allusions which are to me inexplicable. Yet of the composition itself I have the highest opinion: it is sublime beyond all comparison; it is constructed with an art truly admirable; it possesses all the dignity of the sacred language; none but David could have composed it; and, at this lapse of time, it would require no small influence of the Spirit that was upon him, to give its true interpretation. I shall subjoin a few notes, chiefly philological; and beg leave to refer the reader to those who have written profusely and laboriously on this sublime Psalm, particularly Venema, Calmet, Dr. Chandler, and the writers in the Critici Sacri. Verse 1. Let God arise] This was sung when the Levites took up the ark upon their shoulders; see Numbers 10:35-36, and the notes there.

1–3. The advent of God brings terror and destruction to His enemies, blessing and joy to His people.

Let God arise - See the notes at Psalms 3:7. There is an obvious reterence here to the words used by Moses on the removal of the ark in Numbers 10:35.

1. Let God arise—The form of words pronounced by Moses upon the breaking up of the camp of Israel. Numbers 10:35. The previous psalm began with the form of blessing which Aaron and his sons were to use. See on Psalms 67:1.