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 rejects such an interpretation of it, and thinks that David composed it, concerning the war he had with the uncircumcised nations, the Philistines and others, 2 Samuel 8:1, &c. And so the title of the Syriac version begins, "a psalm of David, when the kings prepared themselves to fight against him:" and Kimchi says it was composed on account of Sennacherib's army coming against Jerusalem, in the times of Hezekiah, and so delivered by David, under a spirit of prophecy concerning that affair; though he owns that some of their writers interpret it of the war of Gog and Magog, in the times of the Messiah they yet expect. But they are much nearer the truth, who take it that it was written on occasion of the ark being brought to the city of David; seeing it begins with much the same words that Moses used when the ark set forward in his times, Numbers 10:35; and the bringing of which was attended with great joy and gladness, 2 Samuel 6:14; such as the righteous are called upon to express in this psalm, Psalm 68:3. And this being a type of Christ, and of his ascending the holy hill of God, may be allowed of; for certain it is that this psalm treats of the coming of Christ, and of blessings by him, and of victory over his enemies; and particularly of his ascension to heaven, as most evidently appears from Ephesians 4:8; and from prophecies in it, concerning the calling of the Gentiles. Wherefore the latter part of the Syriac inscription of it is very pertinent; "also a prophecy concerning the dispensation of the Messiah, and concerning the calling of the Gentiles to the faith." Jarchi interprets Psalm 68:31 of the Messiah.
FAQs
What is the meaning of Psalms 68 4? ›
The meaning here is, that God went thus before His people in the character of the true God, or as Yahweh. And rejoice before him - Or, in His presence. Let there be joy when He thus manifests Himself as the true God.
Where in the Bible does it say sing praises to his name? ›Psalms 68:4-6 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him!
Most commentators believe this psalm is connected with the coming of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6), celebrating not only that event, but also the faithfulness of God to give Israel victory over her enemies, and to make Jerusalem secure enough to bring the ark into the city.
Where in the Bible does it say sing praises unto God with understanding? ›Psalm 47:7 : God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with understanding. God is sovereign and supreme. He rules the whole earth with wisdom and justice. Whenever we praise Him, we have to do it with understanding that He is a great God.
What does it mean to sing Psalms? ›In the parallel passage in Colossians, Paul teaches that singing such songs is the means by which “the word of Christ [will] dwell in [us] richly” (Col. 3:16). When we sing the Psalms, then, we are engaging the Holy Spirit and the Word, which Jesus said is how we are sanctified (John 17:17).
What does it look like to rejoice in the Lord always? ›A Constant Joy
“Rejoice in the Lord always.” Our joy is founded in the Lord, not in circ*mstances. Thus, this joy can be a constant in our lives. Joy is easily expressed when you are enjoying a beautiful morning and all winds are favorable.
The Bible says God inhabits, or enthrones, in the praises of His people. When you magnify God, singing of His wonderous works—from creation to the cross and into eternity—you invite Him into your life. It honors His greatness and focuses your mind on Him, no matter the season you are walking.
What are the names of God in Psalm 68? ›According to Gaebelein, the name of God is found in this psalm in seven different forms: Jehovah (or YHWH), Adonai, El, Shaddai, Jah (or Yah), Jehovah-Adonai and Jah-Elohim.
What are the words to Psalm 68? ›May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
What is Psalm 68 one through three? ›Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: Let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: Yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
How many times does the Bible say to sing praises to God? ›
The Scriptures resound with singing. There are over fifty direct commands for us to sing, and singing is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. Singing doesn't merely play a one-dimensional function in the life of the church; it plays a multi-faceted, invaluable role as we worship God.
When should we pray and sing praises to God? ›We should praise Him in our prayers whenever we pray. I think God loves to hear our praise and thanks for His great love for us and for our salvation. We should start our prayers with praise to our great and mighty God, who was, and is, and is to come!
What does sing our praises mean? ›: to say good things about someone or something often in a very enthusiastic way. The doctor has a wonderful bedside manner and patients sing her praises.
What does it mean to be planted by the rivers of water? ›When we are in Christ, we are connected to the source of all living water! Do you see yourself drinking from this living water? In Christ, you are planted by the life giving water.
What is the verse 4 in Psalms 68? ›4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him. 5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
What does blessings of the Lord adds no sorrow mean? ›In this proverb, Solomon is differentiating the wealth that comes from the blessing of God from the wealth that comes from all other sources. Wealth can be accessed by many roads but only one of those roads is smooth. The blessing of God can bring wealth and when it does, God doesn't add any sorrow to it.
What does only say the word and my soul shall be healed mean? ›What we're meaning is, all you have to do is speak the word, and it will happen like that … We're not asking for an exact transaction to happen at that moment. We're not listening for a specific word, we're expressing our confidence in our faith that God desires to heal us of whatever sins.” ( Original Air 2-06-18)