Psalms 68

To the chief Musician. A Psalm or Song of David. David having brought the ark to Jerusalem with a great deal of joy and triumph, (2 Sam. vi.) after it had been long neglected in the reign of Saul, (1 Chron. xiii. 3.) which, was one cause, it is like, that he had no better success against his foreign enemies; hoped God would be more propitious to him, according to tho prayer he had made in tho foregoing Psalm. For now he had (to repair that negligence of Saul) not only brought the ark near to his own palace, in tho chief city of the kingdom, but prepared a noblo placo for its reception, (2 Sam. vL16. 2 Chron. i. 4.) which it had been a long time without. For ever since its falling into the hands of the Philistines, (1 Sam. iv. 11.) it had been separated from the tabernacle of the congregation built for it by Moseg, which was God’s habitation or dwelling-place; and after the destruction of Shiloh was removed to Nob, (1 Sam. xxi. 1.) and from thence, after Doeg had slain the priests, to Gibeon, where it remained till the building of Solomon’s templo. All which time, it is manifest, it had no ark of God’s presence in it, for that was in Kir* jath-jearim, (1 Sam. vii. 1.) from whence David fetched it (1 Chron. xiii. 5.) to Mount Zion; where he having made a tabernacle for its entertainment, the Lord God might be said (as we render it, ver. 18. of this Psalm) to dwell among them, with an intention not to remove from thence (as the ark had done before) to any other mountain, (ver. 16.) And, indeed, here he dwelt more magnificently than he had done before, and was more royally attended and solemnly served; David appointing, a littlfc before he died, (as ho had begun to do before, 1 Chron. xvi.) the priests and Levites, in their courses, constantly to wait upon him, with songs and instruments of music; and settling all other officers belonging to a house, and suitable to the greatness of the majesty that dwelt there, (1 Chron. xxiii. — xxvi.) Which honour being done to God, he hoped, as I said, that God would favour him in his enterprises better than he had done Saul, who took care of no such matters. And being shortly to engage some potent enemies, (2 Sam. viii.) he earnestly begs the presence of God with him (of which the ark was a token) in this excellent Psalm. And he begs in that very form of words, (ver. 1.) which Moses had directed the priests to use every time that they took up the ark, to set forward in their march to the land of Canaan, (Numb. x. 35.) Upon which occasion he calls to mind what wonders God had done for them in leading them by the ark of his presence through the -wilderness into their good land. Where he hoped he would establish and settle his people, now that he had, in so pompous and triumphant a manner, ascended into the high hill of Zion, (out of which David had expelled the Jebusites,2Sam. v. 6.) and, by his special direction and conduct, already given them such great victories over the Philistines, their’mortal enemies, (2 Sam. v. 19.23.) that it was an emblem of the far more glorious ascension of the Lord Christ, after he had overcome death itself, the last and greatest enemy of mankind, into the highest heavens. Of the title of the Psalm, seo lxvii.

Psalms 68:1

JLtET God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. O that God, who by his powerful presence conducted his people, in spite of all opposers, into this land, (Numb. x. 35.) would now graciously appear to disperse and put to flight those numerous armies, which, out of mere hatred to him, come to dispossess us of it.

Psalms 68:2

As smoke is driven away, so drive them a\uay: as waxmelteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. They arc no more able to stand before him, than the smoke (whatsoever show it makes) is to stand before the wind; or the wax (how firm soever it seem) before the fire; but shall be dispelled, and melt away, like those feeble things: just so shall those wicked people perish, if God will be pleased to manifest himself to be among us.

Psalms 68:3

But let the righteous be glad: let them rejoice before God; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Which shall fill the hearts of all his faithful servants with joy and gladness: they shall leap for joy before him, (as I lately did when I brought up the ark unto Mount Zion, 2 Samvi. 14. 16.) and be so extraordinarily transported, that they shall not find words enough to express the joy they have in his gracious presence with them.

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.~. O begin your cheerful hymns unto his majesty; sing the pTaise of his powerful goodness, and of all the rest of his glorious attributes, whereby he is known to you: magnify him, aud prepare a triumphal pomp for him, who turns about even the highest heavens, and rules them at his pleasure: O rejoice exceedingly before him, who hath plainly shewn/ by what he hath lately done, that he is the eternal, unchangeable God, who faithfully keeps his promises for ever^

Psalms 68:5

A father of (lie fatlierlesS, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. The poorest and meanest persons on earth need not doubt of his patronage; for though lie be higher than the highest heavens, yet he hath taken up his dwelling f among us \ that the fatherless and widows, when they have no helper, may fly unto his fatherly care, and appeal to him as their righteous judge, to redress the wrongs that are done unto them*

Psalms 68:6

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. God provides for those who are utterly destitute, and settles them in comfortable habitations: he unties the chains of captives, and gives them a happy deliverance; but brings rebellious oppressors into that want and scarcity whereunto they have reduced others.

Psalms 68:7

O God, when thou wentest forth before thy peo pie, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah.* A famous instance of which we saw at our coming out of Egypt; when thou, O God, wentest before thy people, night and day, in a pillar of cloud and fire, (Exod. xiii. 21.) and conductedst them, as their captain, through a barren and dangerous wilderness.

Psalms 68:8

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. The earth trembled, yea, the heavens dissolved into thunder, lightning, and rain, (Exod. xix. 16.) when the Divine Majesty descended upon Mount Sinai; the mountain itself quaked (ver. 18.) before his glorious majesty, Who is still present with his people Israel.

Psalms 68:9

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thour didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary. For whom, O God, thou didst miraculously provide, by sending them liberal showers in those dry and desert places; and, having chosen them for thy own peculiar peo^ pie, didst rain down bread from heaven, (Exod. xvi. 4.) to refresh and strengthen them when they were faint and weary. Ver. 10* Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.] A vast congregation of people, with their flocks and their herds, found a convenient habitation in that wilderness*, by th^ bounty, O God; who didst furnish those who wcro in danger to starve, with all things necessary for them.

Psalms 68:11

- Tlie Lord gave the tvord; great was the company of those that published it. Yea, the Lofd made them so victorious over all those who opposed them, that they still returned from the battle with songs of triumph in their mouths; and a great army of women iriet them, (according to the custom, Exod. xv. 23, &c.) to join with them* in publishing his praises; saying,

Psalms 68:12

Kings of armies did flee apace; and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. The kings and captains of thosej hosts who thought to have destroyed us’ were put to flight, (Exod. xvii. Numb. xxi. 2, 3, &c.) They fled away in haste, and left their spoil behind them, to be divided among us, that were too weak to gtf into the field, (Ntimb. xxxi. 8, 11, Jndg. viii. 21,26.)

Psalms 68:13

Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. But we welcome home our victorious countrymen With this encouragement, that though you have endured great hardship^ in Egypt, where yoii looked not like valiant soldiers, but father like vile scuU lions besmutted among kettles arid pots, y6U shall hereafter appear most beautiful and splendid, and the wings of your armies shall shine like those of a dove, when they glisten as if the^ were covered with silver and gold, >

Psalms 68:14

Wlien the Almighty scattered kings in ii, it was while as snow in Salmon. And their word was fulfilled at our entrance into Canaan; when, by scattering all their kings, the Almighty appeared most illustrious as Salmon," and gave us possession of the country on this side Jordan.

Psalms 68:15

The hill of God is as the hill ofBashan; a high hill, as the hill ofBashan. As, on the other side of it, he subdued the country of Og king ofBashan, (Numb. xxi. 33, &c.) which hill became the hill of God; the hill with so many fertile risings, the famous hill of Bashan, became part of his inheritance. Ver. 1G. Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in, yea, the Lord will dwell ift it for ever.] But do not grow proud of this, ye lofty mountains; for neither the height of Salmon, nor of Bashan, shall invite him there to make his habitation; Zion is the hill which he hath chosen to honour with that favour; yea, there the Lord hath resolved to fix his tabernacle, and never (till the Messiah come) to remoye to any other.

Psalms 68:17

The chariots of God are twenty thousand; even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Nor let the heathen brag of the multitude of their chariots, wherein consists their strength; for in Zion there are ten thousand times more innumerable hosts of angels attending upon the Divine Majesty; who is with them there, as he was upon Mount Sinai, which now is in the sanctuary.

Psalms 68:18

Tliou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thow hast received gifts for men; yea, for