Psalm 68:9 Kommentar

This is a most excellent psalm, but in many places the genuine sense is not easy to come at; for in this, as in some other scriptures, there are things dark and hard to be understood. It does not appear when, or upon what occasion, David penned this psalm; but probably it was when, God having given him rest from all his enemies round about, he brought the ark (which was both the token of God's presence and a type of Christ's mediation) from the house of Obed-edom to the tent he had pitched for it in Zion; for the first words are the prayer which Moses used at the removing of the ark, Num 10:35. From this he is led, by the Spirit of prophecy, to speak glorious things concerning the Messiah, his ascension into heaven, and the setting up of his kingdom in the world. I. He begins with prayer, both against God's enemies (Psa 68:1, Psa 68:2) and for his people (Psa 68:3). II. He proceeds to praise, which takes up the rest of the psalm, calling upon all to praise God (Psa 68:4, Psa 68:26, Psa 68:32) and suggesting many things as matter for praise. 1. The greatness and goodness of God (Psa 68:4-6). 2. The wonderful works God had wrought for his people formerly, bringing them through the wilderness (Psa 68:7, Psa 68:8), settling them in Canaan (Psa 68:9, Psa 68:10), giving them victory over their enemies (Psa 68:11, Psa 68:12), and delivering them out of the hands of their oppressors (Psa 68:13, Psa 68:14). 3. The special presence of God in his church (Psa 68:15-17). 4. The ascension of Christ (Psa 68:18) and the salvation of his people by him (Psa 68:19, Psa 68:20). 5. The victories which Christ would obtain over his enemies, and the favours he would bestow upon his church (Psa 68:21-28). 6. The enlargement of the church by the accession of the Gentiles to it (Psa 68:29-31). And so he concludes the psalm with an awful acknowledgment of the glory and grace of God (Psa 68:32-35). With all these great things we should endeavour to be duly affected in singing this psalm. To the chief musician. A psalm or song of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 68 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, Sa2 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, Num 10:35; and the bringing of which was attended with great joy and gladness, Sa2 6:14; such as the righteous are called upon to express in this psalm, Psa 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 Eph 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 Psa 68:31 of the Messiah.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain,.... Not of water literally taken, as when the Israelites passed through the sea, Psa 77:17; or when the thunderings and lightnings were on Mount Sinai, at the giving of the law, which are commonly attended with rain, Exo 19:16; or in the land of Canaan, which was the land that drank in the water of the rain of heaven, Deu 11:11; nor the rain of manna and of quails, as Arama, Exo 16:4; but either the effusion of the Holy Spirit, ordinary or extraordinary; that, on the day of Pentecost, in consequence of Christ's ascension, prophesied of in this psalm, was a "plentiful" one indeed; when the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, and baptized with it: yea, the ordinary measure of the Spirit's grace in conversion is abundant, and exceeding abundant; it is shed abundantly through Christ, and superabounds sin, and may be called, as the words here signify, "a rain of liberalities" (s), or a free and liberal rain; for it comes from the free grace of God, and makes those on whom it descends a willing people in their obedience. The Spirit of God is a free Spirit; and, where he is, there is liberty, in the exercise of grace, and in the discharge of duty. Or else the ministration of the Gospel (t) is meant; which is compared to rain, Deu 32:2. This, especially in the first times of the Gospel, was a very large and plentiful one; it being sent all over the world, and brought forth fruit in every place: this was also a "liberal" one, flowed from the free grace of God; the subject of it is free grace; and the tendency and effect of it are, to make men free from the bondage of the law, and the spirit of bondage which that induces. The Targum is, "thou hast let down the dews of quickening, and the rains of good pleasure;'' grace, or free favour; whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary; that is, the church, as the Targum explains it; the inheritance of Christ, which he has chosen, the Father has given him, and he possesses: the people of God, "weary" with the burdensome rites and ceremonies of the law; with their own sins and corruptions, a burden too heavy for them to bear; with the sins of others, among whom they dwell; with the temptations of Satan, with which they are annoyed; with the persecutions of the men of the world, which make them weary sometimes, and faint in their minds; and with the common afflictions of life, which often make them weary of life itself. Now, by the plentiful ministration of the doctrines of the Gospel, accompanied with the Spirit and grace of God, the hearts of the Lord's people are refreshed, as the weary, dry, and thirsty land, is with a comfortable shower of rain; and by it weary souls have rest, or at least are directed by it to Christ, where they find it: and as the earth is "prepared" (u), as the word used signifies, by rain, for the nourishment of plants; so is the church by the Gospel, whose plants are an orchard of pomegranates, for the reviving and fructifying of those who are planted in it; whereby they appear to be trees of righteousness, and the planting of the Lord; and so are confirmed, settled, and established in the house of God, and in the truths of the Gospel. (s) "pluviam munificentiarum", Montanus; "vel liberalitatum", Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth; to the same purpose the Tigurine version, Cocceius, Junius & Tremellius. (t) "Dicitur de pluvia", Psal. lxviii. 10. "quae effusionem Spiritus sancti, et praeconium evangelii designat". Stockius, p. 660. (u) "parasti eam", Michaelis; "praeparas", Gejerus.

Damasus cleansed not, Peter cleansed not, Ambrose cleansed not, Gregory cleansed not; for ours is the ministry, but the sacraments are yours. For human power cannot confer what is divine, but it is, O Lord, your gift and that of the Father, as you have spoken by the prophets, saying, “I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh, and their sons and their daughters shall prophesy.” This is that typical dew from heaven, this is that gracious rain, as we read: “A gracious rain, dividing for his inheritance.” For the Holy Spirit is not subject to any foreign power or law but is the arbiter of his own freedom, dividing all things according to the decision of his own will, to each, as we read, individually as he wills.

“A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, on your inheritance.” This refers to the law that was given through Moses. “You restored the land when it languished.” The law languished because no one was able to fulfill it except the Lord, who said, “I have not come to destroy the law but to fulfill.”

"When You went by in the desert, the earth was moved" [Psalm 68:8]. A desert were the nations, which knew not God: a desert they were, where by God Himself no law had been given, where no Prophet had dwelled, and foretold the Lord to come. "When," then, "You went by in the desert," when You were preached in the nations; "the earth was moved," to the faith earthly men were stirred up. But whence was it moved? "For the heavens dropped from the face of God." Perchance here some one calls to mind that time, when in the desert God was going over before His people, before the sons of Israel, by day in the pillar of cloud, by night in the brightness of fire; [Exodus 13:21] and determines that thus it is that "the heavens dropped from the face of God," for manna He rained upon His people: [Exodus 16:15] that the same thing also is that which follows, "Mount Sina from the face of the God of Israel," "with voluntary rain severing God to Your inheritance" [Psalm 68:9], namely, the God that on Mount Sina spoke to Moses, when He gave the Law, so that the manna is the voluntary rain, which God severed for His inheritance, that is, for His people; because them alone He so fed, not the other nations also: so that what next he says, "and it was weakened," is understood of the inheritance being itself weakened; for they murmuring, fastidiously loathed the manna, longing for victuals of flesh, and those things on which they had been accustomed to live in Egypt. [Numbers 11:5-6] ... Lastly, all those men in the desert were stricken down, nor were any of them except two found worthy to go into the land of promise. [Numbers 14:23-24] Although even if in the sons of them that inheritance be said to have been perfected, we ought more readily to hold to a spiritual sense. For all those things in a figure did happen to them; [1 Corinthians 10:11] until the day should break, and the shadows should be removed. [Song of Songs 2:17]

First we had to be persuaded how much God loved us, in case out of sheer despair we lacked the courage to reach up to him. Also we had to be shown what sort of people we are that he loves, in case we should take pride in our own worth and so bounce even further away from him and sink ever more under our own strength. So he dealt with us in such a way that we could progress rather in his strength; he arranged it so that the power of love should be brought to perfection in the weakness of humility. This is the meaning of the psalm where it says, "O God, you are setting apart a voluntary rain for your inheritance, and it has been weakened; but you have perfected it." What he means by voluntary rain is nothing other than grace, which is not paid out as earned but given gratis; that is why it is called grace. He was not obliged to give it because we deserved it; he gave it voluntarily because he wished to. Knowing this, we will put no trust in ourselves, and that is what to be weakened means. He however perfects us—as he said to the apostle Paul, "my grace is enough for you; strength is made perfect in weakness." So we needed to be persuaded how much God loves us, and what sort of people he loves; how much case we despaired, what sort in case we grew proud.

This is a Psalm-song (see on Psa 30:1, title), perhaps suggested by David's victories, which secured his throne and gave rest to the nation. In general terms, the judgment of God on the wicked, and the equity and goodness of His government to the pious, are celebrated. The sentiment is illustrated by examples of God's dealings, cited from the Jewish history and related in highly poetical terms. Hence the writer intimates an expectation of equal and even greater triumphs and summons all nations to unite in praises of the God of Israel. The Psalm is evidently typical of the relation which God, in the person of His Son, sustains to the Church (compare Psa 68:18). (Psa. 68:1-35) Compare Num 10:35; Psa 1:4; Psa 22:14, on the figures here used. before him--as in Psa 68:2, from His presence, as dreaded; but in Psa 68:3, in His presence, as under His protection (Psa 61:7).

a plentiful rain--a rain of gifts, as manna and quails.