Text -- Psalms 68:1-3 (NET)

Psalm 68

68:1 For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song. God springs into action! His enemies scatter; his adversaries run from him. 68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. As wax melts before fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God. 68:3 But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 68:1

¹ sn Psalm 68. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.

² tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.

³ tn Heb “those who hate him.”

⁴ sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action, Lord! Then your enemies will be scattered and your adversaries will run from you.”

NET Notes: Psa 68:2

¹ tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”

NET Notes: Psa 68:3

¹ tn By placing the subject first the psalmist highlights the contrast between God’s ecstatic people and his defeated enemies (vv. 1-2).

² tn Heb “and they are happy with joy” (cf. NEB). Some translate the prefixed verbal forms of v. 3 as jussives, “Let the godly be happy, let them rejoice before God, and let them be happy with joy!” (Cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV; note the call to praise in v. 4.)