Psalms 68:8-9

Context

68:8 the earth shakes,

yes, the heavens pour down rain

before God, the God of Sinai,¹

before God, the God of Israel.²

68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall³ on your chosen people.⁴

When they⁵ are tired, you sustain them,⁶

[68:8] ¹tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.

[68:8] ²sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)

[68:9] ³tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).

[68:9] ⁴tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.

[68:9] ⁵tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[68:9] ⁶tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”