Psalms 68:8

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 

Psalms 68:16

68:16 Why do you look with envy, ³  O mountains ⁴  with many peaks,

at the mountain where God has decided to live? ⁵ 

Indeed ⁶  the Lord will live there ⁷  permanently!

Psalms 68:18

68:18 You ascend on high, ⁸ 

you have taken many captives. ⁹ 

You receive tribute ¹⁰  from ¹¹  men,

including even sinful rebels.

Indeed the Lord God lives there! ¹² 

Psalms 93:1

Psalm 93 ¹³ 

93:1 The Lord reigns!

He is robed in majesty,

the Lord is robed,

he wears strength around his waist. ¹⁴ 

Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.

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

[68:8]  ² sn 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 The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference.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.)

[68:16]  ³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).

[68:16]  ⁴ tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.

[68:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.

[68:16]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.

[68:16]  ⁷ tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[68:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.

[68:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “you have taken captives captive.”

[68:18]  ⁷ tn Or “gifts.”

[68:18]  ⁸ tn Or “among.”

[68:18]  ⁹ tn Heb “so that the Lord God might live [there].” Many take the infinitive construct with -לְ (lamed) as indicating purpose here, but it is unclear how the offering of tribute enables the Lord to live in Zion. This may be an occurrence of the relatively rare emphatic lamed (see HALOT 510-11 s.v. II לְ, though this text is not listed as an example there). If so, the statement corresponds nicely to the final line of v. 16, which also affirms emphatically that the Lord lives in Zion.

[93:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the Lord is the king of the universe who preserves order and suppresses the destructive forces in the world.

[93:1]  ⁸ sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.