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Psalm 68:12-15
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 68:12-15
New Catholic Bible
12 [a]The Lord issues the word,[b]
and a vast army proclaims good tidings:
13 “Kings and their armies are beating a hasty retreat;
even those who remained in camp are dividing up the spoils.
14 “While you linger by the sheepfolds,
the wings of the dove are covered[c] with silver,
its feathers brilliant with shining gold.”
15 When the Almighty[d] routed the kings there,
it was like snow fallen upon Zalmon.
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:12 This fourth part recalls the defeat of the Canaanite kings by God.
- Psalm 68:12 Issues the word: God foretells his victory over the Canaanites (see Ex 23:22f, 27f, 31; Deut 7:10-24; 11:23-25; Jos 1:2-6).
- Psalm 68:14 Wings of the dove are covered: even while in camp, before the battle, Israel (God’s “dove”: see Ps 74:19; Hos 7:11) is already assured of enjoying the booty (silver and gold) of the Canaanite kings, for God had guaranteed it (see Jos 2:8-11; 5:1; 6:16).
- Psalm 68:15 Almighty: the Hebrew is Shaddai, “the Mountain One.” The name by which God revealed himself to the patriarchs was El-Shaddai: “God Almighty” (see Gen 17:1), which stressed God’s power or his home in the mountains (see Ps 121:1). Zalmon: a mountain near Shechem (see Jdg 9:46-48) or a dark volcanic mountain in Bashan or Hauran east of the Sea of Galilee. It was known as the “dark one” in opposition to the “white one,” Lebanon.
