Psalm 68:11-13
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
11 The Lord gives the command;
great is the company of those[a] who bore the tidings:
12 “The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil,
13 though they stay among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with green gold.
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:11 Or company of the women
Psalm 68:11-13
Authorized (King James) Version
11 The Lord gave the word:
great was the company of those that published it.
12 Kings of armies did flee apace:
and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
13 Though ye have lien among the pots,
yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver,
and her feathers with yellow gold.
Psalm 68:11-13
New English Translation
11 The Lord speaks;[a]
many, many women spread the good news.[b]
12 Kings leading armies run away—they run away![c]
The lovely lady[d] of the house divides up the loot.
13 When[e] you lie down among the sheepfolds,[f]
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold.[g]
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:11 tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.
- Psalm 68:11 tn Heb “the ones spreading the good news [are] a large army.” The participle translated “the ones spreading the good news” is a feminine plural form. Apparently the good news here is the announcement that enemy kings have been defeated (see v. 12).
- Psalm 68:12 tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.
- Psalm 68:12 tn The Hebrew form appears to be the construct of נוּה (nuh, “pasture”) but the phrase “pasture of the house” makes no sense here. The translation assumes that the form is an alternative or textual variation of נאוה (“beautiful woman”). A reference to a woman would be appropriate in light of v. 11b.
- Psalm 68:13 tn Or “if.”
- Psalm 68:13 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.
- Psalm 68:13 tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”sn The point of the imagery of v. 13 is not certain, though the reference to silver and gold appears to be positive. Both would be part of the loot carried away from battle (see v. 12b).
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