Let God Arise

Let God arise!Let his enemies be scattered!Let them who hate him also flee before him.

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

The psalm opens with a call for God to arise and for his enemies to scatter and flee. It reads like a battle cry. Everything that follows describes what happens when God does arise.

Also read Isaiah 42:13-14, Exodus 20:5, Psalm 7:6-7, Daniel 2:35

As smoke is driven away,so drive them away.As wax melts before the fire,so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Two images show how easily the wicked disappear before God: smoke driven away and wax melting in fire. Neither smoke nor wax can resist, which is the point.

Also read Psalm 22:14, Isaiah 9:18, Revelation 6:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

But let the righteous be glad.Let them rejoice before God.Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

The righteous respond the opposite way. Where the wicked flee, they are glad and rejoice before God. The verse says it three times over.

Also read Revelation 18:20, Psalm 32:11-1, 1 Peter 1:8, Psalm 100:1-2

Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!Extol him who rides on the clouds:to the LORD, his name!Rejoice before him!

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.

After the call to scatter God's enemies, the psalm turns to song. God is pictured as the one who rides on the clouds, and the singers are told to rejoice before him. The KJV reads extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah.

Also read Exodus 6:3, Exodus 3:14, Psalm 104:3, Exodus 6:8

A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows,is God in his holy habitation.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Also read Ephesians 5:1, Jeremiah 5:28, Job 31:16-17, Deuteronomy 10:18

God sets the lonely in families.He brings out the prisoners with singing,but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

This continues the list from verse 5 of people God cares for. The lonely are set in families and prisoners are led out with singing, while the rebellious are left in a sun-scorched land. The KJV has God setteth the solitary in families.

Also read Psalm 69:33, Psalm 113:9, Psalm 107:40-41, Psalm 146:7

God, when you went out before your people,when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.

O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:

Also read Judges 4:14, Exodus 13:21, Habakkuk 3:12-13, Judges 5:4

The earth trembled.The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai—at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Verse 7 begins a memory of God marching before his people through the wilderness, and this verse gives the effects. The earth trembles and the sky pours down rain at his presence. The WEB calls him the God of Sinai, while the KJV reads even Sinai itself was moved.

Also read Isaiah 64:1, Exodus 19:18, Hebrews 12:26, Deuteronomy 5:23-25

You, God, sent a plentiful rain.You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

God sent a plentiful rain and confirmed his inheritance when it was weary. In the wilderness setting of verses 7 and 8, rain means rescue. The weary land stands for a weary people.

Also read Psalm 78:24-27, Deuteronomy 11:10-12, Psalm 65:9-13, Ezekiel 34:26

Your congregation lived therein.You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.

Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

Also read Luke 1:53, Exodus 19:5-6, Job 5:10-11, Deuteronomy 32:8-14

The Lord announced the word.The ones who proclaim it are a great company.

The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

The Lord announces the word, and those who proclaim it are a great company. The verse pictures news of victory carried by many voices. God speaks first, and his people spread it.

Also read Exodus 14:15, Exodus 15:20, Ephesians 4:11, Psalm 40:3

“Kings of armies flee! They flee!”She who waits at home divides the plunder,

Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

Also read Judges 5:30, Joshua 10:42, Revelation 19:17-20, Numbers 31:54

while you sleep among the camp fires,the wings of a dove sheathed with silver,her feathers with shining gold.

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.

An unusual picture: while some sleep among the camp fires, there are wings of a dove covered with silver and feathers of shining gold. The verse is hard to pin down. It sits in a passage about fleeing kings and plunder being divided, and it speaks of great wealth.

Also read Ezekiel 16:6-14, Exodus 1:14, 1 Kings 4:20-21, Luke 15:16

When the Almighty scattered kings in her,it snowed on Zalmon.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.

Also read Isaiah 1:18, Joshua 12:1-24, Jeremiah 2:3, Revelation 19:14-21

The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains.The mountains of Bashan are rugged.

The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.

Also read Isaiah 2:2-3, Psalm 2:6, Psalm 87:1-2, Deuteronomy 3:10

Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains,at the mountain where God chooses to reign?Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever.

Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

Also read Deuteronomy 12:11, Psalm 114:6, Psalm 114:4, Psalm 87:1-2

The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands.The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

God's chariots number tens of thousands and thousands of thousands, and the Lord is among them. They move from Sinai into the sanctuary. The verse links the God of the wilderness with the God of the sanctuary.

Also read Habakkuk 3:8, Ezekiel 1:15-28, Deuteronomy 33:2, Revelation 5:11

You have ascended on high.You have led away captives.You have received gifts among people,yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there.

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

Also read Luke 24:47, Titus 3:3-7, Acts 1:2-9, Hebrews 4:14

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens,even the God who is our salvation. Selah.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

The Lord is blessed as the one who daily bears our burdens and is our salvation. After all the chariots and kings, this is a verse about everyday help. The word daily carries it.

Also read Lamentations 3:23, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 139:17, Isaiah 46:4

God is to us a God of deliverance.To GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.

God is a God of deliverance, and escape from death belongs to him. It widens verse 19: the God who carries daily burdens also holds power over death.

Also read Psalm 118:17-18, John 5:23, John 5:28-29, John 4:22

But God will strike through the head of his enemies,the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.

But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

Also read Hebrews 2:1-3, Psalm 55:23, Psalm 7:12, Habakkuk 3:13

The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan,I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,

The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:

Also read Isaiah 11:11-16, Isaiah 49:22, Exodus 14:22, Numbers 21:33

that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood,that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

Also read 2 Kings 9:33-37, Isaiah 63:1-6, 1 Kings 21:19, 1 Kings 22:38

They have seen your processions, God,even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

Also read Psalm 47:5-7, Psalm 24:7-10, Psalm 63:2, 2 Samuel 6:12-17

The singers went before, the minstrels followed after,among the ladies playing with tambourines,

The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

Also read Judges 11:34, Jeremiah 31:13, Psalm 87:7, Psalm 148:12-13

“Bless God in the congregations,even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”

Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

Also read Psalm 135:19-21, Deuteronomy 33:28, Psalm 26:12, Psalm 107:32

There is little Benjamin, their ruler,the princes of Judah, their council,the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

Also read Judges 21:6-25, 1 Chronicles 12:29, Isaiah 11:13, 1 Chronicles 12:16

Your God has commanded your strength.Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.

Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

The psalm says God has commanded his people's strength, and asks him to strengthen what he has done for them. It is a prayer for God to keep going with what he has begun.

Also read Psalm 42:8, Ephesians 3:17-20, Psalm 138:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Because of your temple at Jerusalem,kings will bring presents to you.

Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

Also read Isaiah 18:7, 1 Chronicles 29:3, 1 Chronicles 17:4-12, 1 Chronicles 22:7-11

Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds,the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the peoples.Trample under foot the bars of silver.Scatter the nations who delight in war.

Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

Also read James 4:1, Job 40:21, Psalm 89:10, Ezekiel 29:3

Princes shall come out of Egypt.Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.

Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

Princes come out of Egypt, and Ethiopia hurries to stretch out her hands to God. Outstretched hands are a gesture of prayer. The verse pictures distant nations turning toward Israel's God.

Also read Zephaniah 3:10, Isaiah 60:6-7, Isaiah 45:14, Psalm 72:8-11

Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth!Sing praises to the Lord— Selah—

Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:

Also read Psalm 67:2-5, Romans 15:10-11, Psalm 100:1, Psalm 102:22

to him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old;behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

Also read Deuteronomy 33:26, Psalm 77:17-18, Psalm 29:3-9, Psalm 46:6

Ascribe strength to God!His excellency is over Israel,his strength is in the skies.

Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

Also read Psalm 150:1, Psalm 96:6-8, Revelation 19:6, Deuteronomy 33:26

You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries.The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people.Praise be to God!

O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

The last verse calls God awesome in his sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. The psalm closes on a short line of praise.

Also read Isaiah 40:29, Isaiah 40:31, Deuteronomy 33:25, Revelation 6:16-17