Psalm of Praise to the Almighty, predictions of the Future, Victoria, Resettlement in the Land of Israel.
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Psalms - Tehilim (TCT Tanakh - Chabad) 68:
We have added a few words of commentary where it seemed to be needed.
Psalm of Praise to the Almighty, predictions of the Future, Victories, Resettlement in the Land of Israel.
1 FOR THE CONDUCTOR, A PSALM, A SONG OF DAVID.
2 MAY GOD RISE; HIS ENEMIES SCATTER, AND THOSE WHO HATE HIM FLEE FROM BEFORE HIM.
3 AS SMOKE IS DRIVEN AWAY, YOU WILL DRIVE [THEM] AWAY; AS WAX MELTS BEFORE FIRE, THE WICKED WILL PERISH FROM BEFORE GOD.
4 AND THE RIGHTEOUS WILL REJOICE, YEA, THEY WILL EXULT BEFORE GOD AND THEY WILL DELIGHT WITH JOY.
5 "SING TO GOD, SING PRAISES TO HIS NAME, PRAISE HIM WHO RIDES IN ARAVOTH BY HIS NAME YAH, AND REJOICE BEFORE HIM.
ARAVOTH. Clouds of heaven (Amos Chacham, Daat Mikra).
6 O FATHER OF ORPHANS AND JUDGE OF WIDOWS, O GOD IN HIS HOLY DWELLING PLACE."
7 GOD SETTLES THE SOLITARY IN A HOUSE; HE TAKES THE PRISONERS OUT AT THE MOST OPPORTUNE TIME, BUT THE REBELLIOUS DWELL IN AN ARID LAND.
THE SOLITARY. Hebrew 'Yechidim,' single people: The Almighty helps single people get married, (see the Sages).
8 O GOD, WHEN YOU WENT OUT BEFORE YOUR PEOPLE, WHEN YOU MARCHED THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, FOREVER.
9 THE EARTH QUAKED, EVEN THE HEAVENS DRIPPED; THIS IS SINAI, BECAUSE OF GOD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL.
10 GENEROUS RAIN YOU POURED DOWN, O GOD; YOUR HERITAGE, WHICH WAS WEARY, YOU ESTABLISHED.
11 YOUR CONGREGATION DWELT THEREIN; YOU PREPARE WITH YOUR GOODNESS FOR THE POOR, O GOD.
12 THE LORD WILL GIVE OUT A WORD; THEY WILL ANNOUNCE IT TO A GREAT MULTITUDE.
13 KINGS OF HOSTS WILL WANDER, YEA THEY WILL WANDER, AND SHE WHO DWELLS IN THE HOUSE WILL DIVIDE THE SPOILS.
Amos Chacham explains this to mean that the Enemy princes will move away. The Israelites who take over from them will divide the spoil that is left behind.
14 IF YOU LIE BETWEEN THE BORDERS (Hebrew: "Shoftayim" implying perhaps the two halves of an oven) - THE FEATHERS OF A DOVE COVERED WITH SILVER, AND ITS PINIONS WITH BRILLIANT GOLD.
IF YOU LIE BETWEEN THE BORDERS. Also translatable as meaning (according to Radak and others), "Even if (in the past) you lay down (or "settled") on the top of the stove, (and suffered, cf. The Holocaust and the ovens), you will be recompensed, and enriched like - THE FEATHERS OF A DOVE COVERED WITH SILVER, AND ITS PINIONS WITH BRILLIANT GOLD.
15 WHEN THE ALMIGHTY SPREADS OUT FOR KINGS THEREIN, IT WILL BECOME AS WHITE AS SNOW IN DARKNESS.
16 THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD IS THE MOUNTAIN OF BASHAN; THE MOUNTAIN OF PEAKS IS THE MOUNTAIN OF BASHAN.
Bashan is the plateau area of present-day Jordan and Syria. This was the region of the Tribes Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh with settlements of some of the other Tribes being added later. Regarding the Tribal Settlement arrangemnts see The Commentary of the Natziv, "Ha-Emek Davar." He explains that first the Tribes took their Tribal portions, 12 Tribes with 12 portions one for each Tribe. If additional Land was later conquered it would be divided between all the 12 Tribes. Other sources indicate that if a single Tribe conquered extra land that had not been in the initial division then it could appropriated by whichever Tribe carried out the conquest. In Aramaic Bashan is "Bathan," or "Batan." Ptolemy has the area extending far to the north.
17 WHY DO YOU LURK, YOU LOFTY MOUNTAINS, FOR THE MOUNTAIN THAT GOD DESIRED FOR HIS DWELLING? EVEN THE LORD WILL DWELL [THERE] FOREVER.
WHY DO YOU LURK, the Hebrew used here "Tirratsdun' should be translated as "dance, quiver."` In Biblical terminology "mountain" can represent "nation." Why are the Peoples of the World jealous of Israelites who keep the Torah? THey would not ewant to accept it if it had have been offered unto them!
The Almighty will make HIS Presence felt in Bashan and the rest of the Land of Israel when the Israelites (including the Ten Tribes) return to settle in those regions.
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Cf.
Other Biblical Sources speak of the Ten Tribes returning and settling in those areas.
Micah 7 (TCT): 14 LEAD YOUR PEOPLE WITH YOUR ROD-THE FLOCK OF YOUR INHERITANCE WHO DWELL ALONE, A FOREST IN THE MIDST OF A FRUITFUL FIELD - AND THEY SHALL GRAZE IN BASHAN AND GILEAD AS IN DAYS OF YORE.
Zechariah (TCT) 10: 10 AND I WILL RETURN THEM FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND FROM ASSYRIA I WILL GATHER THEM. AND TO THE LAND OF GILEAD AND LEBANON I WILL BRING THEM, AND IT SHALL NOT SUFFICE FOR THEM.
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18 GOD'S CHARIOT IS TWICE TEN THOUSAND TIMES THOUSANDS OF ANGELS. THE LORD WAS AMONG THEM AT SINAI IN HIS HOLINESS.
19 YOU ASCENDED ON HIGH, YOU TOOK CAPTIVES; YOU TOOK GIFTS TO BE AMONG MEN, AND ALSO REBELLIOUS ONES FOR YAH GOD TO DWELL.
Abraham Iben Ezra (ca. 1090 - 1167) translates this as saying (roughly), You (i.e. the Almighty, or the Prophets) went up to Heaven and brought back spiritual gifts so that even the pagan Gentiles who had rebelled against God later wanted to convert and live with Israel.
20 BLESSED IS THE LORD; EVERY DAY GOD LAVISHES UPON US OUR SALVATION FOREVER.
21 GOD IS TO US THE GOD OF SALVATIONS, BUT GOD THE LORD HAS THE WAYS TO DEATH.
The Almighty has means to punish the wicked when necessary.
22 INDEED GOD WILL WOUND HIS ENEMIES' HEAD, THE HAIRY PATE OF HIM WHO GOES WITH HIS GUILT.`
24 IN ORDER THAT YOUR FOOT MAY WADE THROUGH BLOOD; THE TONGUE OF YOUR DOGS WILL HAVE ITS PORTION FROM THE ENEMIES."
25 THEY SAW YOUR WAYS, O GOD, THE WAYS OF MY GOD, MY KING IN SANCTITY.
26 SINGERS WENT FIRST, MINSTRELS AFTERWARDS, IN THE MIDST OF MAIDENS PLAYING TIMBRELS.
27 IN CONGREGATIONS BLESS GOD THE LORD, FROM THE WOMB OF ISRAEL.
28 THERE BENJAMIN THE YOUNGEST RULES OVER THEM; THE PRINCES OF JUDAH PELT THEM WITH STONES, AS DO THE PRINCES OF ZEBULUN AND THE PRINCES OF NAFTALI.
The Tribes of Israel will defeat their enemies. Even comparatively smaller Tribes with puny weapons throwing stones will have great victories.
29 YOUR GOD HAS COMMANDED YOUR STRENGTH; SHOW THIS STRENGTH, O GOD, WHICH YOU HAVE WROUGHT FOR US.
Israelites have been bequeathed with more potential power than they realize. The Almighty will help us put it into effect.
30 FROM YOUR TEMPLE, WHICH IS OVER JERUSALEM, KINGS WILL BRING YOU TRIBUTE.
The Third Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. The Messiah son of David will rule from Jerusalem. All the world will pay tribute to him.
31 REBUKE THE PEOPLE(s, plural) OF THE FOREST, THE CONGREGATION OF MIGHTY BULLS AMONG PEOPLE LIKE CALVES, SUBMITTING HIMSELF FOR PIECES OF SILVER; HE SCATTERS PEOPLES, THEY ALWAYS DESIRE BATTLES.
The Gentiles will try to rebell against the rule of the Almighty but through HIS Messiah they will be subdued.
32 GIFTS WILL BE BROUGHT FROM EGYPT; CUSH WILL CAUSE HIS HANDS TO RUN TO GOD.
Cush means Back Africa, or Ethiopia, or India.
33 KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH, SING TO GOD, SING PRAISES TO THE LORD FOREVER.
34 TO HIM WHO RIDES ON THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS OF OLD; BEHOLD, HE GIVES FORTH WITH HIS VOICE A VOICE OF STRENGTH.
35 ATTRIBUTE STRENGTH TO GOD; OVER ISRAEL IS HIS PRIDE, AND HIS STRENGTH IS IN THE SKIES.
36 YOU ARE FEARED, O GOD, FROM YOUR SANCTUARY; THE GOD OF ISRAEL-HE GIVES STRENGTH AND POWER TO THE PEOPLE; BLESSED BE GOD.