Psalms 68:30 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Rebuke, &c. Chastise those that will not bring presents unto thee till they see their error and submit themselves. It is a prophetical prayer against the enemies of the Israelitish Church. The company of spearmen The reading in the margin, The beasts of the reeds; or, as קנה חית, chajath kaneh, is still more literally rendered, the beast, or wild beast of the reed, seems preferable here to this which our translators have placed in the text. For although the word הית, rendered congregation, Psalms 68:10, may signify a company, (see the note there,) it does not appear that there is any sufficient authority for translating קנה, spearmen, the word properly signifying a reed. The LXX. render the clause, επιτιμησον τοις θηριοις του καλαμου, rebuke the beasts of the reed. “By the wild beast (or beasts) of the reeds,” says Dr. Horne, after Poole, Chandler, Lowth, and several other learned men, “is to be understood the Egyptian power, described by its emblem, the crocodile, or river-horse, creatures living among the reeds of the Nile.” In consistency with this interpretation, by the calves of the people, or of the nations, as he translates it, he understands the objects of worship among the Egyptians, their Apis, Osiris, &c., around which the congregation of the mighty (Hebrew, עדת אבירים, gnadath abbirim, rendered in our text, the multitude of the bulls) assembled to worship. There is, however, one considerable objection to this interpretation. As David was not now attacked by the Egyptians, nor about to make war upon them, it does not seem likely that he should so particularly advert to them, or pray so pointedly against them, on this occasion. Some enemy, however, of great power, and fierce as a wild beast, was, no doubt, intended. Bishop Patrick, who refers us to 2 Samuel 8:3, evidently thought that Hadadezer, king of Zobah, and the Syrians were meant. His paraphrase on the clause is, “Destroy that fierce prince, who, like a wild beast out of the forest, comes against us, with a great number of captains as furious as bulls, and of soldiers as insolent as young heifers.” Till every one submit himself Hebrew, מתרפס, mithrappes, literally, casts himself down, or offers himself to be trod upon. The same word bears the same sense Proverbs 6:3. With pieces of silver Bringing pieces of silver by way of tribute, or in token of subjection. This sense of the clause seems to connect best with the context, although, it must be acknowledged, the original text is very obscure, and is capable of several different interpretations, as learned men have shown: see Chandler, Lowth, Dodd, and Horne. Which interpretations it would require more room to state than can be spared in this work. Scatter Hebrew, בזר, bizzar, he hath scattered; that is, according to the prophetic style, He will certainly scatter; the people that delight in war That without any necessity or provocation, and merely out of love of mischief and spoil, make war upon others, and particularly upon us. The sense of the verse upon the whole is, Now that thou hast given thy people rest, and settled the ark in its place, O Lord, rebuke all our malicious and bloody enemies, and give us assured peace, that we may worship thee without disturbance. Thus “the Christian Church,” says Dr. Horne, “through faith in the power of her Lord, risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, prays for the confusion of her implacable enemies, who delight in opposing the kingdom of Messiah.”