Psalm 68 7

Psalm 68:7 kjv

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

Psalm 68:7 nkjv

O God, when You went out before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah

Psalm 68:7 niv

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

Psalm 68:7 esv

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

Psalm 68:7 nlt

O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude

Psalm 68 verses

Psalm 68 7 Meaning

Psalm 68:7 proclaims God's powerful and personal leadership over His people during the pivotal events of the Exodus and their journey through the wilderness. It highlights God's initiative and active presence as He went before them, guiding and sustaining them through a desolate and challenging environment. This verse serves as a foundational declaration of God's unmatched strength and faithfulness to His covenant people, establishing the basis for future trust and praise.

Psalm 68 7 Context

Psalm 68:7 inaugurates a significant historical retrospection within a psalm rich with triumphal procession imagery. This section (vv. 7-10) grounds the current and future praise of God in His past acts of deliverer and provider. The entire Psalm 68 is a war song and a processional hymn, celebrating God's power, His victories over enemies, and His benevolent care for His people. It opens with the charge "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered" (v. 1), drawing from a battle cry associated with the Ark of the Covenant's movement (Num 10:35). The historical reference in verse 7 serves to establish God's consistent character as the active, victorious leader and the sole source of His people's strength and blessing, recalling the most foundational period of Israel's national identity – the Exodus and subsequent wilderness journey. Historically, the Exodus from Egypt and the wilderness wandering period solidified Israel's identity as a nation chosen by and exclusively belonging to Yahweh. Unlike the localized, often anthropomorphic deities of surrounding cultures who were typically confined to specific regions or natural phenomena, the God of Israel "went out" and "marched" with His people, actively leading them through inhospitable terrains. This demonstrates His universal sovereignty, His unique covenantal relationship, and direct involvement, challenging contemporary pagan beliefs in static or detached gods.

Psalm 68 7 Word analysis

• O God (’Elohiym אֱלֹהִים): This is the common Hebrew name for God, emphasizing His divine power, majesty, and supreme authority as the Creator and Ruler of all. Here, it addresses Him directly and personally, highlighting His relationship and interaction with Israel.
• when you went out (b’tzēt-kā בְּצֵאתְךָ): The verb signifies active departure or setting forth. It conveys the idea of God taking initiative, not merely reacting. This specifically recalls God's visible leading of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness, often symbolized by the pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 13:21). It denotes His decisive action.
• before your people (lipe‘nê ‘am-meḵā לִפְנֵי עַמֶּךָ): This phrase emphasizes God's position as the foremost leader. He goes in advance, showing the way, clearing obstacles, and offering protection. It underscores His deep, personal involvement with Israel, explicitly identifying them as "His people" and signifying a covenant relationship of care and guidance.
• when you marched (b’lak·tə·ḵā בְּלַכְתְּךָ): This word, from the verb halakh (to walk, go), suggests purposeful, continuous movement, often with military or processional connotations. It reinforces God's dynamic and unwavering leadership during the forty years of wandering. It conveys a sense of steady progress under divine command, not haphazard journeying.
• through the wilderness (bā·yi·šî·môn בַיְשִׁימוֹן): The Hebrew term y'shîmôn or midbar denotes a desolate, arid, unpopulated region—a place of hardship and danger. Mentioning the wilderness highlights the miraculous nature of Israel's survival and God's powerful provision (water from rock, manna) in an otherwise unsurvivable environment. It underscores the severity of the circumstances through which God, uniquely among deities, faithfully navigated His people.

Words-group analysis:

• "O God, when you went out before your people": This phrase immediately sets the tone, attributing sovereign leadership to God. It highlights God’s initiative in redeeming and leading His chosen nation, signifying a direct, personal, and powerful divine intervention from the outset of their history as a people. This imagery counters any belief in a passive or detached deity.
• "when you marched through the wilderness": This group of words portrays the arduous and continuous nature of the journey, emphasizing that God's leadership was sustained even in the most challenging and hostile environments. It testifies to God's steadfast commitment to His people, ensuring their survival and progress where no human agency could have.

Psalm 68 7 Bonus section

The "marching" of God described in Psalm 68:7 (and elaborated in the verses following, especially 8-9) is closely associated with the concept of a Theophany—a visible manifestation of God. The tremors of the earth, the rain from the heavens, and the shaking mountains mentioned in subsequent verses (Ps 68:8-9, referencing Sinai) are traditional accompanying elements of divine presence in ancient Near Eastern thought and biblical descriptions of God's arrival (e.g., Judg 5:4-5, Ps 18:7-15). This portrays God not just as a leader but as a cosmic force, whose very movement reshapes the landscape, emphasizing His unparalleled power and glory above all other perceived gods or forces. It underscores a polemic against static, localized pagan deities; Israel’s God moved with His people, affecting nature as He did so.

Psalm 68 7 Commentary

Psalm 68:7 is a profound affirmation of God's active, personal, and majestic leadership. It transcends mere historical recollection to proclaim a fundamental aspect of God's character: His immediate and powerful presence with His people. The verse casts God not as a distant observer but as the very front of the procession, taking the initiative and navigating the harshest realities (the wilderness) to guide His covenant community. This vivid portrayal reinforces the belief that God is actively involved in the journey of His people, whether through ancient deserts or the difficulties of life today. His past faithfulness during the Exodus provides the historical bedrock for confidence in His ongoing care, power, and triumph. It reminds believers that where God leads, He provides and protects, no matter the severity of the path.