The
PS 68 belong to
Book II of the
book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book II comprises the PS 42 the 72 . The
PS 68 is divided into 36 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 68 - Triumphal Song
1 To the director. From David. Psalm. Song .
2 God arises: his enemies scatter,
and those who hate him flee before him.
3 As smoke dissipates, so are they dissipated;
as wax melts with fire,
so evildoers perish before God.
4 But the righteous rejoice and rejoice;
in the presence of God they rejoice with joy.
5 Sing to God, sing hymns to his name, make
way for him who rides on the deserts.
For his name is Lord! Rejoice in his presence.
6 Father of fatherless and defender of widows
is the God who dwells in his sanctuary.
7 God returns home those who live alone
and sends prisoners out into freedom,
but rebels will remain in arid land.
8 When you went out before your people, O God,
and walked through the wilderness,
9 the earth trembled and the heavens dripped
in the presence of God, that of Sinai,
in the presence of God, the God of Israel.
10 You caused the rain to fall in abundance, O God;
and thou hast restored strength to thy weakened inheritance.
11 Thy creatures have returned to the earth,
which in Thy goodness, O God, Thou hast prepared for the poor.
12 The Lord proclaims an oracle,
the good news of a great army:
13 "The kings of armies flee, flee,
and a housewife divides the spoils.
14 Can you be rested among the flocks,
with dove's wings covered with silver,
and her feathers of fine gold?
15 When the Almighty dispersed the kings,
a snow fell on Mount Salmon
" .
16 O high mountain, mountain of Basan!
Craggy Mountain, Basan Mountain!
17 O rugged mountains, why do you envy
the mountain that God desired for your dwelling place?
However, the Lord will dwell in her forever.
18 The chariots of God are thousands
of glittering squadrons;
in them comes the Lord from Sinai into the sanctuary.
19 You have gone up on high, taking prisoners with you;
you received men, even rebels, as tribute,
to dwell there, O Lord and God.
20 Blessed be the Lord, day after day;
He takes care of us, is the God of our salvation.
21 He is our God, is the God of salvation.
It is through the Lord our God
that it is possible to escape death.
22 For God crushes the heads of his enemies,
the skulls of those who persist in their guilt.
23 The Lord said, "From Basan I will bring them back,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea.
24 So you shall wet your feet in their blood,
and your dogs' tongue shall have enemies for food."
25 They saw, O God, thy triumphant trains,
the trains of my God and king in the sanctuary.
26 The singers lead the way, the musicians behind,
in the middle, the maidens playing tambourines.
27 Bless God in the assemblies,
bless the Lord, in the solemnities of Israel.
28 There goes Benjamin, the youngest, to lead the others;
then the chiefs of Judah, with their groups,
the chiefs of Zabulun and the chiefs of Nephtali.
29 Clearly impose your power, O my God,
the power with which you have intervened in our behalf, O God.
30 From your sanctuary in Jerusalem,
where kings will come to offer you gifts,
31 dominates the wild beast of the reeds,
the herd of bulls and people like bullocks.
They stoop to pieces of silver.
Scatter the nations that desire war!
32 Rich gifts will come from Egypt,
and Ethiopia will flow, stretching out her hands to God.
33 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
sing hymns to the Lord!
34 He rides through the heavens, the heavens of old,
and makes his voice heard, a mighty voice.
35 Recognize the power of God!
His majesty shines over Israel,
and his power in the vastness of the clouds.
36 God is wonderful from his sanctuary.
For it is He the God of Israel who gives strength and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 68 is a prayer
conference Thanksgiving . The reasons for
thanking God seem more communal, relating to the whole people, than individual. It is a synthesis of all the
benefits God has performed for Israel throughout its history. This kind of religious epic from Israel's history could eventually serve as a special anthem for a covenant celebration feast.
The
mountain of Basan , located in the northern region of the eastern bank of the Jordan, was known for its fecundity. This highlight makes Basan appear frequently referenced in biblical literature. But the
Mount Zion is the desired mountain by God to your address.
The
Psalms of Supplication are very present in the Book of Psalms. They speak of human frailty and the most basic feelings of your mortal condition. Times of peace and plenty
contrast with war and individual or community destruction. The Psalmist pleads for
God's help and asks him to
end his situation of affliction , ending with the
certainty of having been heard .
In spiritual practice, the supplication and request to God reflects a lot the meaning of
prayer, being the privileged way to establish contact and
raise the voice to the Divine. In numerous Psalms, supplication seems to be the most immediate motivation and the greatest concern. When turning to God, the speaker / Psalmist finds tenderness, justice, compassion, reconciliation, purification, in short, peace itself.
The
narratives and
feelings involved in these prayers are varied and basic; affect Humanity over the millennia, and are still current today. They reflect
multiple interior , individual and collective experiences, and the relationship between people and peoples. They address topics such as the deadly threat of disease, persecution, aging, violence, war, betrayal, loneliness, enemy aggression and how these feelings alter
consciousness we have of ourselves, of our relationship with others and with God.
Situations that prompt supplication can be
bitter and
desperate , but the Psalms generally express a
state of mind of trust and end in
thanksgiving . The Psalmist cries out to God for his help and forgiveness in a profound expression of limitless
trust in divine compassion and justice. Even the cry of the Psalmist is already a fighting speech, change will, of inner transformation, confidence and hope for a
free future evil, the
suffering and the
wicked .
The
Psalms of Supplication they are classified as individual supplication and collective supplication. Those of
Individual Supplication comprise Psalm 3; 5-7; 13; 17; 22; 26; 27; 28; 31; 35; 39; 42-43; 51; 54-57; 59; 61; 63; 64; 69-71; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140-143. and those of
Collective Supplication Ps 12; 44; 58; 60; 74; 80; 83; 85; 90; 94; 108; 123; 127.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy .
