EXPOSITION
THIS psalm is one of triumphant praise and jubilation, the crown and gem of the Second Book. Professor Cheyne calls it "a patriotic and religious ode of wondrous range and compass, and in the grandest style." He also notes that it was a favourite with the Huguenots, who called it "The Song of Battles," and that it was chanted by Savanarola and his brother monks as they marched to the trial of fire in the Piazza of Florence. While some critics assign it to the post-Captivity period (Ewald, Cheyne), the greater number, and the most acute (Botticher, Hitzig, Hengstenberg, Kay, Dean Johnson, etc.)see in it one of the earliest, as well as the most beautiful, specimens of Hebrew poetry. The ascription to David, which we find in the "title," is by these critics accepted as fully borne out by the contents. The antique language, the impressive descriptions, the fresh powerful tone of the poetry, the lyric emotion which pervades the ode, and makes it live, are all worthy of the "sweet psalmist of Israel," and of him alone among known Hebrew composers of hymns. Whether it can be probably assigned to any special period in David's life is disputed, but Hengstenberg's suggestion that it celebrated the final victory in the Ammonitic war, and the capture of Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:26-31), seems to deserve mention.
The psalm has been variously divided, but may best be considered as consisting of five portions:
1. An introduction (Psalms 68:1-6), in which God is praised on general grounds.
2. Praise of God for his doings at Sinai and in the wilderness (Psalms 68:7-10).
3. Praise of God for the conquest of Canaan, and the series of victories terminating in the full establishment of David's rule (Psalms 68:11-23).
4. Praise of God in connection with his sanctuary (Psalms 68:24-27).
5. Prophetic announcement of future triumphs (Psalms 68:28-35).