Psalm 68 · a question people ask

"God will strike through the head of his enemies" (68:21), and "dipping your foot in blood" (68:23). How can a psalm say that?

In the text

First, what the verses say, and who speaks. In 68:21 the psalm speaks about God: "But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness" (68:21). In 68:22-23 it gives words it says the Lord spoke: "The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea" (68:22), "that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies" (68:23). The psalm names the one struck as "such a one as still continues in his guiltiness" (68:21). It doesn't name the enemies, and it doesn't say who the you of 68:22-23 is. The psalm began with the same enemies: "Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him" (68:1). Psalm 68 is not the only psalm with hard words about enemies, and Christians read these words in more than one way. The chapter on Psalm 109 sets out the main readings, each resting on its verses, and chooses none. These notes don't choose either.

The verses

“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.”
Psalm 68:1 · World English Bible
“But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness. The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea, that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.””
Psalm 68:21-23 · World English Bible
“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”
Psalm 109:1-5 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 68

Psalm 68: You have ascended on high

Psalm 68 opens with nearly the words Moses spoke when the ark set out (Numbers 10:35). It puts the God "who rides on the clouds" (68:4) beside "A father of the fatherless" (68:5). And its "You have ascended on high" (68:18) is the verse Paul quotes in Ephesians 4:8, where the psalm's received gifts reads gave gifts.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions