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Psalm 68:17-19
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 68:17-19
New Catholic Bible
17 Why, O rugged mountains, do you gaze enviously
at the mountain[a] that God has chosen as his abode,
where the Lord himself will dwell forever?
18 The chariots of God[b] are myriad,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord has come down from Sinai
and entered into the holy place.
19 You ascended on high,
leading captives in your train;
you accepted slaves as tribute,
so that even rebels might dwell with the Lord God.[c]
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:17 The mountain: Mount Zion, a little mount, which God has made the highest mountain because he has placed his temple there and dwells in it.
- Psalm 68:18 Chariots of God: the heavenly hosts (see Hab 3:8, 15), later termed “legions” by Jesus (see Mt 26:53). It may also refer to the heavenly chariots seen by Elisha (see 2 Ki 6:17) rather than the chariots of Solomon (see 1 Ki 10:26).
- Psalm 68:19 When God went up to his place of enthronement on Mount Zion (see Ps 47:6f), he had captives in his train and received gifts like a victor in battle. The apostle Paul applies this verse in its Greek translation to the ministry of the ascended Christ (Eph 4:8: “When he ascended to the heights, / he took prisoners into captivity / and gave gifts to men”). It assures all who believe in Christ that by trusting him they can overcome evil.