Psalms 68:16

Psalms 68:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.
• New International Version (NIV)why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the Lord himself will dwell forever?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in; Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.

Context of Psalms 68:16

14When the Almighty scattered [the Canaanite] kings in the land of Canaan, It was snowing on Zalmon. 15A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A [high] mountain of many summits is Mount Bashan [rising east of the Jordan]. Why do you look with envy, mountains with many peaks, At the mountain [of the city of Zion] which God has desired for His dwelling place? Yes, the Lord will dwell there forever. 17The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as He was at Sinai, in holiness. 18You have ascended on high, You have led away captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there.

Psalms 68:16 word by word

לָ֤מָּה׀ תְּֽרַצְּדוּן֮ הָרִ֪ים גַּבְנֻ֫נִּ֥ים הָהָ֗ר חָמַ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֣ים לְשִׁבְתּ֑וֹ אַף־יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָנֶֽצַח׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Why leapרָצַדrâtsad · to watch with envyH7520
• ye, ye highגַּבְנֹןgabnôn · peakH1386
• hillsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• desirethחָמַדchâmad · to desireH2530
• to dwell inיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• yea, the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• will dwellשָׁכַןshâkan · to dwellH7931
• for everנֵ֫צַחnetsach nêtsach · perpetuityH5331

Cross-references for Psalms 68:16

• Psalms 114:4The mountains leaped like rams, The [little] hills, like lambs.
• Isaiah 2:2Now it will come to pass that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains, And will be exalted above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
• Psalms 132:13For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:
• Deuteronomy 12:5But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to establish His Name there for His dwelling [place], and there you shall come [to worship Him].
• 1 Kings 9:3The Lord told him, “I have heard your prayer and supplication which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My Name and My Presence there forever. My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.
• Hebrews 12:22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels [in festive gathering],
• Revelation 21:2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband;

Commentaries on Psalms 68:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Why leap ye, ye high hills? - "God said, Why leap ye, ye high hills? It is not pleasing to me to give my law upon high and towering hills. Behold, Mount Sinai is low; and the Word of the Lord has desired to place on it the Divine majesty. Moreover, the Lord dwells for ever in the heaven of heavens." - Targum. The psalmist is speaking particularly of the mountains of Judea, and those of Gilead; the former were occupied by the Canaanites, and the others by…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Why leap ye, ye high hills? - That is, with exultation; with pride; with conscious superiority. Why do you seem to regard yourselves as so superior to Mount Zion, in strength, in beauty, in grandeur? The Hebrew, however - רצד râtsad - rather means, “Why do ye watch insidiously? why do ye look askance at?” The word occurs only in this place. In Arabic it means to watch closely; to lie in wait for. This is the idea here. The mountains around Palestine…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 The ascension of Christ must here be meant, and thereto it is applied, Ep 4:8. He received as the purchase of his death, the gifts needful for the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of believers. These he continually bestows, even on rebellious men, that the Lord God might dwell among them, as their Friend and Father. He gave gifts to men. Having received power to give eternal life, the Lord Jesus bestows it on as many as were given…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Why do you gaze in envy: Bashan is more impressive than the mountains around Jerusalem, but it was not the Lord's home. Only Mount Zion had the honor of being God's dwelling place.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. Mountains are often symbols of nations (Psa 46:2; 65:6). That of Bashan, northeast of Palestine, denotes a heathen nation, which is described as a "hill of God," or a great hill. Such are represented as envious of the hill (Zion) on which God resides;Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 68:16

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Commentaries on Psalms 68

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings