Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 68:6

"God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a parched land." — Psalms 68:6 (ASV)

Solitary ... —This might refer to the childless , but it is better, in connection with the next clause, to think of the exiles scattered and dispersed, who are brought home by the Divine arm.

With chains. —The Hebrew word is peculiar to this passage and is derived by the Rabbis from a root meaning to bind. Modern scholars give “to prosper” as the meaning of the root and render, he bringeth the captives into prosperity.

But. —Literally, only.

Rebellious. —As in Psalm 66:7; stubborn, refractory.

In a dry land. —Or, desert.

It is natural, remembering the connection between the imagery of Psalm 68:4 and parts of the great prophet of the Return, to refer its expressions to those who were left behind in Babylon when the restoration took place.

(7–10) We come now to the first of three unmistakable historic retrospects—the rescue from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and the establishment of Jerusalem as the political and religious capital. In these patriotic recollections, the poet is naturally inspired by the strains of former odes of victory and freedom. The music especially of Deborah’s mighty song (Judges 5), which, directly or indirectly, colored so much of later Hebrew poetry (Habakkuk 3), is in his ears throughout.

Wentest forth ... didst march. —The parallel clauses, as well as the words employed, have, in their sound and sequence, a martial tread. The latter word, “didst march,” is peculiar to Judges 5, Habakkuk 3, and this psalm.

Even Sinai itself. —Better, this Sinai. (See Note, Judges 5:5, where the clause completing the parallelism, omitted here, is retained and shows us that the predicate to be supplied here is melted.)

“The mountain melted from before Jehovah,
This Sinai from before Jehovah, God of Israel.”

The demonstrative “this Sinai” appears more natural if we suppose the verse, even in Deborah’s song, to be an echo or fragment of some older pieces contemporary with the Exodus itself. Such fragments of ancient poetry actually survive in some of the historical books—e.g.,Numbers 21:17–18; Exodus 15:1–19.