Psalms 68

To what extent are these poems archaic and to what extent applicable in our time? And to what do they apply? Can God be used in a sentence, the one riding in the evenings named Yah? If you look for the word presence, you will see that it dominates the first 9 verses. Five words (blow, glad, name, bring out/go forth, and establish) each used exactly twice and close together, move the poem forward in this presence to verse 11. A theme in this section, the care for the poor, defines part of the character of God. The Sufficient (verse 15) is being defined as one who cares for the orphan and the widow. Many names of God are used in this poem. 13.5% of the words in the psalm are names for God. The phrase one riding could also be considered a Name.

Verse 19 is referenced in the Newer Testament. Even the rebellious are captive - in the way that love captures a rebellious child to give that child time to rein in, focus, and mature the energy inherent in rebellion. The wicked (verse 3) must perish from the presence. This recalls Psalm 22:2, ali ali lmh yzbtni My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (If you must build a theo-theory. No shortcuts, please.) 

I wondered if 19 was a center-point but it is not. There are pairs of words that lead to it and through it: the alliterative ride away, ride away, the repeated hill (with its parenthetical explanation of hills and jealousy), Bashan as frame for verse 19 and its repeated capture, on the way to day and salvation / victory, to wound - enemies and the repeated bring back. The final 12 verses feature additional repeated words: processions, strength, peoples, heaven, voice. I did not pick these out but they are obvious from the structural charts in my first book, Seeing the Psalter, where I note that sing and sing a psalm together with the one riding, frame the whole.

	spr thlim		Book of Psalms
	sk		68
a	lmnxk ldvid mzmor wir.	1	For the leader. Of David. A psalm. A song.
b	iqum alohim ipuxu aoibiv. vinusu mwnaiv mpniv.	2	God will arise. His enemies will be dispersed. And those hating him will withdraw from his presence.
g	chndof ywn tndof, chims dong mpni-aw, iabdu rwyim mpni alohim.	3	As smoke is blown you will blow, as melting wax from the presence of fire, the wicked will perish from the presence of God.
d	vxdiqim iwmku iylxu lpni alohim viwiwu bwmkh.	4	But the righteous will be glad. They will be elated in the presence of God and they will joy in gladness.
h	wiru lalohim zmru wmo. solu lrocb byrbot bih wmo vylzu lpniv.	5	Sing to God. Sing a psalm to his name. Extol the one riding in the evenings by Yah his name, and exult in his presence.
v	abi itomim vdiin almnot, alohim bmyon qodwo.	6	A father of orphans and advocate of widows, God in the habitation of his sanctuary.
z	alohim mowib ikidim bith moxia asirim bcowrot. aç sorrim wcnu xkikh.	7	God seating the solitary in a household, bringing out prisoners into success. Surely the rebellious will dwell in a scorched place.
k	alohim bxatç lpni ymç, bxydç biwimon slh.	8	O God, when you go forth in the presence of your people, when you march in a wasteland, Selah.
't	arx rywh af-wmiim n'tpu mpni alohim, zh sinii, mpni alohim alohi iwral.	9	earth quaked, also the heavens dropped from the presence of God, (that is Sinai), from the presence of God, the God of Israel.
i	gwm ndbot tnif alohim. nkltç vnlah ath connth.	10	Willing showers you sprinkled, O God. Your inheritance though she was impatient, you yourself established.
ia	kitç iwbu-bh. tcin b'tobtç lyni alohim.	11	Those you gave life sit there. You will establish your goodness for the poor, O God.
ib	adonii iitn-aomr. hmbwrot xba rb.	12	My Lord gave a promise. The women publishing are an abundant host.
ig	mlci xbaot iidodun iidodun. unvvt-bit tklq wll.	13	Kings of hosts ride away ride away. She who stayed home in the house shared the spoil.
id	am-twcbun bin wptiim, cnpi ionh nkph bcsf, vabrotih birqrq krux,	14	Though you lie down between the ash-heaps, the wings of a dove canopied with silver, and her feathers with yellow-green bullion,
'tv	bprw wdii mlcim bh twlg bxlmon.	15	the Sufficient will spread the kings there, white as snow in Salmon.
'tz	hr-alohim hr-bwn, hr gbnunim hr-bwn.	16	The hill of God, the hill of Bashan, the hill of mountain peaks, the hill of Bashan.
iz	lmh trxdun hrim gbnunim? hhr kmd alohim lwbto. af-ihvh iwcon lnxk.	17	Why be envious O hills? Of mountain peaks? This hill God finds attractive for his seat. Also, Yahweh will dwell here in perpetuity.
ik	rcb alohim ribotiim alpi wnan, adonii bm sinii bqodw.	18	the chariot of God, tens of thousands, thousands, myriads, my Lord is there, Sinai, in the sanctuary.
i't	ylit lmrom wbit wbi lqkt mtnot badm, vaf sorrim lwcon ih alohim.	19	You have ascended on high. Captives you have captured. You have received endowments for humanity, and also the rebellious in the dwelling of Yah, God.
c	bruç adonii iom iom iymos-lnu hal iwuytnu slh.	20	Blessed is my Lord. Day by day he carries us, the God of our salvation. Selah.
ca	hal lnu al lmowyot, vlihvh adonii, lmvvt toxaot.	21	Our God is the God of victories, and to Yahweh, my Lord, are the exeunts from death.
cb	aç-alohim imkx raw aoibiv, qodqod wiyr, mthlç bawmiv.	22	Surely God will wound the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp, of one walking in his offense.
cg	amr adonii mbwn awib, awib mmxulot im,	23	My Lord said, From Bashan I will bring back, I will bring back from the depths of the sea,
cd	lmyn tmkx rglç bdm, lwon clbiç, maoibim minhu.	24	so that you will wound your foot, the tongue of your dogs in blood, from the enemies of his portion.
ch	rau hlicotiç alohim, hlicot ali mlci bqodw.	25	They have seen your processions, O God, the processions of my God, my king in the sanctuary.
cv	qidmu wrim akr nognim, btoç ylmot toppot.	26	Singers precede, after them the orchestra, in the midst, young women drumming.
cz	bmqhlot brcu alohim, ihvh mmqor iwral.	27	In the congregations, bless God, Yahweh, from the fountain of Israel.
ck	wm bnimin xyir rodm wri ihudh rgmtm, wri zbulun wri nptli.	28	There is diminutive Benjamin, ruler, the nobility of Judah their crowd, the nobility of Zebulun, the nobility of Naphtali.
c't	xivvh alohiç yuzç yuzh alohim. zu pylt lnu.	29	Your God commanded your strength. Be strong O God. This you have worked for us.
l	mhiclç yl-iruwlim, lç iobilu mlcim wi.	30	Out of your temple at Jerusalem, to you kings will convey tribute.
la	gyr kit qnh ydt abirim bygli ymim mtrps brxi-csf. bizr ymim qrbot ikpxu.	31	Rebuke the animal of the purchase, the testimony of the mighty with the calves of the peoples, submitting themselves in bits of silver. He will dispel peoples delighting in close combat.
lb	iatiu kwmnim mni mxriim. cuw trix idiv lalohim.	32	Ambassadors will arrive from Egypt. Ethiopia will race, its hands toward God.
lg	mmlcot harx wiru lalohim. zmru adonii slh.	33	Kingdoms of the earth sing to God. Sing a psalm to my Lord. Selah.
ld	lrocb bwmi wmi-qdm, hn iitn bqolo qol yoz.	34	To the one riding in the heaven of heavens preceding, lo he gives with his voice a voice of strength.
lh	tnu yoz lalohim, yl-iwral gavvto, vyuzo bwkqim.	35	Give strength to God, his pride over Israel, and his strength in the skies.
lv	nora alohim mmqdwiç, al iwral hua notn yoz vtyxumot lym bruç alohim.	36	God feared from your sanctuary, the God of Israel, he gives strength and numbers to the people. Bless God.