The Meaning of Psalms 68:7 Explained

Psalms 68:7

KJV: O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:

YLT: O God, in Thy going forth before Thy people, In Thy stepping through the wilderness, Selah.

Darby: O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness (Selah) --

ASV: O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O God,  when thou wentest forth  before  thy people,  when thou didst march  through the wilderness;  Selah: 

What does Psalms 68:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 68:1-11 - The Leader Of His People
This is one of the grandest odes in literature. It was probably composed when the Ark was brought in triumph from the house of Obed-edom to the newly acquired hill of the Lord, 2 Samuel 6:1-23. It is evidently a processional hymn, intended to be sung by bands of white-robed priests and Levites. In this paragraph the Ark was lifted to the shoulders of its bearers, while a measured strain was chanted, Psalms 68:1-6. Then, as the procession moved forward, the march through the wilderness was recited, Psalms 68:7-11.
Let God arise! These opening words are borrowed from the formula used by Moses, Numbers 10:35. Through the smoke of many a battlefield have they rung out! Cromwell's "Ironsides" charged to their music. In Psalms 68:5-6 we learn that God has a special care for lonely people and prisoners. The former He introduces to families, John 19:26-27. The latter are brought out into prosperity. Psalms 68:11, r.v. seems to have a modern fulfillment in the exodus of noble women from happy homes in Christian lands to publish the gospel of Christ to the heathen. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 68

1  A prayer at the removing of the ark
4  An exhortation to praise God for his mercies
7  for his care of the church
19  for his great works

What do the individual words in Psalms 68:7 mean?

God when You went out before Your people when You marched through the wilderness Selah
אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים בְּ֭צֵאתְךָ לִפְנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּצַעְדְּךָ֖ בִֽישִׁימ֣וֹן סֶֽלָה

אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּ֭צֵאתְךָ  when  You  went  out 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
עַמֶּ֑ךָ  Your  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בְּצַעְדְּךָ֖  when  You  marched 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צָעַד  
Sense: to step, march, stride.
בִֽישִׁימ֣וֹן  through  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְשִׁימֹון  
Sense: waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place.
סֶֽלָה  Selah 
Parse: Interjection
Root: סֶלָה  
Sense: to lift up, exalt.