Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
Parallel translations
- WEB Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war.
- BSB Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.
- NKJV Rebuke the beasts of the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
- NASB Rebuke the animals in the reeds, The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Trampling the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.
- NLT Rebuke these enemy nations— these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves. Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute. Scatter the nations that delight in war.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David asks God to rebuke hostile, war-loving nations and humble them into submission. It is a prayer for God to subdue proud powers and bring peace.
Overview
Using imagery of the wild beast among the reeds and herds of bulls, likely Egypt and other aggressive nations, David prays that God would scatter those who delight in war and bring them to tribute. The longing is for God's reign to overcome violent pride. Ultimately this points to Christ, the Prince of Peace, who will subdue all rebellious powers under his rule.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Ps 22:12–13Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
- Ps 89:10Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
- Rom 7:22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
- Isa 37:1–38And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
- Ps 18:44As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
- 2 Chr 14:1–15So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
- Ps 120:7I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
- Ps 2:12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
- 2 Sam 10:1–19And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
- Jas 4:1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
- Isa 34:7And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
- Ezek 29:3Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
- 2 Sam 8:1–18And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
- Job 40:21He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
- Jer 50:11Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;
- 2 Chr 20:1–37It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
- Jer 51:32–33And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 68:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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