To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
Parallel translations
- WEB To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
- KJV To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
- BSB to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.
- NASB To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He speaks with His voice, a mighty voice.
- NLT Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
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
God rides upon the ancient heavens and speaks with a mighty voice. It exalts his transcendent power and majesty.
Overview
David pictures God riding through the highest heavens, his thundering voice declaring his power. The imagery underscores his sovereignty over creation and history. The God who rides the heavens is the same Lord whose voice spoke creation into being and who, in Christ, speaks the word of salvation that no power can silence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 18:10He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
- Ps 104:3He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
- Ps 68:4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!
- 1 Kgs 8:27But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
- Rev 11:19God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.
- Deut 33:26“There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies.
- John 12:28–29Father, glorify your name!” Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
- Ps 93:2Your throne is established from long ago. You are from everlasting.
- Rev 11:15The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”
- Ps 29:3–9Yahweh’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters.
- Ps 77:17–18The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.
- Ps 102:25Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands.
- Deut 10:14Behold, to Yahweh your God belongs heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein.
- Ps 46:6The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice, and the earth melted.
- Rev 11:12I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them.
- Ezek 10:5The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 68:33 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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