Psalms 68:10
in Psalms 68Your flock settled therein; O God, from Your bounty You provided for the poor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor.
KJV
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
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This verse in Psalms 68
Commentary
11 notes on this verseYour animals dwell in it; that is, in the inheritance. But by "animals" he meant those who live in God, that is, the holy ones. You have prepared in your sweetness for the poor man, O God. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." You have prepared the rain, that is, the law.
This site's exposition
when You went out before Your people
on Psalms 68:7-10
Verse 8 calls God the One on Sinai, a title taken from where He gave the law. The earth shook and the heavens poured rain at His coming, and verse 9 turns that rain into provision for a weary inheritance. He fed the poor from His own bounty.
This site's exposition
Your flock settled therein
The word for flock is literally a living creature, and Albert Barnes shows it can mean a company of people, as in 2 Samuel 23:11. He places the flock in the land of the inheritance. There the poor lived on the bounty of God.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Your animals shall dwell therein" [Psalm 68:10]. "Yours," not their own; to You subject, not for themselves free; for You needy, not for themselves sufficient. Lastly, he continues, "You have prepared in Your own sweetness for the needy, O God." "In Your own sweetness," not in his meetness. For the needy he is, for he has been made weak, in order that he may be made perfect: he has acknowledged himself indigent, that he may be replenished. This is that sweetness, whereof in another place is said, "The Lord shall give sweetness, and our land shall give her fruit:" in order that a good work may be done not for fear, but for love; not for dread of punishment, but for love of righteousness. For this is true and sound freedom. But the Lord has prepared this for one wanting, not for one abounding, whose reproach is that poverty: of which sort in another place is said, "Reproach to these men that abound, and contempt to proud men." For those he has called proud, whom he has called them that abound.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein,.... That is, in the Lord's inheritance, in the midst of his church and people. The word for "congregation" signifies "beasts" or "living creatures" (w): some understand them of the Gentiles, who, before the Gospel came among them, were comparable to such; but, under the Gospel dispensation, being called and taken out by it, were put among the people of God, and dwelt in his inheritance.
This looks further to the spiritual provision made for God's Israel; the Spirit of grace and the gospel of grace are the plentiful rain with which God confirms his inheritance, and from which their fruit is found, Isa. xlv. Christ himself is this rain, Ps. lxxii.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Thy congregation--literally, "troop," as in 2Sa 23:11, 13 --the military aspect of the people being prominent, according to the figures of the context. therein--that is, in the land of promise. the poor--Thy humble people (Ps 68:9; compare Ps 10:17;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein. In the wilderness itself, enclosed as in a wall of fire, thy chosen church has found a home; or, rather, girdled by the shower of free grace which fell all around the camp, thy flock has rested. The congregation of the faithful find the Lord to be their "dwelling place in all generations." Where there were no dwellings of men, God was the dwelling of his people. Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein. In the wilderness itself, enclosed as in a wall of fire, thy chosen church has found a home; or, rather, girdled by the shower of free grace which fell all around the camp, thy flock has rested. The congregation of the faithful find the Lord to be their "dwelling place in all generations." Where there were no dwellings of men, God was the dwelling of his people. Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. Within the guarded circle there was plenty for all; all were poor in themselves, yet there were no beggars in all the camp, for celestial fare was to be had for the gathering. We, too, still dwell within the circling protection of the Most High, and find goodness made ready for us: although poor and needy by nature, we are enriched by grace; divine preparations in the decree, the covenant, the atonement, providence, and the Spirit's work, have made ready for us a fulness of the blessing of the Lord. Happy people, though in the wilderness, for all things are ours, in possessing the favour and presence of our God.
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein - חיתך chaiyathecha, thy living creature; τα ζωα, Septuagint; animalia, Vulgate; so all the Versions. Does not this refer to the quails that were brought to the camp of the Israelites, and dwelt, as it were, round about it? And was not this, with the manna and the refreshing rock, that goodness which God had provided for the poor - the needy Israelites?
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein - In the land of promise; for the connection requires us to understand it in this manner. The idea of the writer all along pertains to that land, and to the mercy which God had shown to it. After showing by an historical reference what God had done for the people in the wilderness, he returns here, though without expressly mentioning it, to the land of promise, and to what God had done there for his people. The word tendered “congregation” - חיה châyâh - means properly a beast, an animal, Gen 1:30; Gen 2:19; Gen 8:19; Gen 37:20. Then it comes to be used as a collective noun, meaning a herd or flock; thus, a troop of people, an array or host, 2Sa 23:11, 2Sa 23:13; and it is applied here to the people, under the idea so common in the Scriptures that God is a Shepherd. Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor - For thy flock considered as poor or wretched. That is, Thou hast provided for them when they had no resources of their own - when they were a poor, oppressed, and afflicted people - wanderers wholly dependent on thee.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Generous rain You poured down This too You did for us: if we needed rain, You lifted them and poured upon us constantly rains of generosity and blessing.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
When the house of Israel heard the voice of Your power, their souls flew away; immediately You brought down upon them the dew of revival, and rain of favor You cast down, God, upon Your inheritance, and the assembly when exhausted, You upheld.
Your congregation dwelt therein Heb. (חיתך). Your congregation has dwelt therein, as (II Sam.:11): “and the Philistines gathered together their camp (sic) into a troop (לחיה).” Another explanation: The congregation of Israel is known as the animal and the beast of the Holy One, blessed be He.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חַיָּתְךָ֥ | chaiyatekha | community your | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יָֽשְׁבוּ־ | yashevu- | they dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָ֑הּ | vah | in it | ||
| תָּ֤כִ֥ין | takhin | you prepared | H3559 → | 217 times |
| בְּטוֹבָתְךָ֖ | betoatekha | in goodness your | H2896 → | 538 times |
| לֶעָנִ֣י | leani | for <the> poor [person] | H6041 → | 73 times |
| אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | ʾelohim | O God | H430 → | 2601 times |
חַיָּתְךָ֥community your
chaiyatekhaH2416 →498 times
יָֽשְׁבוּ־they dwelt
yashevu-H3427 →1079 times
בָ֑הּin it
vah
תָּ֤כִ֥יןyou prepared
takhinH3559 →217 times
בְּטוֹבָתְךָ֖in goodness your
betoatekhaH2896 →538 times
לֶעָנִ֣יfor <the> poor [person]
leaniH6041 →73 times
אֱלֹהִֽים׃O God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 11:5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
it leads to
- Isaiah 35:4–6
Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Isaiah 61:1–3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- Isaiah 42:6–7
“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a…
- Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight…
- Isaiah 29:18
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
- Isaiah 35:4–6
Through
1 Samuel 2:8He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth…
it leads to
- Psalms 113:7–8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
- Daniel 2:48
Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.
- Psalms 113:7–8
Through
Luke 1:53He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.
it leads to
- Psalms 107:8–9
Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
- Psalms 107:8–9
Where this verse is studied
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 68; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 7, on Psalm 67; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.