Psalms 68:22
in Psalms 68The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring them again from the depths of the sea;
KJV
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
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This verse in Psalms 68
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe Lord has said, From Basan I will turn back: that is, from the confusion of this world I will turn back the human race; that is, through my passion and cross, which these people think foolishness and confusion, I will turn back my people. Since indeed Basan is interpreted "confusion." I will turn back in the depths of the sea: that is, from the deep vices and sins of this world, from the commotion and the waves I will turn back my people.
This site's exposition
crush the heads of His enemies
on Psalms 68:21-23
God crushes the heads of His enemies. Those hairy crowns belong to men who persist in guilty ways. Verse 22 has the Lord retrieving them from Bashan and from the depths of the sea, and verse 23 asks for their blood underfoot.
This site's exposition
I will retrieve them from Bashan
The verse leaves unstated whom the Lord will bring up. Charles Spurgeon drops a phrase the older English translators inserted and reads it of the enemies of verse 21. From Bashan or from the depths of the sea, the foes of God cannot flee Him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"The Lord has said, Out of Basan I will be turned" [Psalm 68:22]: or, as some copies have, "Out of Basan I will turn." For He turns that we may be safe, of whom above has been said, "God of our healths, and God of saving men." For to Him elsewhere also is said, "O God of virtues, turn Thou us, and show Your face, and safe we shall be." Also in another place, "Turn us, O God of our healths." But he has said, "Out of Basan I will turn." Basan is interpreted confusion. What is then, I will turn out of confusion, but that there is confounded because of his sins, he that is praying of the mercy of God that they may be put away? Thence it is that the Publican dared not even to lift up his eyes to Heaven: [Luke 18:13] so, on considering himself, was he confounded; but he went down justified, [Luke 18:14] because "the Lord has said, Out of Basan I will turn." Basan is also interpreted drought: and rightly the Lord is understood to turn out of drought, that is, out of scarcity. For they that think themselves to be in plenty, though they be famished; and full, though they be altogether empty; are not turned...."I will turn unto the deep of the sea." If, "I will turn," why, "unto the deep of the sea"? Unto Himself indeed the Lord turns, when savingly He turns, and He is not surely Himself the deep of the sea. Does perchance the Latin expression deceive us, and has there been put "unto the deep," for a translation of what signifies "deeply"? […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): The Lord said, in his own gracious purpose and promise, "I will do great things for my people, as the God of their salvation,"
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Lord said,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
This verse, by the insertion of the words, my people, is made to bear the meaning which the translators thought best; but, if their interpolated word is omitted, we probably get nearer to the sense. The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring again from the depths of the sea. Though his foes should endeavour to escape, they should not be able.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Former examples of God's deliverance are generalized: as He has done, so He will do. from Bashan--the farthest region; and-- depths of the sea--the severest afflictions. Out of all, God will bring them. The figures of Ps 68:23 denote the completeness of the conquest, not implying any savage cruelty (compare 2Ki 9:36;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
This verse, by the insertion of the words, my people, is made to bear the meaning which the translators thought best; but, if their interpolated word is omitted, we probably get nearer to the sense. The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring again from the depths of the sea. Though his foes should endeavour to escape, they should not be able. Amos describes the Lord as saying, "Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them." As there is no resisting Israel's God, so is there no escape from him, neither the heights of Bashan nor the depths of the great sea can shelter from his eye of detection, and his hand of justice. The powers of evil may flee to the utmost ends of the earth, but the Lord will arrest them, and lead them back in chains to adorn his triumph.
From the depths of the sea - All this seems to speak of the defeat of the Egypttians, and the miraculous passage of the Red Sea.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan - On the situation of Bashan, see the notes at Psa 68:15. There may be an allusion here to the victory achieved over Og, king of Bashan, in the time of Moses, Num 21:33-35. The idea may be that as, at that time, a victory was achieved over a formidable enemy, so in times of similar peril, God would deliver his people, and save them from danger. Or, as Bashan was the remote frontier of the holy land, the meaning may be, that God would bring his people from the remotest borders where they should be scattered. Another meaning is suggested by Professor Alexander, namely, that as the subject referred to in the subsequent verses is the “enemy” of God, the meaning may be that God would bring back his enemies for punishment, even from the remotest borders, when they were endeavoring to escape, and even when they supposed they were safe. The first of these opinions is probably the true one. God would rescue his people, as he had done from the attacks of the mighty king of Bashan; he would deliver them, as he had brought their fathers from the depths of the sea. I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea - The words “my people” are not in the Hebrew, but they seem to be not improperly supplied by the translators. If so, the allusion is to the interposition of God in conducting his people through the Red Sea Exo 14:22; and the idea is, that God would at all times interpose in their behalf, and deliver them from similar dangers.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he has said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲ֭דֹנָי | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| מִבָּשָׁ֣ן | mibashan | from Bashan | H1316 → | 60 times |
| אָשִׁ֑יב | ʾashiv | I will bring back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אָ֝שִׁ֗יב | ʾashiv | I will bring back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מִֽמְּצֻל֥וֹת | mimetzulot | from [the] depths of | H4688 → | 11 times |
| יָֽם׃ | yam | [the] sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
אָמַ֣רhe has said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲ֭דֹנָי[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
מִבָּשָׁ֣ןfrom Bashan
mibashanH1316 →60 times
אָשִׁ֑יבI will bring back
ʾashivH7725 →1056 times
אָ֝שִׁ֗יבI will bring back
ʾashivH7725 →1056 times
מִֽמְּצֻל֥וֹתfrom [the] depths of
mimetzulotH4688 →11 times
יָֽם׃[the] sea
yamH3220 →396 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
Ezekiel 36:24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 37:21
you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all…
- Ezekiel 34:13
I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in…
- Amos 9:14–15
I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
- Psalms 107:2–3
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
- Jeremiah 30:3
For behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore from captivity My people Israel and Judah, declares the LORD. I will restore them to the land that I gave to…
- Ezekiel 37:21
Through
Exodus 14:29But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
it leads to
- Exodus 14:22
and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
- Exodus 14:22
Through
Numbers 21:33Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei.
it leads to
- Joshua 13:12
the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim. Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them,
- Deuteronomy 1:4
This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
- Joshua 13:12
Where this verse is studied
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Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 7, on Psalm 67; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.