Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, November 24th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Psalms 68:14

God All-Powerful scattered the kings like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Salmon;   Zalmon;   Thompson Chain Reference - Snow;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Silver;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Zalmon or Salmon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gospel;   Praise;   Psalms, Theology of;   Word;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Salmon;   Snow;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dove;   Palestine;   Salmon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Zalmon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of God;   Psalms;   Sin;   Zalmon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Almighty;   Salmon;   Zalmon, Mount;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Psalms the book of;   Salmon;   Zalmon;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sal'mon,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Psalms, Book of;   Zalmon;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abishai;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
The Almighty scattered the enemy kings like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
English Revised Version
When the Almighty scattered kings therein, it was as when it snoweth in Zalmon.
Update Bible Version
When the Almighty scattered kings therein, [It was as when] it snows in Zalmon.
New Century Version
The Almighty scattered kings like snow on Mount Zalmon.
New English Translation
When the sovereign Judge scatters kings, let it snow on Zalmon!
Webster's Bible Translation
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.
World English Bible
When the Almighty scattered kings in her, It snowed on Zalmon.
Amplified Bible
When the Almighty scattered [the Canaanite] kings in the land of Canaan, It was snowing on Zalmon.
English Standard Version
When the Almighty scatters kings there, let snow fall on Zalmon.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
While the king of heuene demeth kyngis theronne, thei schulen be maad whitter then snow in Selmon;
Berean Standard Bible
When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land it was like the snow falling on Zalmon.
Contemporary English Version
God All-Powerful, you scattered the kings like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.
American Standard Version
When the Almighty scattered kings therein, It was as when it snoweth in Zalmon.
Bible in Basic English
When the Most High put the kings to flight, it was as white as snow in Salmon.
Complete Jewish Bible
Even if you lie among the animal stalls, there are wings of a dove covered with silver and its plumes with green gold.
Darby Translation
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it became snow-white as Zalmon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
When ye lie among the sheepfolds,
King James Version (1611)
When the Almighty scattered Kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
New Life Bible
When the All-powerful divided the kings there, snow was falling in Zalmon.
New Revised Standard
When the Almighty scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon.
Geneva Bible (1587)
When the Almightie scattered Kings in it, it was white as the snowe in Zalmon.
George Lamsa Translation
When God appointed a king over Zion, it became white like snow
Good News Translation
When Almighty God scattered the kings on Mount Zalmon, he caused snow to fall there.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When the Almighty scattereth kings therein, It will gleam like snow in the gloom:
Douay-Rheims Bible
(67-15) When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon.
Revised Standard Version
When the Almighty scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When the almightie scattered kynges in it: it was as whyte as snowe in Salmon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
When the heavenly One scatters kings upon it, they shall be made snow-white in Selmon.
Christian Standard Bible®
When the Almighty scattered kings in the land,it snowed on Zalmon.
Hebrew Names Version
When Shaddai scattered kings in her, It snowed on Tzalmon.
King James Version
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
Lexham English Bible
When Shaddai scattered kings on it, on Zalmon it snowed.
Literal Translation
When the Almighty scatters kings in it, it snows on Mount Salmon.
Young's Literal Translation
When the Mighty spreadeth kings in it, It doth snow in Salmon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
When the Allmightie setteth kynges vpo the earth, it shalbe cleare euen in the darcknesse.
New American Standard Bible
When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon.
New King James Version
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, It was white as snow in Zalmon.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon.
Legacy Standard Bible
When the Almighty dispersed the kings there,It was snowing in Zalmon.

Contextual Overview

7 God, you led your people out of Egypt. You marched across the desert. Selah 8 The ground shook and rain poured from the sky when God, the God of Israel, came to Sinai. 9 God, you sent the rain to make a tired, old land strong again. 10 Your people came back to live there, and you provided good things for the poor. 11 My Lord gave the command, and many people went to tell the good news: 12 "The armies of powerful kings ran away! At home, the women divide the things brought from the battle. 13 Those who stayed home will share in the wealth— metal doves with wings covered in silver and feathers sparkling with gold." 14 God All-Powerful scattered the kings like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

When: Numbers 21:3, Numbers 21:21-35, Joshua 10:10-43, Joshua 12:1-24, Revelation 19:14-21

in it, it was: or, for her, she was, Judges 2:7, Jeremiah 2:3

as snow: Psalms 51:7, Isaiah 1:18

Reciprocal: Judges 9:48 - Zalmon Psalms 68:1 - be scattered Psalms 68:30 - scatter thou Psalms 110:5 - strike Mark 9:3 - exceeding Revelation 3:4 - walk

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When the Almighty scattered kings in it,.... His inheritance, his congregation, the church, Psalms 68:9. Which some understand of his diffusing, and spreading and giving, in large numbers, ministers and preachers of the Gospel, pastors and teachers; who are kings and spiritual governors, are over churches, and have the rule over them in the Lord: and so Jarchi interprets them of the disciples of the wise men. Or they may be understood of the Lord's bringing into his churches such as are made kings and priests unto God, and in whose hearts grace reigns; and even of kings, in a literal sense, who will be brought into the church in the latter day, Isaiah 49:23. Though they may be interpreted of wicked kings, and the destruction of them "by it" f, the dove, the church of Christ; which will be done at the battle of Armageddon, at which time we read of the church being clothed in white, as follows; see Revelation 16:14. The name of "Almighty" well agrees with Christ, Revelation 1:8; or "Shaddai", who is sufficient, all sufficient; and whose grace is sufficient for his people, 2 Corinthians 12:9;

it was [white] as snow in Salmon; a mountain near to Shechem, Judges 9:48; which seems to have had its name from the shady trees upon it; and which also, as it seems from hence, was sometimes covered with snow; as was Lebanon, so called from the whiteness of the snow on it; and Olympus is called snowy by Homer, from the snow continually on it g. Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it, "in darkness", or "in the shadow of death"; denoting, as Ainsworth observes, light in darkness; joy in tribulation: but rather it may design the purity of the church and people of God, through the imputation of Christ's righteousness to them, which is as fine linen, clean and white; and through his pardoning blood, whereby their scarlet and crimson sins are as white as wool, as white as snow; and through the sanctifying grace of the Spirit, by which they are washed and cleansed, and made all glorious within; and through the holiness of their lives and conversations, they hating the garment spotted with the flesh; and washing their garments, and making them white in the blood of the Lamb: or they may be said to be so, as having got the victory over all their enemies; and especially this will be the case when the kings of the earth will be scattered and destroyed by the Almighty Saviour, Revelation 7:9.

f בה "per eam, vel propter eam", Gejerus. g Iliad. c. v. 420. & 18. v. 615.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When the Almighty scattered kings in it - The Hebrew here is, “In the scattering of (that is, by) the Almighty of kings.” The reference is to the act of God in causing kings to abandon their purposes of invasion, or to flee when their own countries were invaded. Compare Psalms 48:5-6. The language here is so general that it might be applied to any such acts in the history of the Hebrew people; to any wars of defense or offence which they waged. It may have reference to the scattering of kings and people when Joshua invaded the land of Canaan, and when he discomfited the numerous forces, led by different kings, as the Israelites took possession of the country. The close connection of the passage with the reference to the journey through the wilderness Psalms 68:7-9 would make it probable that this is the allusion. The phrase “in it,” (margin, for her), refers doubtless to the land of Canaan, and to the victories achieved there.

It was white as snow in Salmon - Margin, She was. The allusion is to the land of Canaan. But about the meaning of the phrase “white as snow in Salmon,” there has been great diversity of opinion. The word rendered “was white as snow” is correctly rendered. It means to be snowy; then, to be white like snow. The verb occurs nowhere else. The noun is of frequent occurrence, and is always rendered snow. Exodus 4:6; Numbers 12:10; 2Sa 23:20; 2 Kings 5:27; et al. The word Salmon properly means shady, and was applied to the mountain here referred to, probably on account of the dark forests which covered it. That mountain was in Samaria, near Shechem. Judges 9:48. It is not known why the snow of that mountain is particularly alluded to here, as if there was any special whiteness or purity in it. It is probably specified by name only to give more vivacity to the description. There is much difference of opinion as to what is the meaning of the expression, or in what respects the land was thus white.

The most common opinion has been that it was from the bones of the slain which were left to bleach unburied, and which covered the land so that it seemed to be white. Compare Virg. AEn. v. 865; xii. 36. Ovid uses similar language, Fast. i: “Humanis ossibus albet humus.”So also Horace, Serra. 1, 8: “Albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum.” This interpretation of the passage is adopted by Rosenmuller, Gesenius, and DeWette. Others suppose it to mean that the land was like the dazzling whiteness of snow in the midst of blackness or darkness. This was the opinion of Kimchi, and this interpretation is adopted by Prof. Alexander. Tholuck supposes it to mean that, when war was waged on the kings and people, they fell as fast as snow-flakes on Mount Salmon; and that the idea is not so much the whiteness of the land, as the fact that they fell in great numbers, covering the land as the snow-flakes do. It is perhaps not possible to determine which of these explanations is correct. Either of them would accord with the meaning of the words and the general sense of the psalm. That of Tholuck is the most poetical, but it is less obvious from the Hebrew words used.


 
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