Proverbia 68:11

Nova Vulgata

[68:12] Dominus dat verbum; virgines annuntiantes bona sunt agmen ingens:

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Et operui in jejunio animam meam, et factum est in opprobrium mihi.

Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
Et operui in jejunio animam meam,
et factum est in opprobrium mihi.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lord: Psalms 40:3, Exodus 14:15, Exodus 17:9-16, Judges 4:6-24, Ephesians 4:11

company: Heb. army, Psalms 68:25, Exodus 15:20, Judges 5:1-31, Revelation 19:13

Reciprocal: Psalms 147:15 - his word Isaiah 52:7 - publisheth Jeremiah 10:10 - at Matthew 9:37 - but Matthew 9:38 - that Matthew 22:3 - sent Luke 10:2 - the Lord

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The Lord gave the word,.... The word of the Gospel to his apostles. He committed the word of reconciliation to them; he intrusted them with it, as a sacred depositum; he gave gifts unto them, qualifying them for the ministration of it; he gave them a commission to preach it; and he gave them a door of utterance to speak it as it should be, and an opportunity to publish it. The Targum wrongly interprets it of the word of the law;

great [was] the company of those that published [it]; there were in our Lord's time twelve apostles and seventy disciples, who were sent out to preach the Gospel; and many more in the times of the apostles, and since. The word for "company" signifies an "army" x: Christ's ministers are soldiers, and war a good warfare; they have weapons which are not carnal, but spiritual, and mighty through God, and they are made to triumph in Christ in every place. And the word rendered "those that published" is in the feminine gender; not as suggesting that women would be preachers of the Gospel under the New Testament dispensation, for that is forbidden, 1 Corinthians 14:34; but in allusion to the custom of women in Israel publishing the victories obtained by their armies and generals; see 1 Samuel 18:7; and it may be it is used to denote the weakness of Gospel ministers in themselves, who have the treasure of the word put into their earthen vessels, that the power may appear to be of God, and not of man; so ministers are called maidens, Proverbs 9:3; and this same word is used of them in Isaiah 40:9. And it may be observed, that notwithstanding it is of the said gender, yet it is by the Targum interpreted of men, thus;

"but Moses and Aaron evangelized the word of God to the great army of Israel.''

And it may also be observed, that this word המבשרות, which signifies a "publishing of good news", is derived from a root which signifies "flesh" denoting, that the good tidings of the Gospel, or of peace and pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation, published in it, are by an incarnate Saviour, or through his assumption of our flesh, and suffering in it.

x צבא "exercitus", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord gave the word - The command, or the order. It is not certain to what the psalmist here refers; whether to some particular occasion then fresh in the recollection of the people, when a great victory had been gained, which it was the design of the psalm to celebrate; or whether it is a general statement in regard to the doings of God, having reference to all his victories and triumphs, and meaning that in all cases the command came from him. The subsequent verses make it evident that there is an allusion here to the ark of the covenant, and to the victories which had been achieved under that as a guide or protector. The entire psalm refers to the ark, and its triumphs; and the idea here seems to be, that in all the victories which had been achieved the “word” or the command came from God, and that its promulgation was immediately made by a “great company” who stood ready to communicate it or to “publish” it.

Great was the company of those that published it - Margin, army. More literally, “The women publishing it were a great host.” The word used is in the feminine gender, and refers to the Oriental custom whereby females celebrated victories in songs and dances. See Exodus 15:20-21; Judges 11:34; Jdg 21:21; 1 Samuel 18:6-7. The idea here is, that when there was a proclamation of war - when God commanded his people to go out to battle, and to take with them the ark, the females of the land - the singers - were ready to make known the proclamation; to celebrate the will of the Lord by songs and dances; to cheer and encourage their husbands, brothers, and fathers, as they went out to the conflict. The result is stated in the following verse.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 68:11. Great was the company of those that published it. — המבשרות צבא רב hammebasseroth tsaba rab; "Of the female preachers there was a great host." Such is the literal translation of this passage; the reader may make of it what he pleases. Some think it refers to the women who, with music, songs, and dances, celebrated the victories of the Israelites over their enemies. But the publication of good news, or of any joyful event, belonged to the women. It was they who announced it to the people at large; and to this universal custom, which prevails to the present day, the psalmist alludes. See this established in Clarke's note on "Isaiah 40:9".