Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 68:14
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.
14. Of this verse, as of Psa 68:13, the meaning is uncertain. Possibly it too is a fragment, significant to those who remembered its original context, but necessarily obscure to us. It is doubtful, too, if the text is sound. In it, R.V. therein, must mean ‘in the land.’ Salmon, R.V. Zalmon, is only known to us as the name of a wooded hill near Shechem, from which Abimelech fetched wood to burn the tower of Shechem (Jdg 9:48). But the name, which means ‘dark’ or ‘shady’ (cp. Black Mountain, Black Forest), may have been borne by other mountains. If Zalmon near Shechem is intended, it may be mentioned either as a central point in the land, or from its connexion with some historical incident of which no record has been preserved, or simply to heighten the picturesqueness of the simile by representing the snowstorm as seen against the background of the dark mountain. Shaddai, ‘The Almighty’, only occurs once again in the Psalter (Psa 91:1).
(1) Taking the second line as a simile, we may render with R.V.,
When the Almighty scattered kings therein,
(It was as when) it snoweth in Zalmon.
But what is meant by the simile? It has been supposed to refer to the bones of the enemy bleaching on the field of battle (cp. Verg. Aen. xii. 36, campiqiu ingentes ossibus albent: “The vast plains are white with bones”): or to the glistening of the armour &c. dropped by the fugitives in their flight: but it is far more suggestive to think, not of fallen snow lying on the ground, but of falling snow. The snowflakes driven before the storm are an apt emblem of the kings driven in pell-mell flight by the breath of the Lord, and this explanation suits the context. By the thought of the victory won for Israel by God in spite of the sloth of many an Israelite ( Psa 68:13) the poet is naturally carried back to the battle-scene, and desires to emphasise the fact that the Almighty had fought for Israel, sweeping the foe before Him like the snowflakes swept along by the hurricane.
(2) Taking the second line literally, we may render with R.V. marg., It snowed in Zalmon. The words will then refer to a snowstorm which accompanied and completed the rout of the kings. They can scarcely refer to the hardships endured by those who took up arms amid the rigours of an exceptionally severe winter, in contrast to the luxurious ease of the cowards who are chidden in Psa 68:13; still less can they be the words of those cowards excusing themselves from taking part in the war by the severity of the weather.
(3) Some combine the literal and figurative explanations, interpreting it snowed in Zalmon to mean that “the mountain clothed itself in a bright garment of light in celebration of the joyful event. Whoever has been in Palestine knows how refreshing is the sight of the distant mountain peaks covered with snow.” This however is too far-fetched an explanation to be probable.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 Psa 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 Psa 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. Exo 4:6; Num 12:10; 2Sa 23:20; 2Ki 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. Jdg 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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
In it; in Canaan, at the coming of the Israelites thither. The land was as white as Mount Salmon is with the snow, which falls and lies for a long time upon it; which is opposed to the native obscurity of that mountain by the many shady trees which were there, Jdg 9:48. But because there is nothing certain, either concernirig the great height of this mountain, or concerning its snow, as we do read of snow of Lebanon, Jer 18:14, other interpreters, both Hebrew and Christian, and the Chaldee among the rest, take this word Salmon for a common, and not a proper name, signifying darkness or a shadow, as the root from whence it comes unquestionably signifies. Nor is it strange if this word be no where else taken in that sense but here, because that is the lot of many Hebrew words, or of some significations of them, that they are to be found but in one text of Scripture. This being granted, the words are or may be rendered thus, it was snow-white, or thou madest it snow-white in darkness, or, as the Chaldee renders this word, in the shadow of death, i.e. thou didst cause light to shine out of darkness. When the state of thy people, and of the land of Canaan which thou hadst given to them, was dark and dismal or bloody, by reason of the wars raised against them by the Canaanitish kings, thou didst quickly change it; and whereas it was red like scarlet or crimson, thou madest it whiter than snow.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. Their enemies dispersed, thecontrast of their prosperity with their former distress isrepresented by that of the snow with the dark and somber shades ofSalmon.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When the Almighty scattered kings in it,…. His inheritance, his congregation, the church, Ps 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, Isa 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 Re 16:14. The name of “Almighty” well agrees with Christ, Re 1:8; or “Shaddai”, who is sufficient, all sufficient; and whose grace is sufficient for his people, 2Co 12:9;
it was [white] as snow in Salmon; a mountain near to Shechem, Jud 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, Re 7:9.
f “per eam, vel propter eam”, Gejerus. g Iliad. c. v. 420. & 18. v. 615.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
14. When the Almighty scattered kings in it We might read extended, or divided kings, etc., and then the allusion would be to his leading them in triumph. But the other reading is preferable, and corresponds better with what was said above of their being put to flight. There is more difficulty in the second part of the verse, some reading, it was white in Salmon; that is, the Church of God presented a fair and beautiful appearance. Or the verb may be viewed as in the second person — Thou, O God! Didst make it fair and white as mount Salmon (26) with snows The reader may adopt either construction, for the meaning is the same. It is evident that David insists still upon the figure of the whiteness of silver, which he had previously introduced. The country had, as it were, been blackened or sullied by the hostile confusions into which it was thrown, and he says that it had now recovered its fair appearance, and resembled Salmon, which is well known to have been ordinarily covered with snows. (27) Others think that Salmon is not the name of a place, but an appellative, meaning a dark shade. (28) I would retain the commonly received reading. At the same time, I think that there may have been an allusion to the etymology. It comes from the word צלם , tselem, signifying a shade, and mount Salmon had been so called on account of its blackness. (29) This makes the comparison more striking; for it intimates, that as the snows whitened this black mountain, so the country had resumed its former beauty, and put on an aspect of joy, when God dispelled the darkness which had lain upon it during the oppression of enemies. (30)
(26) Salmon is the name of a mountain in Samaria, in the tribe of Ephraim, (Jud 9:48,) white with perpetual snow.
(27) Carrieres, in his paraphrase, has, “You became white as snow on mount Salmon.” “We certainly think,” says the author of the Illustrated Commentary upon the Bible, “that Carrieres has seized the right idea. The intention evidently is, to describe by a figure the honor and prosperity the Hebrews acquired by the defeat of their enemies, and to express this by whiteness, and superlatively by the whiteness of snow. Nothing can be more usual in Persia, for instance, than for a person to say, under an influx of prosperity or honor, or on receiving happy intelligence, ‘My face is made white;’ or gratefully, in return for a favor or compliment, ‘You have made my face white;’ so also, ‘His face is whitened,’ expresses the sense which is entertained of the happiness or favor which has before been received. Such a figurative use of the idea of whiteness does, we imagine, furnish the best explanation of the present and some other texts of Scripture.”
(28) Instead of “in Salmon,” the Targum has, “in the shade of death;” and Boothroyd has,
“
The Almighty having scattered these kings, hath by this turned death-shade to splendor.”
Walford gives a similar version, and explains the meaning to be, “Though you have been in bondage and the darkness of a dejected condition, you are now illuminated with the splendor of victory and prosperity.”
(29) That is, it was so called from the dark shade produced by its trees.
(30) “ Que comme les neiges font blanchir ceste montagne, laquelle de soy est obscure et noire, ainsi quand il a pleu a Dieu d’oster l’obscurite qu’apportoit l’affliction des ennemis, lors on a veu la terre reluire d’un lustre naif, et par maniere de dire, porter une face joyeuse.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
14. Scattered kings These kings are enumerated in Joshua 12.
In it That is, in the land. The allusion seems to be specially to the conquest of the nations of Canaan by Joshua. See chapters 10 and 12.
White as snow in Salmon It is not necessary to add the word “white” to the translation, and the Hebrew conjunction for “as” is wanting. The English Version proceeds upon the supposition that the whiteness of “snow” is the point of the figure. But the word is a verb in Hiphil, and simply means, Thou wilt cause it to snow; or, understanding it in the preterite, Thou didst cause it to snow. It is the falling of snow flakes, not the whiteness of snow, which is the point intended; and if we are to seek a historical basis of the allusion as in the preceding member of the verse, taking “Salmon” or Zalmon, (the words are the same in Hebrew,) not as an appellative, but the name of a mountain near Shechem, Jdg 9:48, it is easy to perceive that an atmosphere that would discharge so terrible a hail storm at Bethhoron (see Jos 10:11) might be darkened by snowflakes at Salmon, twenty-five miles distant, and thus, by such an unprecedented phenomenon, spread alarm among the mustering tribes of the northern section.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 68:14. When the Almighty scattered kings When the Almighty scattered kings therein, thou didst make them joyful in Salmon. Chandler. The kings here referred to, may be Sihon, Og, and the kings of Midian, Num 31:8. Therein may refer to the country of Midian, where these kings were taken and destroyed. See Psa 83:9. The consequence of this signal victory was, it was white as snow in Salmon. This may very properly be rendered, There was great joy in Salmon. Salmon here cannot be that mount Salmon mentioned Jdg 9:48 for this was in the tribe of Ephraim; but that Salmon, of which the Psalmist there speaks, was in or near the land of Midian, where the Midianitish kings were destroyed; and was probably one of the high places of Baal, from whence Balaam viewed the people of Israel, Num 22:41. The construction may be very properly, “When the Almighty scattered kings in it, namely, in Salmon, he made his people very joyful there.” We will subjoin Dr. Chandler’s paraphrase of the last four verses: Psa 68:11. And not only were they thus miraculously fed by the benevolent hand, but made to triumph over all their enemies who molested and opposed them. For thou gavest forth the order to attack. Thou didst assure them of success, leddest them forth against their adversaries; and their victories were celebrated by large numbers of matrons and virgins, who shouted aloud, and sang these joyful tidings: Psa 68:12. “The kings of armies fled away. They fled away utterly discomfited; and they who abode with their families in their tents received their shares in the spoils of their conquered enemies: Psa 68:13. Though when you were slaves to the Egyptians, and employed in the servile drudgery of attending their pots and bricks, you appeared in the most sordid and reproachful habits, and took up your dwellings in the most wretches and miserable huts; yet now you are enriched with the gold and silver of your conquered enemies, possessed of their tents, and arrayed with garments shining and beautiful; you resemble the dove’s feathers, in which the gold and silver colours, mixed with each other, give a very pleasing and lively appearance.” Psa 68:14. When the Lord thus scattered and overcame kings for the sake of his inheritance, how were thy people refreshed! How great was the joy thou gavest them in Salmon, where they obtained, beheld, and celebrated the victory! How proper were these reflections upon the past interpositions of God’s providence in favour of his people, upon this great event, the translation of the ark to Jerusalem! This was the place where God was now to be peculiarly present; his dwelling-place, where the great earnest of his especial protection and blessing was to dwell; the same ark which went before them in their marches through the wilderness, and out of which God, as it were, went forth, subdued their enemies before them, and settled them peaceably in that good land, which he had promised to their fathers. As it was now to be fixed at Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom, that city was henceforward to become the city of the living God; its prosperity to be secured by his presence, and in that the welfare and safety of the whole nation. When the ark came in view of mount Sion, (the place of its fixed residence for the future,) and probably when they began to ascend it, I apprehend they sang the following part of this sacred composition; Psa 68:15-18.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.
Ver. 14. When the Almighty scattered kings in it ] i.e. In the wilderness as they passed; or in Canaan which they possessed, according to Psa 68:1 . Or, scattered kings for her, that is, for his Church, or for her that tarrieth at home, Psa 68:12 , a periphrasis of the Church, in the times of primitive persecution especially, till the Almighty scattered those persecuting princes. Some of the Jewish doctors understand it to be Gog and Magog.
It was white as snow in Salmon
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the ALMIGHTY. Hebrew Shaddai. App-4.
in it: i.e. in His inheritance.
was white, &c. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis thus, “was as [when He scatters] snow in Salmon”: i.e. scatters by dispersing, as snow is melted away.
Salmon. Occurs only here and Jdg 9:48.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
When: Num 21:3, Num 21:21-35, Jos 10:10-43, Jos 12:1-24, Rev 19:14-21
in it, it was: or, for her, she was, Jdg 2:7, Jer 2:3
as snow: Psa 51:7, Isa 1:18
Reciprocal: Jdg 9:48 – Zalmon Psa 68:1 – be scattered Psa 68:30 – scatter thou Psa 110:5 – strike Mar 9:3 – exceeding Rev 3:4 – walk
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 68:14. When the Almighty scattered kings in it In Canaan, at the coming of the Israelites thither; it was white as snow in Salmon The Almighty appeared most illustrious as Salmon, says Bishop Patrick, that is, as mount Salmon covered with snow: The land and nation, says Mr. Samuel Clark, were then in a very flourishing, joyful condition, and resplendent, by the establishment of Gods pure worship there. Dr. Hammond explains and confirms this interpretation of the passage more at large, as follows: The construction lies thus: , O God, by scattering kings there; or, when thou, O God Almighty, didst scatter kings in, or on it, , say the LXX., that is, on Salmon, , tashleg, thou wast white as snow; or, thou didst snow, that is, thou didst there appear in the most shining, bright, propitious form; thy mercies made that place more beautiful than the crown of snow doth the head of that mountain, when it melts in fertile moisture on the neighbouring valleys. Salmon, he adds, was the name of a very high hill on this side Jordan, in the portion of the tribe of Ephraim, Jdg 9:40, and consequently used to have snow lying long upon it. Poole however thinks, with many other interpreters, both Hebrew and Christian, and the Chaldee among the rest, that the word Salmon ought to be taken here, not for a proper, but a common name, signifying darkness, or a shadow, and therefore proposes rendering the clause, It was snow-white, or, Thou madest it snow-white in darkness; or, Thou didst cause light to shine out of darkness: that is, at a time when the state of thy people, and the land of Canaan, which thou hadst given them, was dark and dismal, or bloody, by reason of the wars raised against them by the Canaanitish kings, thou didst quickly change it, and whereas it was red like scarlet, or crimson, thou madest it whiter than snow. Thus Buxtorf translates , tashleg betsalmon, nivesces, thou didst snow, or albesces sicut nix, in caligine. Thou didst grow white in darkness. Henry understands it of the church of God that then was: She was white as snow in Salmon, purified and refined by the mercies of God. Chandler renders the clause, When the Almighty scattered kings therein, thou didst make them joyful in Salmon; or, There was great joy in Salmon. Dr. Horne who doubtless had consulted the commentators above quoted and many others on the passage, acquiesces in this interpretation, observing, The purport of this difficult verse seems to be, that all was white as snow, that is, all was brightness, joy, and festivity about mount Salmon, when the Almighty, fighting for his people Israel, vanquished their enemies in or about that part of the country.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings {l} in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.
(l) In the land of Canaan, where his Church was.