Psalm 68:18
ESV
You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
NIV
When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious— that you, Lord God, might dwell there.
NASB
You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among people, Even among the rebellious as well, that the Lord God may dwell there.
CSB
You ascended to the heights, taking away captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious, so that the Lord God might dwell there.
NLT
When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the Lord God will live among us there.
KJV
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
NKJV
You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there.
What does Psalm 68:18 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 68, verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 68:7–18 reflects on God's gracious, powerful victories on behalf of Israel. This includes their time in the wilderness as well as their early conquest of the Promised Land. At Sinai, the Lord had established a covenant with Israel. David later took the ark of the covenant to Mount Zion. This symbolized God's choice to "move" His presence to Jerusalem, in defiance of earthly enemies such as Og at Bashan (Numbers 21:33–35).
Prior psalms (Psalm 66—67) explored the idea of the Lord God of Israel being worshipped by the entire world, including the Gentile nations. Psalm 68 includes that idea, as well as a celebration of God's prior victories on Israel's behalf. The song uses dramatic imagery to praise God's power and grandeur. Mount Zion—the location of Jerusalem—is where the Lord chooses for His seat of power. The entire world should honor this; one day, the whole earth will do just that.
