God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!
David composed this psalm to celebrate victories God granted him over his enemies, most likely after his triumph over the Ammonites and Syrians when the ark returned to Jerusalem. The ark's ascent to the holy mountain prefigures Christ's far more glorious ascension to heaven after He conquered His enemies and ours. Though the psalm rises to great heights of sublimity, its interpretation presents considerable difficulty at many points.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 68:1-35
Let God arise. In some such words Moses spake when the cloud moved onward, and the ark was carried forward. The ark would have been a poor leader if the Lord had not been present with the symbol. Before we move, we should always desire to see the Lord lead the way.
In these verses, I. David prays that God would appear in his glory, 1. For the confusion of his enemies (Psa 68:1, Psa 68:2): "Let God arise, as a judge to pass sentence upon them, as a general to take the field and do execution upon them; and let them be scattered, and flee before him, as unable to keep their ground, much less to make head against him.
Commenting on Psalm 68:1-6