Psalm 68:31 - God's Enemies Are Scattered

Audio Bible

Context

God's Enemies Are Scattered
…30Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. 31Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God. 32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord—Selah…

Cross References

Isaiah 19:21-25
The LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and on that day Egypt will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. / And the LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them but heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and He will hear their prayers and heal them. / In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. ...Zephaniah 3:10
From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”Acts 8:27-39
So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, / and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. / The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.” ...Isaiah 60:6-9
Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD. / All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on My altar with acceptance; I will adorn My glorious house. / Who are these who fly like clouds, like doves to their shelters? ...Zechariah 14:16-19
Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. / And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them. / And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then the rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. ...Psalm 72:10-11
May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. / May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.Isaiah 11:11
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.Isaiah 18:7
At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of Hosts—from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people widely feared, from a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers—to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD of Hosts.Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.Isaiah 60:3
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.Revelation 21:24-26
By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory. / Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there. / And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations.Isaiah 66:18-20
“And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory. / I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. / And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”1 Kings 10:1-2
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. / She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good—you who are accustomed to doing evil.

Psalm 72:8-11
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth…

Isaiah 19:18-25
In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction…

Isaiah 45:14
Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

Ethiopia

Zephaniah 3:10
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

Acts 8:27
And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

stretch

Psalm 44:20
If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

Psalm 88:9
Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

Psalm 143:6
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

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Psalm 68

Envoys will arrive from Egypt;
This phrase suggests a future event where representatives from Egypt will come to acknowledge or worship God. Historically, Egypt was a powerful nation often in conflict with Israel, yet there are instances in the Bible where Egypt is portrayed as a place of refuge for God's people, such as during the time of Joseph. The arrival of envoys signifies a shift from hostility to recognition of God's sovereignty. This can be seen as a fulfillment of prophecies where nations will come to worship the God of Israel (Isaiah 19:19-25). The mention of envoys implies a formal and respectful approach, indicating a significant change in the relationship between Egypt and Israel.

Cush will stretch out her hands to God.
Cush, often identified with regions south of Egypt, such as modern-day Sudan or Ethiopia, represents distant lands and peoples. The act of stretching out hands is a gesture of prayer, supplication, or worship. This imagery suggests a turning of the nations towards God, fulfilling the biblical theme of all nations coming to worship Him (Psalm 22:27-28). Historically, Cush was known for its wealth and military prowess, yet here it is depicted in a posture of humility and worship. This can be seen as a type of the Gentile inclusion in the worship of God, prefiguring the New Testament revelation of the gospel reaching all nations (Acts 8:27-39, where the Ethiopian eunuch, a representative of Cush, comes to faith in Christ).

Persons / Places / Events

1. Egypt
A significant nation in biblical history, often representing a place of bondage for the Israelites. In this context, it symbolizes nations coming to acknowledge God.

2. Cush
Refers to a region south of Egypt, often associated with Ethiopia. It represents distant lands and peoples who will come to worship God.

3. Envoys
Messengers or representatives from nations, indicating a formal recognition and submission to God's sovereignty.

4. Stretching out hands
A gesture of prayer, worship, or supplication, symbolizing submission and reverence to God.

5. God
The central figure to whom all nations will ultimately submit and worship, as prophesied in this verse.

Teaching Points

God's Sovereignty Over Nations
God is sovereign over all nations, and His plan includes the redemption and worship of people from every corner of the earth.

The Universal Call to Worship
The prophecy in Psalm 68:31 highlights the universal call for all nations to worship God, reminding us of the global scope of the Gospel.

The Role of Messengers
Just as envoys from Egypt are mentioned, believers today are called to be messengers of God's truth to all nations.

Prayer and Worship as Acts of Submission
Stretching out hands to God signifies a heart posture of submission and worship, which should be reflected in our daily lives.

Hope for the Nations
This verse offers hope that even those who seem far from God will come to know and worship Him, encouraging us to pray for and engage in missions.

Lists and Questions

Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 68How do Rastafarians perceive Jesus?What defines Rastafarianism as a religious movement?In 1 Chronicles 1:8–10, are names like Cush and Mizraim intended as symbolic references to peoples rather than actual individuals? Isaiah 18:7: Why would the prophecy single out gifts from Ethiopia if there’s no clear historical account of such tribute being delivered to Mount Zion?

(31) Princes.--Or, magnates.

Ethiopia.--Literally, Cush shall make to run his hands to God, an idiom easily intelligible, expressing hasty submission.

(32?35) A noble doxology, worthy of the close of one of the finest Hebrew hymns.

Verse 31. - Princes shall come out of Egypt. Then shall princely ambassadors come to Zion out of Egypt, and make submission (comp. Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 45:14). Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. The Ptolemies, in their wars with Syria, often sought the favour of the Jews. Christian Churches at an early date were established both in Egypt and in Abyssinia, and some of the most promising mission fields today are in Africa. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Envoys
חַ֭שְׁמַנִּים (ḥaš·man·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2831: Ambassador

will arrive
יֶאֱתָ֣יוּ (ye·’ĕ·ṯā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 857: To arrive

from
מִנִּ֣י (min·nî)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

Egypt;
מִצְרָ֑יִם (miṣ·rā·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

Cush
כּ֥וּשׁ (kūš)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3568: A son of Ham, also his descendants, also a land in the southern Nile Valley

will stretch out
תָּרִ֥יץ (tā·rîṣ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7323: To run

her hands
יָ֝דָ֗יו (yā·ḏāw)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

to God.
לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

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Psalm 68:31 Catholic BibleOT Poetry: Psalm 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt (Psalm Ps Psa.)