TRV
Translation
King James Version
To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
Complete Jewish Bible
to him who rides on the most ancient heavens. Listen, as he utters his voice, a mighty voice!
Berean Standard Bible
to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.
American Standard Version
To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, which are of old; Lo, he uttereth his voice, a mighty voice.
World English Bible Messianic
To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
Geneva Bible (1599)
To him that rideth vpon ye most high heauens, which were from the beginning: beholde, he will send out by his voice a mightie sound.
Young's Literal Translation
To him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Lo, He giveth with His voice a strong voice.
In the KJVVerse 14,934 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 68 verses 32–35
32 ¶ Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
The psalmist, having prayed for and prophesied of the conversion of the Gentiles, here invites them to come in and join with the devout Israelites in praising God, intimating that their accession to the church would be the matter of their joy and praise (Psa 68:32): Let the kingdoms of the earth sing praises to the Lord; they all ought to do it, and, when they become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, they will do it. God is here proposed to them as the proper object of praise upon several accounts:
I. Because of his supreme and sovereign dominion: He rides upon the heavens of heavens which were of old (Psa 68:33); compare Psa 68:4. He has from the beginning, nay from before all time, prepared his throne; he sits on the circuit of heaven, guides all the motions of the heavenly bodies; and from the highest heavens, which are the residence of his glory, he dispenses the influences of his power and goodness to this lower world.
II. Because of his awful and terrible majesty: He sends out his voice, and that a mighty voice. This may refer either generally to the thunder, which is called the voice of the Lord and is said to be powerful and full of majesty (Psa 29:3, Psa 29:4), or in particular to that thunder in which God spoke to Israel at Mount Sinai.
III. Because of his mighty power: Ascribe you strength unto God (Psa 68:34); acknowledge him to be a God of such irresistible power that it is folly to contend with him and wisdom to submit to him; acknowledge that he has power sufficient both to protect his faithful subjects and to destroy his stubborn adversaries; and give him the glory of all the instances of his omnipotence. Thine is the kingdom and power, and therefore thine is the glory. We must acknowledge his power, 1. In the kingdom of grace: His excellency is over Israel; he shows his sovereign care in protecting and governing his church; that is the excellency of his power, which is employed for the good of his people. 2. In the kingdom of providence: His strength is in the clouds, whence comes the thunder of his power, the small rain, and the great rain of his strength. Though God has his strength in the clouds, yet he condescends to gather his Israel under the shadow of his wings, Deu 33:26.
IV. Because of the glory of his sanctuary and the wonders wrought there (Psa 68:35): O God! thou art terrible out of thy holy places. God is to be admired and adored with reverence and godly fear by all those that attend him in his holy places, that receive his oracles, that observe his operations according to them, and that pay their homage to him. He displays that out of his holy places which declares aloud that he will be sanctified in those that come nigh unto him. Out of heaven, his holy place above, he does, and will, show himself a terrible God. Nor is any attribute of God more dreadful to sinners than his holiness.
V. Because of the grace bestowed upon his people: The God of Israel is he that gives strength and power unto his people, which the gods of the nations, that were vanity and a lie, could not give to their worshippers; how should they help them, when they could not help themselves? All Israel's strength against their enemies came from God; they owned they had no might of their own, Ch2 20:12. And all our sufficiency for our spiritual work and warfare is from the grace of God. It is through Christ strengthening us that we can do all things, and not otherwise; and therefore he must have the glory of all we do (Psa 115:1) and our humble thanks for enabling us to do it and accepting the work of his own hands in us. If it be the God of Israel that vies strength and power unto his people, they ought to say, Blessed be God. If all be from him, let all be to him.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 32–35. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 68
Henceforward, as if through prophecy all things had been discoursed of which now we see fulfilled, he exhorts to the praise of Christ, and next He foretells His future Advent. "Kingdoms of earth, sing ye to God, psalm ye to the Lord: psalm ye to God, who has ascended above the Heaven of Heavens to the East" [Psalm 68:33]. Or, as some copies have it, "who has ascended above the Heaven of Heaven to the East." In these words he perceives not Christ, who believes not His Resurrection and Ascension. But has not "to the East," which he has added, expressed the very spot; since in the quarters of the East is where He rose again, and whence He ascended? Therefore above the Heaven of Heaven He sits at the right hand of the Father. This is what the Apostle says, "the Same is He that has ascended above all Heavens." [Ephesians 4:10] For what of Heavens does remain after the Heaven of Heaven? Which also we may call the Heavens of Heavens, just as He has called the firmament Heaven: [Genesis 1:8] which Heaven, however, even as Heavens we read of, in the place where there is written, "and let the waters which are above the Heavens praise the name of the Lord." And forasmuch as from thence He is to come, [Acts 1:11] to judge quick and dead, observe what follows: "behold, He shall give His voice, the voice of power." He that like a lamb before the shearer of Him was without voice, [Isaiah 53:7] "behold shall give His voice," and not the voice of weakness, as though to be judged; but "the voice of power," as though going to judge. For God shall not be hidden, as before, and in the judgment of men not opening His mouth; but "God shall come manifest, our God, and He shall not be silent." Why do ye despair, you unbelieving men? Why do ye mock? What says the evil servant? "My Lord delays to come." [Luke 12:45] "Behold, He shall give His voice, the voice of power."
Fulgentius of RuspeAD 533
LETTER TO MONIMUS 1:9.1
Therefore we know both the will to do good and the ability to do good come from God. David agrees completely with this, showing that by the command of divine generosity the grace of a good will is granted: “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when he delights in our way.” We have no good works in us unless they come from God, and we bear witness that it is done in God, saying, “Show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before.” And in another place: “With God we shall do valiantly,” that is, the work of virtue. So here in the place of the work of virtue, he said “virtue” just as John, for the work of justice, spoke of doing justice. For he says, “The person who acts in righteousness is righteous.” Paul also wants us to do the will of God, saying, “May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.”
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Acts 8:26A
“Arise and go to the south.” It is well that it was in the south that this man was sought, found and washed clean. Burning with devotion in his breast, he deserved to be consecrated to God as, so to speak, the firstfruits of the Gentiles. In him especially was fulfilled that saying of the psalmist, “Ethiopia will stretch out its hands to God.”
John DamasceneAD 749
ORTHODOX FAITH 4:12
And so, since God is spiritual light and Christ in sacred Scripture is called “Sun of Justice” and “orient,” the east should be dedicated to his worship. For everything beautiful should be dedicated to God from whom everything that is good receives its goodness. Also, the divine David says, “Sing to God, all you kingdoms of the earth: sing to the Lord; who mounts above the heaven of heavens, to the east.” And still again, Scripture says, “And the Lord had planted a paradise in Eden to the east; wherein he placed man whom he had formed,” and whom he cast out, when he had transgressed, “and made him to live over against the paradise of pleasure,” or in the west. Thus it is that, when we worship God, we long for our ancient fatherland and gaze toward it. The tabernacle of Moses had the veil and the propitiatory to the east; and the tribe of Judah, as being the more honorable, pitched their tents on the east; and in the celebrated temple of Solomon the gate of the Lord was set to the east. As a matter of fact, when the Lord was crucified, he looked toward the west, and so we worship gazing toward him. And when he was taken up, he ascended to the east, and thus the apostles worshiped him, and thus he shall come in the same way as they had seen him going into heaven, as the Lord said: “As lightning comes out of the east and appears even into the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” And so, while we are awaiting him, we worship toward the east. This is, moreover, the unwritten tradition of the apostles, for they have handed many things down to us unwritten.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 68:33 presents a breathtaking vision of God's transcendent sovereignty and eternal dominion. It exalts the Lord as the supreme King who majestically "rideth upon the heavens of heavens," a phrase signifying His ultimate authority and pre-existence from eternity past. This awe-inspiring imagery is powerfully complemented by the declaration that He sends forth His "mighty voice," underscoring the irresistible power, inherent effectiveness, and absolute authority of His divine word, which commands all creation and unfailingly accomplishes His sovereign will.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 68:33 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and majestic picture of God's transcendent power. The visual image of God "riding upon the heavens of heavens" evokes a profound sense of cosmic majesty and unparalleled dominion, while the auditory image of Him sending forth a "mighty voice" conveys irresistible authority and effective power. This use of Anthropomorphism (attributing human actions like "riding" and "sending out a voice" to God) helps the human mind grasp divine attributes, though it is understood that God is spirit and not literally confined to such physical actions. The phrase "heavens of heavens" employs Hyperbole or a Superlative Construction common in Hebrew, intensifying the concept of the highest possible heavens to emphasize God's ultimate transcendence and the boundless nature of His dwelling place. Furthermore, there is an implicit Metaphor of God as a divine warrior or king, whose voice is not merely a sound but a powerful decree or a weapon that commands and shapes creation. The verse also exhibits a form of Parallelism in its structure, where the "voice" is immediately qualified as "mighty," reinforcing the attribute of power and emphasizing its inherent efficacy.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly underscores the biblical doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty and omnipotence. It portrays a God who is utterly transcendent, dwelling in the highest realms, yet actively engaged with His creation through the irresistible power of His word. This "mighty voice" is the same voice that spoke the cosmos into existence, established covenants, delivered laws, pronounced judgments, and offers salvation. It reminds us that no power, earthly or cosmic, can stand against the decree of the Almighty. The eternal nature of His reign ("of old") provides a foundational truth for understanding His faithfulness and immutability; what He declares, He will accomplish, because His authority is timeless and His power is limitless. This truth calls believers to a posture of awe, worship, and unwavering trust in the God whose word is always effective and whose dominion is absolute.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 68:33 offers a majestic and profoundly comforting truth for the believer, while simultaneously demanding deep reverence and awe. To contemplate God as the one who "rideth upon the heavens of heavens" from "of old" invites us to expand our understanding of His transcendence and eternal nature. Our God is not confined by time or space; He is the ultimate sovereign, whose dominion predates and encompasses all existence, holding all things together by His powerful word. This perspective should humble us, reminding us of our finite nature in comparison to His infinite majesty. Furthermore, the declaration that He "doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice" assures us of the active, effective, and irresistible power of His word. In a world often characterized by chaos, uncertainty, and the clamor of competing voices, knowing that God's voice is mighty and sovereign provides an unshakeable anchor for our souls. It encourages us to listen intently to His written word, trust implicitly in His promises, and find profound peace in His ultimate control over all circumstances. This verse calls us to worship Him with unreserved adoration, acknowledging His unmatched power and His unfailing faithfulness, resting in the knowledge that His voice will always prevail.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "heavens of heavens" mean in this context?
Answer: The phrase "heavens of heavens" (Hebrew: shemey shamayim) is a superlative construction, meaning the highest heavens or the heaven of heavens. It does not refer to multiple distinct heavens but rather emphasizes the ultimate height, vastness, and transcendence of God's dwelling place. It signifies that God is not merely in "heaven" but in the most exalted, supreme realm, far beyond all created existence and human comprehension. This underscores His unparalleled majesty, His absolute sovereignty over all creation, and His infinite nature, as also implied in passages like 1 Kings 8:27 and Nehemiah 9:6. It points to the immeasurable gulf between the Creator and creation.
How does God "send out his voice" and what is the significance of it being a "mighty voice"?
Answer: When the Bible speaks of God "sending out His voice," it is not referring to a literal, audible sound in the way humans speak, but rather to the active and effective manifestation of His divine will and power through His word. This "voice" is His authoritative utterance that brings things into being, establishes laws, pronounces judgment, or delivers salvation. The significance of it being a "mighty voice" (Hebrew: kol oz) is that God's word is inherently powerful, irresistible, and effective. Unlike human words, God's word always accomplishes what He intends. This "mighty voice" is seen in creation (e.g., Genesis 1:3), in the giving of the Law at Sinai with thunder and lightning (e.g., Exodus 19), and in the prophetic declarations that shape history. It signifies that God's decrees are absolute, His power is unmatched, and His word is living and active, as highlighted in Hebrews 4:12).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 68:33, with its majestic portrayal of God riding upon the heavens and sending forth a mighty voice, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the visible image of the invisible God, the very agent through whom all things were created by the word of God, as powerfully affirmed in John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:16. The "mighty voice" of God, which commands creation and establishes dominion, is perfectly embodied in Jesus. His voice calmed raging storms with a single word (Mark 4:39), cast out demons with absolute authority (Mark 1:27), and even summoned the dead back to life (John 11:43). Moreover, the imagery of God "riding upon the heavens" powerfully foreshadows Christ's ascension to the right hand of the Father, where He now reigns with all authority in heaven and on earth (Acts 1:9-11 and Ephesians 1:20-22). Ultimately, it will be the "mighty voice" of the Son of Man that will summon all the dead from their graves at the resurrection (John 5:28-29) and usher in the new heavens and new earth, demonstrating His complete and final sovereignty over all creation, from "of old" to eternity.