Psalm 68:1-18 chanted in the Sarum Use by Sarah James

Themes: The Psalmist calls upon God to arise, bless his people, and scatter his enemies; exhorts them to praise him for his greatness, tenderness, compassion, and judgments; describes the grandeur of his march when he went forth in the redemption of his people; how he dispensed his blessings; what he will still continue to do in their behalf; the ejects produced by the manifestation of God's majesty; he is praised for has goodness; for his judgments; he tells in what manner the divine worship was conducted; how God is to be honored; all are invited to sing his praises, and extol his greatness. In the title of this psalm there is nothing particular to be remarked. It is probable that this psalm, or a part of it at least, might have been composed by Moses, to be recited when the Israelites journeyed. On the other hand, David may be the author, having written it to sing the ceremony of transporting the ark from Kirjath-jearim, to Jerusalem; or from the house of Obed-edom to the tabernacle erected at Sion. This is the most difficult psalm to interpret in the whole psalter; and I cannot help but cite the opinion of Simon De Muis: "In this Psalm there are as many precipices and labyrinths as there are verses or words. It may not be improperly termed, the torture of critics, and the reproach of commentators." To attempt anything new on it would be dangerous; and to say what has been so often said would be unsatisfactory. I am truly afraid to fall over one of those precipices, or be endlessly entangled and lost in one of these labyrinths. There are customs here referred to which I do not fully understand; there are words whose meaning I cannot, to my own satisfaction, ascertain; and allusions which are to me inexplicable. Yet of the composition itself I have the highest opinion: it is sublime beyond all comparison; it is constructed with an art truly admirable; it possesses all the dignity of the sacred language; none but David could have composed it; and, at this lapse of time, it would require no small influence of the Spirit that was upon him, to give its true interpretation. (From the Adam Clarke Commentary, 1831)

In Judaism: Psalm 68 is recited on Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) in some traditions. Verses 5-6 are part of the prayers recited following Motzei Shabbat (the time in the evening immediately following Shabbat, that is Saturday night) Maariv (Evening Prayer). Verse 20 is part of Uva Letzion (one of the closing prayers of the morning service). Verses 35-36 are the fourth and fifth verses of V'hu Rachum (a group of praises) in Pesukei Dezimra, which is the morning prayer. (Wikipedia)

In Christianity: Verse 18 is quoted in Ephesians 4:8: “Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high // He led captivity captive // And gave gifts to men’.” In the psalm, the ark ascended up Mount Zion; in Ephesians, it is taken as pointing to Christ who ascended into heaven bringing the elect with him. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 68 is recited or sung at the Reading Office on Tuesday of the third week. It is also read on the 22nd Sunday of the ordinary time of year C in the triennial cycle of the Sunday masses. (Wikipedia)

Nine hundred years ago, the Cathedral of Salisbury, England developed a unique form of chant and liturgy known as the “Use of Salisbury,” or “Sarum Use.” Differences from the Roman rite are both melodic (more florid in the Sarum) and textual (Elizabethan English rather than Latin). The best repository of Sarum Use tones is the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter, from which Sarah has sung this psalm. Additional resources on Sarum Use plainsong at https://canticasacra.org.

Graphics: “Betatakin Ruins at Navajo National Monument,” an unchanged 2013 photo by Jarek Tuszyński and “White House Ruin at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona,” an unchanged 2006 photo by Andreas F. Borchert are made available on Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en; “House on Fire Ruin at Mule Canyon, near Comb Ridge, Utah,” an unchanged 2009 photo by Snowpeak, is made available on Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en.