68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. 1
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
68:8 the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai, 2
before God, the God of Israel. 3
1 tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”
2 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
3 sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)