Psalms 68:22 · Bible study
Psalms 68:22 Commentary: God’s Power to Bring Back
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Who does God bring back from Bashan and the depths of the sea? Explore the key debate in Psalm 68:22: deliverance for His people or judgment for His enemies.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God declares His power to bring people back from the most remote regions (Bashan, the sea), whether for deliverance or for judgment.
- Key words: “Bring again” (return, retrieve, fetch back), the object is not stated in Hebrew; “Bashan” (frontier region, symbol of farthest reach); “depths of the sea” (Red Sea, symbol of extremes).
- Main debate: Does God bring back His people for salvation or His enemies for punishment? The context and grammar allow both readings.
- Theological theme: God’s absolute sovereignty over place, history, and destiny, He can reach anyone anywhere.
- Best use: Preach as a promise of hope in difficult circumstances, and as a warning that no one can escape God’s justice. Use the ambiguity to invite listeners to see themselves as those God is gathering to Himself.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,
WEB World English Bible 2000
The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,
KJV King James Version 1769
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bringthem again from the depths of the sea;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The Lord said: `From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring [them] again from the depth of the sea;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El Señor dijo: De Basán haré volver, te haré volver de los profundos de la mar:
O Senhor disse: Eu os farei voltar de Basã; eu os farei voltar das profundezas do mar.
Oui, Dieu brisera la tête de ses ennemis,
Der Herr hat gesagt: “Aus Basan will ich dich wieder holen, aus der Tiefe des Meeres will ich sie holen,
Voorzeker zal God den kop Zijner vijanden verslaan, den harigen schedel desgenen, die in zijn schulden wandelt.
Il Signore ha detto: Io ti ritrarrò da Basan, ti ritrarrò dalle profondità del mare,
Zaiste Bóg zrani głowę nieprzyjaciół swoich, i wierzch głowy włosami nakryty chodzącego w grzechach swoich.
И дали мне в пищу желчь, и в жажде моей напоили меня уксусом.
主 說：我要使眾民從巴珊 而歸，使他們從深 海 而回，
The Lord said, I will make them come back from Bashan, and from the deep parts of the sea;
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 68:22 is a divine promise asserting God’s sovereign power to bring people back from the most remote or dangerous places. Bashan, a region east of the Jordan known for its rugged mountains and as the kingdom of Og (Numbers 21:33), symbolizes the farthest frontier. The depths of the sea recall the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14:22, 29), the ultimate escape from Pharaoh’s army. The central interpretive question is who is being brought back.
Barnes highlights two main readings: either God will deliver His people from the remotest borders of exile, or He will bring back His enemies for punishment from wherever they try to hide. The Cambridge Bible supplies both possibilities, noting that the object ‘my people’ is not in the Hebrew, making the meaning ambiguous. One reading, supported by the Targum and some Jewish tradition, sees the verse as God gathering exiled Israel; another, favored by the immediate context of verses 21 and 23, sees it as God bringing fugitive enemies to face judgment. Gill, Matthew Henry, and Wesley adopt the deliverance view, connecting the verse to God’s past rescues from Og and the Red Sea. Calvin and the Geneva Bible similarly interpret it as God’s commitment to restore His people. The range of opinion shows that the Hebrew text itself does not specify the object, leaving room for both a promise of salvation and a threat of judgment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Deliverance of God's people: Allusions to the Red Sea and victory over Og as past deliverances (Exod 14:22; Num 21:33; Isa 51:10-11), plus many early translations and the Targum specify 'my people'.
- Judgment of enemies: Immediate context (vv. 21, 23) speaks of striking enemies' heads and dipping feet in blood; Amos 9:2-3 uses similar imagery of hiding places unable to escape God's judgment.
- Both deliverance and judgment: The same divine action can bring salvation to the faithful and punishment to the wicked; the ambiguous text allows the verse to apply to either group depending on one's relation to God.
What is clear: God has the power to bring back anyone from anywhere, and He will act decisively in history according to His character and covenant.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Object of 'bring back' | God is sovereign to bring people back from any remote place; the Hebrew does not specify the object, leaving the verse open. | Some Christians and Jewish interpreters read it as deliverance of God’s people (allusion to exodus and exile), while others read it as judgment on enemies (based on the context of vv. 23 and Amos 9:2-3). Both sides can cite strong contextual evidence. |
| Historical referent | The verse recalls God’s past acts: the victory over Og of Bashan (Numbers 21) and the Red Sea deliverance (Exodus 14). | Some see the primary referent as the exodus/exile (gathering scattered Israel), while others see it as a pattern for ultimate judgment (the wicked cannot hide). |
| Theological emphasis | God’s power is unlimited by geography or circumstance; He controls land and sea. | Some emphasize this as a promise of salvation for the humble; others as a guarantee of justice for the proud. The two are not mutually exclusive but stem from different interpretive choices. |
| Connection to New Testament | Psalm 68 is cited in Ephesians 4:8 regarding Christ’s ascension, showing the psalm’s messianic and eschatological dimension. | Some apply verse 22 to Christ bringing believers out of spiritual death; others see it as Christ’s victory over demonic powers. Most agree the pattern of exodus is fulfilled in redemption. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 68 is one of the most difficult and majestic psalms in the Psalter. Most interpreters connect it to the translation of the Ark of the Covenant to Mount Zion, celebrating God’s victories and His presence among His people. The psalm overflows with imagery drawn from Israel’s history: the wilderness journey, the conquest of Canaan, and the establishment of the sanctuary in Jerusalem.
Bashan was a fertile, mountainous region east of the Jordan, part of the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh. In the time of Moses, Israel defeated Og, king of Bashan, a powerful Amorite king (Numbers 21:33-35). The victory is remembered as a foundational demonstration of God’s strength. By mentioning Bashan, the psalm evokes a past deliverance that was unexpected and decisive. The ‘depths of the sea’ almost certainly point to the Red Sea miracle, where God brought Israel through on dry ground and drowned their Egyptian pursuers (Exodus 14:22, 14:29). Together, these two locations encompass the full range of ancient geography: the high mountains and the deep sea.
The verse also resonates with later prophetic promises of gathering exiles from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 11:11, 11:16; 43:5-6). In the psalm’s original setting, likely after a major victory such as David’s campaigns against the Ammonites and Syrians (1 Chronicles 19:10-19), the words would have assured Israel that no enemy stronghold and no place of refugee could limit God’s ability to rescue or to judge. The immediate context moves from God’s deliverance (vv. 19-20) to a graphic description of enemy defeat (v. 23), making the identity of the “them” in verse 22 a pivot point.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary and translations note that the object of ‘bring again’ is not explicit in the Hebrew text of Psalm 68:22. The Masoretic Text reads literally ‘I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring back from the depths of the sea’, with no pronoun object. Early translations supply an object. The Septuagint (Greek) and Vulgate read ‘my people’ or ‘them’ depending on the manuscript. The Targum (Aramaic paraphrase) interprets the object as ‘the righteous’ or ‘the captives’. This textual ambiguity is the source of the interpretive debate. No significant textual variants beyond the missing object are discussed in the sources consulted.
Reception History
Jewish and Christian traditions have both wrestled with this verse’s ambiguity. The Targum and the Talmud (b. Gittin 57b) preserve a story from the destruction of Jerusalem: young captives at sea, remembering this verse, chose to throw themselves into the water rather than submit to slavery, trusting that God would bring them back. In Christian tradition, Gill and Matthew Henry see it as a promise of spiritual deliverance from sin and death, applying it both to the church and to the final resurrection. Calvin associates it with God’s faithful care during persecution. More recently, commentators like Barnes and the Cambridge Bible have highlighted the judgment reading, connecting verse 22 to the fate of the wicked who think they can escape God. The diversity of reception shows that the verse has functioned as both a comfort to the oppressed and a warning to the defiant.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s promise reaches to the farthest place. Bashan and the depths of the sea represent the extremes of the known world. No distance or danger can block God’s power to bring back those He intends to bring.
- God’s past saves are the pattern for future hope. The victories over Og and at the Red Sea show that God can repeat His deliverance. The same God who did those things will act again.
- God’s purpose is either rescue or judgment. The ambiguous object in the Hebrew forces hearers to ask: am I someone God is saving, or someone God is hunting down? The verse is both a comfort and a warning.
Five-point outline
- The Divine Speaker. ‘The Lord said’, this is not a human wish but God’s own decree. It carries the weight of covenant promise.
- The Remotest Places. Bashan (high mountains) and the depths of the sea (lowest waters) cover all creation. God’s arm is long enough.
- The Uncertain Subject. Hebrew lacks an explicit object. The ambiguity invites the reader into decision: who does God bring back?
- The Historical Memories. Og of Bashan and the Red Sea are foundational acts of salvation. They teach that God’s power over nature and nations is absolute.
- The Living Application. This verse assures believers that nothing is outside God’s reach, whether for restoration or for accountability. It both comforts and confronts.
Illustration hooks
- A loved one moves to a city on the other side of the world, and contact is lost. The verse reminds that no geographical distance is beyond God’s ability to bring back.
- A person feels trapped in a situation they cannot escape, addiction, debt, depression, like being in the depths of the sea. The promise is that God can reach even there.
- A community faces a threat that seems overwhelming, like a powerful bully or an unjust system. The history of God defeating Og and Pharaoh shows that the strongest enemies can be overcome.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is God able to bring back loved ones who have wandered far from faith?
- Does this verse promise deliverance from every crisis, or only from certain kinds of danger?
- How do I know whether I am among the people God is bringing back for blessing or for judgment?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 68:22 is a short verse with a big question. The Hebrew text does not say whom God will bring back from Bashan and the depths of the sea. Is this a promise of rescue for God’s people, or a threat of capture for His enemies? As you discuss, listen for how the surrounding verses (especially 21, 23) shape the meaning. Let the passage speak before you settle on an answer.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 68:22 aloud. What do Bashan and the depths of the sea symbolize in the context of Israel’s history?
- Look at verses 21 and 23. Who seems to be the subject in those verses? Does that influence how you read verse 22?
- Now read the exodus accounts in Exodus 14:22, 29 and the victory over Og in Numbers 21:33. How do these events make God’s power concrete in this verse?
- Several commentators note that the Hebrew leaves the object of “bring back” unstated. Why might the poet have chosen to leave it ambiguous? What does that ambiguity do for the reader?
- If the verse is about bringing back God’s people for deliverance, what assurance does that offer to people who feel far from God? How does it shape prayer?
- If the verse is about bringing back enemies for judgment, what does it tell us about God’s justice? How does that challenge or comfort you?
- In what areas of life do you need to trust that God can “bring back” from impossible situations? Share one situation your group can pray for this week.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 14:22 | The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. |
| Exodus 14:29 | But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. |
| Numbers 21:33 | They turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. |
| Isaiah 11:11 | It will happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant that is left 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 11:16 | There will be a highway for the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, like there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. |
| Isaiah 49:22 | The Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and lift up my banner to the peoples. They shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. |
| Isaiah 51:10 | Isn’t it you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? |
| Isaiah 51:11 | Those ransomed by Yahweh will return, and come with singing to Zion. Everlasting joy shall be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reads the phrase as a direct reference to the Exodus miracle. He sees it pointing specifically to the defeat of the Egyptian army and the supernatural crossing of the Red Sea, grounding the poetic language in a concrete saving event.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees the verse as a promise that God will rescue his people from any danger, just as he gave them victory over the mighty king of Bashan and led them through the Red Sea. He favors this reading over alternatives, treating the historical deliverances as a pattern for all future salvation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees this psalm as celebrating a specific military victory, not the general translation of the ark to Mount Zion. He connects it to David's triumph over the Ammonites and Syrians, when the ark returned in procession. This reading grounds the psalm in a concrete historical moment of deliverance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes two possible meanings of God's promise to bring again: either restoring scattered Israelites to witness final victory over enemies, or retrieving hidden enemies from places like Bashan and the sea to face judgement. He considers the second interpretation more natural in context.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Lord hath sayde, I will bring my people againe from Bashan: I will bring them againe from the depths of the Sea:
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the verse as layered with multiple meanings: it recalls God's past deliverance from Og, prefigures redemption from sin and Satan, and points to the resurrection of the righteous and the gathering of converts from all corners of the earth. He treats all these as valid fulfillments.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB treats the mention of Bashan and the depths of the sea as representing the worst extremes of trouble God's people can face. The point is that God's past rescues form a pattern: He who has delivered from the farthest region and the deepest affliction will do so again, and the violent imagery means total victory, not cruelty.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasize that the Hebrew word for "bears" combines the actions of laying a burden and carrying it. This shows God daily lifts the crushing weight of the hostile world from His church. The Hebrew plural "salvations" signals not occasional rescues but a rich abundance of delivering power and grace.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that this psalm is not a direct prophecy of Christ but has a Messianic meaning through its vision of God's kingdom spreading to the nations. He sees it as a festival hymn celebrating God's victorious entry into His sanctuary on Zion, a conquest that anticipates the submission of the whole world to the God of Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that God makes these promises of redemption and victory out of His own gracious purpose, not because of any merit in His people. The point is that those who by faith take God as their own will never be disappointed, for He will surely act as the God of their salvation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley interprets God's promise of deliverance by linking it to two specific past victories: the defeat of Og king of Bashan and the rescue at the Red Sea. The point is that God will save His people with the same power and scale He showed in those famous acts.