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Selected Verse: Psalms 68:14 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 68:14	Strong Concordance	When the Almighty [07706] scattered [06566] kings [04428] in it, it was white as snow [07949] in Salmon [06756].
	King James	When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Their enemies dispersed, the contrast of their prosperity with their former distress is represented by that of the snow with the dark and somber shades of Salmon.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Their enemies dispersed, the contrast of their prosperity with their former distress is represented by that of the snow with the dark and somber shades of Salmon.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
When the Almighty scattered kings in it - The Hebrew here is, "In the scattering of (that is, by) the Almighty of kings." The reference is to the act of God in causing kings to abandon their purposes of invasion, or to flee when their own countries were invaded. Compare Psa 48:5-6. The language here is so general that it might be applied to any such acts in the history of the Hebrew people; to any wars of defense or offence which they waged. It may have reference to the scattering of kings and people when Joshua invaded the land of Canaan, and when he discomfited the numerous forces, led by different kings, as the Israelites took possession of the country. The close connection of the passage with the reference to the journey through the wilderness Psa 68:7-9 would make it probable that this is the allusion. The phrase "in it," (margin, for her), refers doubtless to the land of Canaan, and to the victories achieved there. It was white as snow in Salmon - Margin, She was. The allusion is to the land of Canaan. But about the meaning of the phrase "white as snow in Salmon," there has been great diversity of opinion. The word rendered "was white as snow" is correctly rendered. It means to be snowy; then, to be white like snow. The verb occurs nowhere else. The noun is of frequent occurrence, and is always rendered snow. Exo 4:6; Num 12:10; Sa2 23:20; Kg2 5:27; et al. The word Salmon properly means shady, and was applied to the mountain here referred to, probably on account of the dark forests which covered it. That mountain was in Samaria, near Shechem. Jdg 9:48. It is not known why the snow of that mountain is particularly alluded to here, as if there was any special whiteness or purity in it. It is probably specified by name only to give more vivacity to the description. There is much difference of opinion as to what is the meaning of the expression, or in what respects the land was thus white. The most common opinion has been that it was from the bones of the slain which were left to bleach unburied, and which covered the land so that it seemed to be white. Compare Virg. AEn. v. 865; xii. 36. Ovid uses similar language, Fast. i: "Humanis ossibus albet humus."So also Horace, Serra. 1, 8: "Albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum." This interpretation of the passage is adopted by Rosenmuller, Gesenius, and DeWette. Others suppose it to mean that the land was like the dazzling whiteness of snow in the midst of blackness or darkness. This was the opinion of Kimchi, and this interpretation is adopted by Prof. Alexander. Tholuck supposes it to mean that, when war was waged on the kings and people, they fell as fast as snow-flakes on Mount Salmon; and that the idea is not so much the whiteness of the land, as the fact that they fell in great numbers, covering the land as the snow-flakes do. It is perhaps not possible to determine which of these explanations is correct. Either of them would accord with the meaning of the words and the general sense of the psalm. That of Tholuck is the most poetical, but it is less obvious from the Hebrew words used.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

When the Almighty scattered kings in it - The Hebrew here is, "In the scattering of (that is, by) the Almighty of kings." The reference is to the act of God in causing kings to abandon their purposes of invasion, or to flee when their own countries were invaded. Compare Psa 48:5-6. The language here is so general that it might be applied to any such acts in the history of the Hebrew people; to any wars of defense or offence which they waged. It may have reference to the scattering of kings and people when Joshua invaded the land of Canaan, and when he discomfited the numerous forces, led by different kings, as the Israelites took possession of the country. The close connection of the passage with the reference to the journey through the wilderness Psa 68:7-9 would make it probable that this is the allusion. The phrase "in it," (margin, for her), refers doubtless to the land of Canaan, and to the victories achieved there.

It was white as snow in Salmon - Margin, She was. The allusion is to the land of Canaan. But about the meaning of the phrase "white as snow in Salmon," there has been great diversity of opinion. The word rendered "was white as snow" is correctly rendered. It means to be snowy; then, to be white like snow. The verb occurs nowhere else. The noun is of frequent occurrence, and is always rendered snow. Exo 4:6; Num 12:10; Sa2 23:20; Kg2 5:27; et al. The word Salmon properly means shady, and was applied to the mountain here referred to, probably on account of the dark forests which covered it. That mountain was in Samaria, near Shechem. Jdg 9:48. It is not known why the snow of that mountain is particularly alluded to here, as if there was any special whiteness or purity in it. It is probably specified by name only to give more vivacity to the description. There is much difference of opinion as to what is the meaning of the expression, or in what respects the land was thus white.

The most common opinion has been that it was from the bones of the slain which were left to bleach unburied, and which covered the land so that it seemed to be white. Compare Virg. AEn. v. 865; xii. 36. Ovid uses similar language, Fast. i: "Humanis ossibus albet humus."So also Horace, Serra. 1, 8: "Albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum." This interpretation of the passage is adopted by Rosenmuller, Gesenius, and DeWette. Others suppose it to mean that the land was like the dazzling whiteness of snow in the midst of blackness or darkness. This was the opinion of Kimchi, and this interpretation is adopted by Prof. Alexander. Tholuck supposes it to mean that, when war was waged on the kings and people, they fell as fast as snow-flakes on Mount Salmon; and that the idea is not so much the whiteness of the land, as the fact that they fell in great numbers, covering the land as the snow-flakes do. It is perhaps not possible to determine which of these explanations is correct. Either of them would accord with the meaning of the words and the general sense of the psalm. That of Tholuck is the most poetical, but it is less obvious from the Hebrew words used.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Therein - In Canaan, at the coming of the Israelites. The land was as white as mount Salmon is with the snow.

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⁴⁸ And Abimelech [040] gat him up [05927] to mount [02022] Zalmon [06756], he and all the people [05971] that were with him; and Abimelech [040] took [03947] an axe [07134] in his hand [03027], and cut down [03772] a bough [07754] from the trees [06086], and took [05375] it, and laid [07760] it on his shoulder [07926], and said [0559] unto the people [05971] that were with him, What ye have seen [07200] me do [06213], make haste [04116], and do [06213] as I [03644] have done.

²⁷ The leprosy [06883] therefore of Naaman [05283] shall cleave [01692] unto thee, and unto thy seed [02233] for ever [05769]. And he went out [03318] from his presence [06440] a leper [06879] as white as snow [07950].

²⁰ And Benaiah [01141] the son [01121] of Jehoiada [03077], the son [01121] of a valiant [02428] man [0376] [0381], of Kabzeel [06909], who had done many [07227] acts [06467], he slew [05221] two [08147] lionlike men [0739] of Moab [04124]: he went down [03381] also and slew [05221] a lion [0738] in the midst [08432] of a pit [0953] in time [03117] of snow [07950]:

¹⁰ And the cloud [06051] departed [05493] from off the tabernacle [0168]; and, behold, Miriam [04813] became leprous [06879], white as snow [07950]: and Aaron [0175] looked [06437] upon Miriam [04813], and, behold, she was leprous [06879].

⁶ And the LORD [03068] said [0559] furthermore [05750] unto him, Put [0935] now thine hand [03027] into thy bosom [02436]. And he put [0935] his hand [03027] into his bosom [02436]: and when he took [03318] it out, behold, his hand [03027] was leprous [06879] as snow [07950].

⁷ O God [0430], when thou wentest forth [03318] before [06440] thy people [05971], when thou didst march [06805] through the wilderness [03452]; Selah [05542]:
⁸ The earth [0776] shook [07493], the heavens [08064] also dropped [05197] at the presence [06440] of God [0430]: even Sinai [05514] itself [02088] was moved at the presence [06440] of God [0430], the God [0430] of Israel [03478].
⁹ Thou, O God [0430], didst send [05130] a plentiful [05071] rain [01653], whereby thou didst confirm [03559] thine inheritance [05159], when it was weary [03811].

⁵ They saw [07200] it, and so they marvelled [08539]; they were troubled [0926], and hasted away [02648].
⁶ Fear [07461] took hold [0270] upon them there, and pain [02427], as of a woman in travail [03205].