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Psalm 68:17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
15The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
16Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever.
17The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
18You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
Notice
God's war chariots fill the scene with overwhelming force, yet the sentence centers on the Lord's presence among them, from Sinai into the sanctuary.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What do the vast numbers of God's chariots suggest to you about his rule?
Write on thisWhat changes in your reading when the scene moves from chariots to the sanctuary?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
2 Kings 6:17Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see.” the LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of …God's vast ranks of chariots find a shared image in the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
Deuteronomy 33:2He said, “The LORD came from Sinai, and rose from Seir to them. He shone from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a …Both name Sinai and describe the Lord's coming with vast numbers, chariots in the psalm and holy ones in Deuteronomy.
Daniel 7:10A fiery stream issued and came out from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment …Both use thousands upon thousands to describe the vast company surrounding God, with Daniel showing attendants before the judgment.
Revelation 5:11I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of …Both use multiplying thousands to convey immense numbers, chariots around the Lord in the psalm and angels around the throne in Revelation.
Revelation 9:16The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.Both describe immense military forces, though Revelation's numbered horsemen are not identified here as the chariots belonging to God.
Habakkuk 3:8Was the LORD displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers, or your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, on your chariots of …Both associate chariots with the Lord's might, and Habakkuk names the chariots he rides as chariots of salvation.
2 Kings 2:11As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.A chariot appears at Elijah's departure; Psalm 68 describes countless chariots belonging to God.
Matthew 26:53Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?Both describe vast forces at God's disposal: chariots belonging to God and angels the Father could send at Jesus' request.
Isaiah 66:15For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind; to give his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire.Both portray the Lord with his chariots, while Isaiah describes their whirlwind force in a scene of anger and rebuke.
Ezekiel 1:15–28Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.The shared detail is wheeled imagery: chariots in the psalm and a wheel beside living creatures in Ezekiel.
Psalm 18:10He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.Both use images of movement associated with God: chariots in Psalm 68 and riding a cherub in Psalm 18.
2 Kings 6:16–17He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”Both speak of overwhelming numbers on God's side, though Elisha addresses fear and the psalm describes the Lord among his chariots.
Where this verse fits
Praise and worship. fear for the future. sermon or Bible study notes.
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Encouragement
The chariots belong to God, and the Lord is among them. Your worship is directed toward the Lord whose might fills this scene.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).