The herd of bulls among the calves of the nations
The "herd of bulls" may symbolize powerful leaders or nations, with "calves" representing smaller or less powerful nations. Bulls are often used in scripture to denote strength and dominance. This imagery suggests a hierarchy among nations, with God having the ultimate authority to humble even the mightiest. This can be connected to the imagery in Psalm 22:12, where strong bulls are a metaphor for formidable adversaries.

Until it submits, bringing bars of silver
The submission implies a humbling or subjugation of these powerful entities before God. "Bringing bars of silver" suggests tribute or offerings, indicating acknowledgment of God's supremacy. Historically, silver was a common form of tribute or currency, and this phrase may reflect the practice of conquered nations bringing wealth to their conquerors. This can be seen as a foreshadowing of the eschatological vision in Isaiah 60:9, where nations bring wealth to honor God.

Scatter the nations who delight in war
This phrase calls for the dispersion of warlike nations, emphasizing God's desire for peace and justice. It reflects the biblical theme of God as a warrior who fights for His people, as seen in Exodus 15:3. The scattering of nations is a recurring motif, symbolizing divine judgment and the futility of opposing God's will. This aligns with the prophetic vision in Micah 4:3, where nations will no longer learn war, highlighting the ultimate peace brought by God's kingdom.

“Rebuke the beast in the reeds” (Psalm 68:30) pictures God confronting a menacing creature lurking in the marshlands—imagery that Israel would naturally connect with Egypt, whose crocodile-filled Nile delta lay behind centuries of oppression.

• Exodus 14 shows the Lord already humbling Egypt’s might; here David calls for that same decisive intervention again.

• Ezekiel 29:3 likens Pharaoh to “the great monster lying among his rivers,” reinforcing the link between “beast” and Egyptian power.

• Job 40:21 speaks of Behemoth “under the lotus plants, hidden among the reeds,” underscoring the idea of a powerful but concealed threat that only the Almighty can subdue.

The plea is simple: “Lord, confront and silence every hidden force that threatens Your people.”

Next David names “the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations” (v. 30 b). Bulls—symbols of strength and stubborn pride—picture the leading powers and their armies; the “calves” are the lesser peoples swept along by them.

• Psalm 22:12 describes hostile rulers as “strong bulls of Bashan”—intimidating, aggressive, united against the Lord’s anointed.

• Isaiah 34:7 portrays proud warriors as sacrificial bulls destined for judgment.

David’s words recognize how dominant nations often drag smaller ones into their conflicts, yet all alike stand accountable to the sovereign God.

“Until it submits, bringing bars of silver” (v. 30 c) moves from petition to expectation: the beast and the bulls will bow and pay tribute.

• Psalm 72:10 foresees kings of distant lands presenting gifts to the Messiah.

• Micah 4:13 pictures Israel threshing nations and consecrating their “gain to the Lord.”

• Isaiah 60:9 speaks of silver and other treasures coming to Zion “to honor the name of the Lord.”

Tribute here is not mere economics; it is an outward sign of inward surrender. The oppressor’s wealth ends up funding the very worship of the God he once defied.

Finally, David widens the request: “Scatter the nations who delight in war” (v. 30 d). The prayer is that God will break the unity of those whose chief thrill is conflict.

• Psalm 46:9 celebrates the Lord who “makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth.”

• Isaiah 2:4 envisions swords beaten into plowshares under His rule.

• Psalm 110:5-6 depicts the Messiah executing judgment, shattering hostile kings.

Where human diplomacy fails, divine scattering succeeds. God’s people rest in the certainty that warlike powers cannot outlast His resolve for peace.

Verse by verse, Psalm 68:30 pictures God exposing and rebuking hidden oppressors (the beast in the reeds), restraining prideful leaders and their followers (bulls and calves), compelling surrender that turns enemy wealth into offerings (bars of silver), and finally dispersing every coalition bent on warfare. The psalmist’s confidence becomes ours: the Lord will confront, humble, and overrule every force that rises against His righteous reign, bringing honor to His name and peace to His people.

Bulls . . . calves.--These are possibly emblems respectively of the strong and the weak--the princes and the common people. (Comp., for a somewhat similar description of the Egyptians, Psalm 76:5-6.) But a slight emendation suggested by Gratz gives the herd of bulls despisers of the people, a reading quite in keeping with the ordinary use of this figure. (See Psalm 22:12; Jeremiah 1:11.) The figure in connection with the bull-worship of Egypt is especially significant.

Till every one submit.--This clause still waits for a satisfactory explanation. The Authorised Version is intelligible, but grammatically indefensible. The LXX. are undoubtedly right in taking the verb as a contracted infinitive preceded by a negative particle (comp. Genesis 27:1), and not as a participle. The meaning submit or humble (Proverbs 6:3) is only with violence deduced from the original meaning of the verb, which (see Daniel 7:7) means to stamp like a furious animal. One cognate is used (Ezekiel 34:18) of a herd of bulls fouling the pasture with their feet, and another means to tread. The form of the verb here used might mean to set oneself in quick motion, which is the sense adopted by the LXX. in Proverbs 6:3. Hence we get rebuke . . . from marching for pieces of silver, the meaning being that a rebuke is administered not only to Egypt, but also to those Jews who took the pay of Egypt as mercenaries, and oppressed the rest of the community, a sense in keeping with the next clause. . . .