Psalms — Chapter 60
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1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
2Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
4Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.
6God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
8Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
9Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
10Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
11Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
12Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
1O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast broken us down; Thou hast been angry; oh restore us again.
2Thou hast made the land to tremble; thou hast rent it: Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3Thou hast showed thy people hard things: Thou hast made us to drink the wine of staggering.
4Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
5That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us.
6God hath spoken in his holiness: I will exult; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defence of my head; Judah is my sceptre.
8Moab is my washpot; Upon Edom will I cast my shoe: Philistia, shout thou because of me.
9Who will bring me into the strong city? Who hath led me unto Edom?
10Hast not thou, O God, cast us off? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts.
11Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man.
12Through God we shall do valiantly; For he it is that will tread down our adversaries. Psalm 61 For the Chief Musician; on a stringed instrument. [A Psalm] of David.
1For the music director, according to the shushan-eduth style; a prayer of David written to instruct others. It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. O God, you have rejected us. You suddenly turned on us in your anger. Please restore us!
2You made the earth quake; you split it open. Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall.
3You have made your people experience hard times; you have made us drink intoxicating wine.
4You have given your loyal followers a rallying flag, so that they might seek safety from the bow. (Selah)
5Deliver by your power and answer me, so that the ones you love may be safe.
6God has spoken in his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will parcel out Shechem; the Valley of Sukkoth I will measure off.
7Gilead belongs to me, as does Manasseh. Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my royal scepter.
8Moab is my washbasin. I will make Edom serve me. I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9Who will lead me into the fortified city? Who will bring me to Edom?
10Have you not rejected us, O God? O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
11Give us help against the enemy, for any help men might offer is futile.
12By God’s power we will conquer; he will trample down our enemies.
1God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again.
2You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes.
3You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger.
4You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.
6God has spoken from his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter.
8Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my shoe on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom?
10Haven’t you, God, rejected us? You don’t go out with our armies, God.
11Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain.
12Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.
Summary
A communal lament after military defeat — God has rejected Israel and broken them, yet David cries for help: 'Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.' God declares victory over surrounding nations.
Authorship & Background
- Lament Over National Defeat (vv.1-3)
- A Banner of Hope (vv.4-5)
- God's Oracle of Sovereignty (vv.6-8)
- Question of Faith (vv.9-10)
- Confidence in God Alone (vv.11-12)
Map & Geography
- Shechem (v.6): City in central Israel between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.
- Gilead (v.7): Mountainous region east of the Jordan River.
- Edom (v.8, v.9): Land south of the Dead Sea; descendants of Esau.
- Moab (v.8): Land east of the Dead Sea; often in conflict with Israel.
- Philistia (v.8): Coastal region occupied by the Philistines (modern Gaza area).
Reflection
- 1. God can use defeat to teach dependence (vv.1-3). Israel's initial loss drove them back to God. Sometimes God allows setbacks to break our self-sufficiency and remind us that victory comes from Him alone.
- 2. God is sovereign over nations we consider enemies (vv.6-8). No nation, no opposition, no human power is outside God's control. Moab, Edom, Philistia — all are His to command. Your "enemies" are already under His authority.
- 3. Human help is vain without God (v.11). Alliances, strategies, resources — all empty without divine backing. This doesn't mean don't plan; it means don't trust in planning AS God.
- 4. Through God, we do valiantly (v.12). The partnership: God empowers, we act. Neither passive waiting nor self-reliant striving — but God-dependent, courageous action.