Psalms 60

General context

The speakers tell God he has cast them off, scattered them and been displeased, and ask him to turn to them again. He has made the earth tremble and broken it, and they ask him to heal its breaches, for it shakes. He has shown his people hard things and made them drink the wine of astonishment. He has given a banner to those who fear him, to be displayed because of the truth, Selah. They ask that his beloved may be delivered, that he save with his right hand and hear. God has spoken in his holiness: the speaker will rejoice, divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth; Gilead and Manasseh are his, Ephraim is the strength of his head, Judah his lawgiver; Moab is his washpot, over Edom he will cast out his shoe, and Philistia is told to triumph because of him. The speaker asks who will bring him into the strong city and lead him into Edom, and asks whether it will not be God, who had cast them off and did not go out with their armies. They ask for help from trouble, for the help of man is vain; through God they will do valiantly, for he will tread down their enemies.

Cited passages: Psalms 60:1, Psalms 60:2, Psalms 60:3, Psalms 60:4, Psalms 60:5, Psalms 60:6, Psalms 60:7, Psalms 60:8, Psalms 60:9, Psalms 60:10, Psalms 60:11, Psalms 60:12

Psalms 60 (KJV)

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "O God, thou hast cast us off", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction, and no battle is narrated. The voice is plural, "us" and "our armies", with a single "I" in verses 5 to 9. Verse 6 announces that "God hath spoken in his holiness", and the lines that follow, claiming Shechem, Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, Judah, Moab, Edom and Philistia, are given as the content of that word; the text does not mark where God's speech ends and the speaker's resumes. These are the only names in the psalm, and they are named as places and peoples claimed or subdued, not located further. The "strong city" of verse 9 is not named, though the parallel line asks to be led "into Edom". Verses 5 to 12 reappear with small changes as the second half of Psalm 108, which has "save with thy right hand, and answer me" for "hear me" and "over Philistia will I triumph" for "Philistia, triumph thou because of me". Selah stands once, after verse 4. The psalm ends in expectation, not in a reported victory.

Cited passages: Psalms 60:1, Psalms 60:10, Psalms 60:6, Psalms 60:7, Psalms 60:9, Psalms 108:6, Psalms 108:9, Psalms 60:8, Psalms 60:4

Literary context

The psalm falls into three movements. The first is a complaint built on "Thou hast": cast off, scattered, been displeased, made the earth tremble, broken it, shewed hard things, made us drink. The earth's breaches and shaking give the defeat the shape of an earthquake, and the "wine of astonishment" makes it a drink forced on the people. The second movement answers with a word from God, and its tone changes to possession and contempt: Gilead and Manasseh are "mine", Ephraim the strength of his head, Judah a lawgiver, Moab a washpot, Edom a place to throw a shoe. The third movement returns to the plural with a question that repeats the opening complaint back to God, "Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off?", turning the accusation of verse 1 into an appeal. The banner of verse 4 stands between defeat and oracle, the one thing given rather than taken. The closing line, "Through God we shall do valiantly", is a claim about the future, and the same words close Psalm 108.

Cited passages: Psalms 60:1, Psalms 60:2, Psalms 60:3, Psalms 60:7, Psalms 60:8, Psalms 60:10, Psalms 60:4, Psalms 60:12, Psalms 108:13

Key moments

1. Thou hast cast us off (Psalms 60:1). The speakers say God has scattered them in displeasure and ask him to turn back to them.
2. The wine of astonishment (Psalms 60:3). God has shown his people hard things and made them drink astonishment.
3. A banner for those who fear thee (Psalms 60:4). God has given a banner to be displayed because of the truth, and Selah follows.
4. God hath spoken in his holiness (Psalms 60:6). A word from God is announced, and the speaker will divide Shechem and Succoth.
5. Moab my washpot (Psalms 60:8). Moab, Edom and Philistia are named as subdued.
6. Who will lead me into Edom? (Psalms 60:9). The speaker asks who will bring him into the strong city and into Edom.
7. Through God we shall do valiantly (Psalms 60:12). The psalm closes with the claim that God will tread down their enemies.

For reflection

The speakers put the question to God in the words of their own opening complaint, asking whether the one who cast them off will now lead them into Edom; what does it do to a prayer to hand God back his own rejection as the reason for hope?

People in this chapter

• David
• Joab
• Judah

Also indexed here:

• Ephraim
• Manasseh