Psalm 60

Psalm 60 (Masoretic numbering; psalm 59 in Greek numbering) of the Book of Psalms is addressed "to the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth[1] Michtam of David, when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand."

This article uses the Hebrew (Masoretic) Psalms numbering. Psalm 60 in Septuagint/Vulgate numbering would correspond to Psalm 61 in Hebrew numbering.

Psalm 60
← Psalm 59 Psalm 61 →
Depiction of Joab, nephew and general of king David, as cavalry commander (Golden Psalter of St. Gallen, late 9th century)
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

The heading text in the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible (Revised Edition) refers to Aram-Zobah,[2][3] whereas in the New King James Version the reference is to Zobah.[4]

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 60:[5]

Verse	Hebrew
1	לַֽמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־שׁוּשַׁ֣ן עֵד֑וּת מִכְתָּ֖ם לְדָוִ֣ד לְלַמֵּֽד
2	בְּהַצּוֹת֨וֹ | אֶ֥ת אֲרַ֥ם נַֽהֲרַיִם֘ וְאֶת־אֲרַ֪ם צ֫וֹבָ֥ה וַיָּ֚שָׁב יוֹאָ֗ב וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־אֱד֣וֹם בְּגֵיא־מֶ֑לַח שְׁנֵ֖ים עָשָׂ֣ר אָֽלֶף
3	אֱלֹהִים זְנַחְתָּ֣נוּ פְרַצְתָּ֑נוּ אָ֜נַ֗פְתָּ תְּשׁ֣וֹבֵ֥ב לָֽנוּ
4	הִרְעַ֣שְׁתָּה אֶ֣רֶץ פְּצַמְתָּ֑הּ רְפָ֖ה שְׁבָרֶ֣יהָ כִי־מָֽטָה
5	הִרְאִ֣יתָ עַמְּךָ֣ קָשָׁ֑ה הִ֜שְׁקִיתָ֗נוּ יַ֣יִן תַּרְעֵלָֽה
6	נָ֘תַ֚תָּה לִּֽירֵאֶ֣יךָ נֵּ֣ס לְהִתְנוֹסֵ֑ס מִפְּנֵ֖י קֹ֣שֶׁט סֶֽלָה
7	לְמַעַן יֵחָֽלְצ֥וּן יְדִידֶ֑יךָ הֽוֹשִׁ֖יעָה יְמִֽינְךָ֣ וַֽעֲנֵֽנִי (כתיב וַֽעֲנֵֽנִו)
8	אֱלֹהִ֚ים | דִּבֶּ֥ר בְּקָדְשׁ֗וֹ אֶֽ֫עֱלֹ֥זָה אֲחַלְּקָ֥ה שְׁכֶ֑ם וְעֵ֖מֶק סֻכּ֣וֹת אֲמַדֵּֽד
9	לִ֚י גִלְעָ֨ד | וְלִ֬י מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה וְ֖אֶפְרַיִם מָע֣וֹז רֹאשִׁ֑י יְ֜הוּדָ֗ה מְחֹֽקְקִי
10	מוֹאָ֚ב | סִ֬יר רַחְצִ֗י עַל־אֱ֖דוֹם אַשְׁלִ֣יךְ נַֽעֲלִ֑י עָ֜לַ֗י פְּלֶ֣שֶׁת הִתְרוֹעָֽעִי
11	מִ֣י יֽ֖וֹבִילֵנִי עִ֣יר מָצ֑וֹר מִ֖י נָחַ֣נִי עַד־אֱדֽוֹם
12	הֲלֹֽא־אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים זְנַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְלֹֽא־תֵצֵ֥א אֱ֜לֹהִ֗ים בְּצִבְאוֹתֵֽינוּ
13	הָֽבָה־לָּ֣נוּ עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֜שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָֽם
14	בֵּֽאלֹהִ֥ים נַֽעֲשֶׂה־חָ֑יִל וְ֜ה֗וּא יָב֥וּס צָרֵֽינוּ

King James Version

1. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
2. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
4. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.
6. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
8. Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
9. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
10. Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
11. Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
12. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Geographical Imagery

Many consider "Moab is my washbowl" a reference to the dead sea in the vicinity of Moab and "Upon Edom I will toss my sandal" is viewed as Edom becoming a humble servant such as a servant who cleans a masters sandals. Commentaries with that view include Barnes, Eliot's commentary for English readers and also The Cambridge Bible for Students and Colleges[6] Psalm 108 also uses the sandal tossing upon Edom imagery.

Herod was an Idumean, an Edomite, ruling over the Jews in his day. Some commentators such as Ray Vander Laan in "In the Shadow of Herod" would view this promise pointing to a victory of the Jews over Edom similar to other promises that Esau ( the father of the Idumeans) would serve Jacob and ultimately not fulfilled until Christ.[7]

Uses

In Jewish liturgy, it is recited on Shushan Purim.[8] Verse 7 is part of the closing paragraph of the Amidah.[9]

References

1. Shushaneduth being the title of a song, presumably identifying the intended melody, mentioned only here and in psalm 80. Strong's Concordance H7802: "שׁוּשַׁן עֵדוּת Shûwshan ʻÊdûwth; or (plural of former) שׁוֹשַׁנִּים עֵדוּת Shôwshannîym ʻÊdûwthlemma שׁוֹשַׁנִּיס עֵדוּת samekh, corrected to שׁוֹשַׁנִּים עֵדוּת; from H7799 and H5715; lily (or trumpet) of assemblage; Shushan-Eduth or Shoshannim-Eduth, the title of a popular song:—Shoshannim-Eduth, Shushan-eduth."
2. Psalm 60:RSV
3. Psalm 60: NABRE
4. Psalm 60: NKJV
5. "Tehillim - Psalms - Chapter 60". Chabad.org. 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
6. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/psalms/60-8.htm
7. https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/in-the-shadow-of-herod
8. The Artscroll Tehillim page 329
9. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 119

External links

• Psalm 60 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
• Psalm 60 King James Bible - Wikisource