Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 60 (MT) / Psalm 59 (LXX) is a Davidic miktam-and-for-teaching composed after military struggle with Aram-naharaim and Edom (2 Sam 8:13–14 / 1 Chr 18:12). The psalm juxtaposes national-defeat lament (vv. 1–4) with a divine-oracle of sovereign-possession over the surrounding lands (vv. 6–8) — 'Moab is my washpot; on Edom I cast my shoe' — and closes with renewed appeal for help. Psalm 60:5–12 reappears almost verbatim as Psalm 108:6–13.
Notable Variants
60:6–8 divine-oracle on Shechem / Gilead / Manasseh / Ephraim / Judah / Moab / Edom / Philistia as cosmic-possession claim; 60:5–12 // Ps 108:6–13 paralleled-block; the washpot / shoe / crying imagery as territorial-humiliation tropes.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 60 = LXX Ps 59. 14 verses (MT/LXX), 12 verses (English).
For the director of music. According to "Lily of Testimony." A miktam of David, for instruction.
Superscription tracks MT.
When he fought against Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah, and Joab returned and struck down Edom in the Valley of Salt — twelve thousand.
Superscription continues tracks MT.
God, you have rejected us, broken through our lines; you were angry — restore us!
'O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us' tracks MT. Communal-lament opening.
You have shaken the land and split it open; heal its fractures, for it totters.
'You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters' tracks MT.
You have shown your people harsh things; you have made us drink wine that staggers.
'You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger' tracks MT. STAGGERING-WINE imagery — the divine-cup-of-wrath that Isaiah 51:17 and Revelation 14:10 develop.
You have given those who fear you a banner to rally around, because of truth. Selah.
'You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow' tracks MT.
So that your beloved ones may be rescued, save with your right hand and answer me!
'That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us' tracks MT. // Ps 108:6. 'Beloved ones' (yedidim / agapētoi) — covenant-intimate designation.
God has spoken in his sanctuary: "I will triumph! I will divide up Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
'God has spoken in his holiness: With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth' tracks MT. // Ps 108:7. Divine-oracle declares Conquest-time territorial-division. Shechem (central Canaan) and Succoth (Transjordan) — representative-locales.
Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter.
'Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah my scepter' tracks MT. // Ps 108:8. FIVE-TRIBE PORTIONING: Gilead (Transjordan), Manasseh, Ephraim (northern), Judah (southern). Ephraim-as-helmet (military) and Judah-as-scepter (royal) — the two-tribe-function division anticipating the Davidic-Messianic scepter (Gen 49:10, Num 24:17).
Moab is my washbasin; over Edom I fling my sandal. Shout in submission, Philistia!"
Masoretic (WLC)
מוֹאָב סִיר רַחְצִי עַל־אֱדוֹם אַשְׁלִיךְ נַעֲלִי עָלַי פְּלֶשֶׁת הִתְרוֹעָעִי
Moab is my washpot; on Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph
Septuagint (LXX)
Μωαβ λέβης τῆς ἐλπίδος μου ἐπὶ τὴν Ιδουμαίαν ἐκτενῶ τὸ ὑπόδημά μου ἐμοὶ ἀλλόφυλοι ὑπετάγησαν
Moab is the cauldron of my hope; over Idumea I will stretch out my sandal; the foreigners have been subjected to me
'MOAB IS MY WASHPOT.' The ancient-Near-Eastern domestic-imagery deploys the three neighboring-enemy-nations as humiliated household-servants: Moab-as-washpot (receiving-dirty-feet-water), Edom-as-shoe-receiver (one throws sandals down for a servant), Philistia-as-triumph-shout. Each image carries humiliation-subjection vocabulary.
LXX INTERPRETATION. The LXX's lebēs tēs elpidos mou ('cauldron of my hope') is a remarkable divergence from MT's 'washpot' — the LXX translator possibly reads rochtsi ('my washing') as rachtsi ('my trust, my hope'). The LXX softens: Moab is a receptacle of divine-purposes, not merely a domestic-humiliation.
Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
'Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?' tracks MT. // Ps 108:10. The fortified-city (Petra-region) — Edom's strategic rock-fortresses.
Have you not rejected us, God? You do not march out with our armies, God.
'Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies' tracks MT. // Ps 108:11. The theological-tension: God-has-rejected yet we still-petition. Lament-and-faith co-exist.
Give us help against the enemy, for human salvation is worthless.
'Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!' tracks MT. // Ps 108:12. 'VAIN IS THE SALVATION OF MAN' (mataia sōtēria anthrōpou) — the anti-self-salvation theology.
With God we will act with valor, and he himself will trample our enemies.
'With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes' tracks MT. // Ps 108:13. Closing-triumph-confidence in God's action.