the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Psalms 60:1
To the director: To the tune "Lily of the Agreement." A miktam of David for teaching. Written when David fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and Joab came back and defeated 12,000 Edomite soldiers at Salt Valley.
God, you were angry with us. You rejected us and destroyed our defenses. Please make us strong again.Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune "Lily of the Testimony."
You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.For the Chief Musician; set to Shushan Eduth: Michtam of David, to teach: when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast broken us down; thou hast been angry; O restore us again.
For the Chief Musician; set to Shushan Eduth. Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand. O God you have cast us off, you have broken us down; You have been angry; oh restore us again.
For the director of music. To the tune of "Lily of the Agreement." A miktam of David. For teaching. When David fought the Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia and Zobah, and when Joab returned and defeated twelve thousand Edomites at the Valley of Salt.
God, you have rejected us and scattered us. You have been angry, but please come back to us.For 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!To the chief Musician upon Shushan-eduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
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O God, You have rejected us and cast us off. You have broken [down our defenses and scattered] us; You have been angry; O restore us and turn again to us.
To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us.The title of the nyne and fiftithe salm. `In Ebreu thus, To victorie, on the witnessyng of roose, the swete song of Dauid, to teche, `whanne he fauyte ayens Aram of floodis, and Sirie of Soba; and Joab turnede ayen, and smoot Edom in the `valei of salt pittis, twelue thousynde. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomer for lilies, the witnessing of meke and parfit Dauid, to teche, whanne he fauyte ayens Sirie of Mesopotamye, and Soba, and so forth. God, thou hast put awei vs, and thou hast distried vs; thou were wrooth, and thou hast do merci to vs.
For the choirmaster. To the tune of "The Lily of Testimony." A Miktam of David for instruction. When he fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
(For the music leader. To the tune "Lily of the Promise." A special psalm by David for teaching. He wrote it during his wars with the Arameans of northern Syria, when Joab came back and killed twelve thousand Edomites in Salt Valley.)
You, God, are angry with us! We are rejected and crushed. Make us strong again!For the Chief Musician; set to Shushan Eduth. Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand.
O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast broken us down; Thou hast been angry; oh restore us again.For the leader. Set to "Lily of Testimony." A mikhtam of David for teaching about
To the chief Musician. On Shushan. Testimony. Michtam of David; to teach: when he strove with the Syrians of Mesopotamia, and the Syrians of Zobah, and Joab returned, and smote the Edomites in the valley of salt, twelve thousand.
O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased: restore us again.For the Leader; upon Shushan Eduth; Michtam of David, to teach;
[To the chiefe Musician vpon Shushan-Eduth Michtam of Dauid, to teach. When hee stroue with Aram Naharaim, and with Aram Zobah, when Ioab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt, twelue thousand.] O God, thou hast cast vs off; thou hast scattered vs, thou hast bene displeased, O turne thy selfe to vs againe.
O God, You have turned away from us. You have broken us. You have been angry. O heal us and turn to us again.
To the leader: according to the Lily of the Covenant. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; now restore us!To him that excelleth vpon Shushan Eduth, or Michtam. A Psalme of Dauid to teach. VVhen he fought against Aram Naharaim, & against Aram Zobah, when Ioab returned and slewe twelue thousand Edomites in the salt valley. O God, thou hast cast vs out, thou hast scattered vs, thou hast bene angry, turne againe vnto vs.
O GOD, thou hast forsaken us, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased with us; O turn thyself to us again.
You have rejected us, God, and defeated us; you have been angry with us—but now turn back to us.
(59-1) <Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the inscription of a title, to David himself, for doctrine, (59-2) When he set fire to Mesopotamia of Syria and Sobal: and Joab returned and slew of Edom, in the vale of the saltpits, twelve thousand men.> (59-3) O God, thou hast cast us off, and hast destroyed us; thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us.
To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. O God, thou hast rejected us, broken our defenses; thou hast been angry; oh, restore us.
O Lorde thou hast cast vs out, thou hast dispearsed vs, thou art displeased: O turne thee vnto vs agayne.
O God, thou hast rejected and destroyed us; thou hast been angry, yet hast pitied us.
God, you have rejected us;you have broken us down;you have been angry. Restore us!
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O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
For the music director, according to Shushan Eduth.
A miktam of David. To teach.
When he fought Mesopotamia and Aram Zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand persons.
O God, you have rejected us. You have broken us. You have been angry. Restore us!To the chief musician. On the Lily of Testimony. A secret treasure of David, to teach; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim, and with Aram-zobah; when Joab returned, and struck twelve thousandof Edom in the Valley of Salt. O God! Youcast us off; You broke us; You who were angry; take us back.
To the Overseer. -- `Concerning the Lily of Testimony,' a secret treasure of David, to teach, in his striving with Aram-Naharaim, and with Aram-Zobah, and Joab turneth back and smiteth Edom in the valley of Salt -- twelve thousand. O God, Thou hadst cast us off, Thou hadst broken us -- hadst been angry! -- Thou dost turn back to us.
O God, thou yt hast cast vs out and scatred vs abrode, thou yt hast bene so sore displeased at vs, coforte vs agayne.
A David Psalm, When He Fought Against Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah and Joab Killed Twelve Thousand Edomites at the Valley of Salt God! you walked off and left us, kicked our defenses to bits And stalked off angry. Come back. Oh please, come back! You shook earth to the foundations, ripped open huge crevasses. Heal the breaks! Everything's coming apart at the seams.
God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
To the Chief Musician. Set to 'Lily of the Testimony.' [fn] A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. O God, You have cast us off;You have broken us down;You have been displeased;Oh, restore us again!
For the choir director; according to Shushan Eduth. A Mikhtam of David, to teach; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; O, restore us.O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us;You have been angry; Oh, restore us.
Contextual Overview
To the director: To the tune "Lily of the Agreement." A miktam of David for teaching. Written when David fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and Joab came back and defeated 12,000 Edomite soldiers at Salt Valley.
God, you were angry with us. You rejected us and destroyed our defenses. Please make us strong again. 2 You shook the earth and split it open. It is falling apart like a broken wall. Please put it back together. 3 You have given your people many troubles. We are dizzy and fall down like drunks. 4 But you have provided a flag to show your faithful followers where to gather to escape the enemy's attack. Selah 5 Use your great power and give us victory! Answer our prayer and save the people you love.Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Michtam: or, a golden Psalm, Psalms 59:1, *title
when he strove: 2 Samuel 8:3, 2 Samuel 8:12, 2 Samuel 8:13, 2 Samuel 10:16, 1 Chronicles 18:3, 1 Chronicles 18:12, 1 Chronicles 18:13, 1 Chronicles 19:16-19
valley: 2 Kings 14:7, 2 Chronicles 25:11
O God: Psalms 60:10, Psalms 44:9, Psalms 74:1, Psalms 89:38, Psalms 108:11, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Romans 11:1, Romans 11:2
scattered: Heb. broken, Psalms 59:11, 1 Samuel 4:10, 1 Samuel 4:11, 1 Samuel 4:17, 1 Samuel 13:6, 1 Samuel 13:7, 1 Samuel 13:11, 1 Samuel 13:19-22, 1 Samuel 31:1-7
O turn: Psalms 79:9, Psalms 89:3, Psalms 89:7, Psalms 89:19, Psalms 85:4, Psalms 90:13, Lamentations 3:31, Lamentations 3:32, Zechariah 10:6
Reciprocal: Genesis 22:21 - Aram Genesis 27:29 - be lord Numbers 24:18 - General 1 Kings 11:15 - when David 1 Kings 11:23 - Hadadezer Psalms 25:16 - Turn Psalms 44:11 - scattered Psalms 44:19 - Though Psalms 56:1 - Michtam Psalms 75:3 - earth Psalms 108:10 - who will lead Lamentations 5:22 - But thou hast utterly rejected us Zechariah 1:2 - Lord John 1:4 - the life
Gill's Notes on the Bible
O God, thou hast cast us off,.... What is said in this verse, and Psalms 60:2, are by some applied to times past; to the distress of the people Israel by their neighbours in the times of the judges; to their being smitten by the Philistines, in the times of Eli and Samuel; and to the victory they obtained over them, when Saul and his sons were slain; and to the civil wars between the house of Saul and David; but rather the whole belongs to future times, which David, by a prophetic spirit, was led to on the occasion of the victory obtained, when before this the nation had been in bad circumstances. This refers to the casting off of the Jews as a church and nation, when they had rejected the Messiah and killed him, persecuted his apostles, and despised his Gospel; of which see Romans 11:15;
thou hast scattered us; as they were by the Romans among the various nations of the world, and among whom they are dispersed to this day; or "thou hast broken us" k, as in Psalms 80:12; not only the walls of their city were broken by the battering rams of the Romans, but their commonwealth, their civil state, were broke to pieces by them. Jarchi applies this to the Romans; his note is this;
"when Edom fell by his hand (David's), he foresaw, by the Holy Ghost, that the Romans would rule over Israel, and decree hard decrees concerning them;''
thou hast been displeased; not only with their immorality and profaneness, with their hypocrisy and insincerity, with their will worship and superstition, and the observance of the traditions of their elders; but also with their rejection of the Messiah, and contempt of his Gospel and ordinances;
O turn thyself to us again; which prayer will be made by them, when they shall become sensible of their sins, and of their state and condition, and shall turn unto the Lord; and when he will turn himself to them, and turn away iniquity from them, and all Israel shall be saved, Romans 11:25; or "thou wilt return unto us" l; who before were cast off, broken, and he was displeased with; or others to us.
k פרצתנו "rupisti nos", Montanus, Michaelis; "disrupisti", Gejerus; so Ainsworth. l תשובב לנו "reverteris ad nos", Pagninus, Montanus; "reduces ad nos", Gussetius, p. 836.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
O God, thou hast cast us off - The word used here means properly to be foul, rancid, offensive; and then, to treat anything as if it were foul or rancid; to repel, to spurn, to cast away. See the notes at Psalms 43:2. It is strong language, meaning that God had seemed to treat them as if they were loathsome or offensive to him. The allusion, according to the view taken in the introduction to the psalm, is to some defeat or disaster which had occurred after the conquests in the East, or during the absence of the armies of David in the East 2 Samuel 8:0; 1 Chronicles 18:0; probably to the fact that the Edomites had taken occasion to invade the southern part of Palestine, and that the forces employed to expel them had been unsuccessful.
Thou hast scattered us - Margin, broken. So the Hebrew. The word is applied to the forces of war which are broken and scattered by defeat, 2 Samuel 5:20.
Thou hast been displeased - The word used here means “to breathe”; to breathe hard; and then, to be angry. See the notes at Psalms 2:12. God had treated them as if he was displeased or angry. He had suffered them to be defeated.
O turn thyself to us again - Return to our armies, and give us success. This might be rendered, “Thou wilt turn to us;” that is, thou wilt favor us - expressing a confident belief that God would do this, as in Psalms 60:12. It is more in accordance, however, with the usual structure of the Psalms to regard this as a prayer. Many of the psalms begin with a prayer, and end with the expression of a confident assurance that the prayer has been, or would certainly be heard.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
PSALM LX
The psalmist complains of the desolation which had fallen on
the land; prays for deliverance, 1-5;
and promises himself victory over Shechem, Succoth, Gilead,
Ephraim, Moab, Idumea, and the Philistines, by the special
help and assistance of God, 6-12.
NOTES ON PSALM LX
The title, "To the chief Musician upon the hexachord, or lily of the testimony, a golden Psalm of David, for instruction; when he strove with Aram Naharaim, Syria of the two rivers (Mesopotamia) and Aram-Zobah, Syria of the watchmen, (Coelosyria,) when Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt." I have only to remark here that there is nothing in the contents of this Psalm that bears any relation to this title. According to the title it should be a song of victory and triumph; instead of which the first part of it is a tissue of complaints of disaster and defeat, caused by the Divine desertion. Besides, it was not Joab that slew twelve thousand men in the Valley of Salt; it was Abishai, the brother of Joab; and the number twelve thousand here is not correct; for there were eighteen thousand slain in that battle, as we learn from 1 Chronicles 18:12. The valley of salt or salt pits is in Idumea. To reconcile the difference between the numbers, various expedients have been hit on; but still the insuperable objection remains; the contents of this Psalm and this title are in opposition to each other. That the Psalm deplores a defeat, is evident from the three first and two last verses. And the Targumist seems to have viewed it in this light, perhaps the proper one, by expressing the title thus: "To give praise for the ancient testimony, (סהדותא sahadutha,) of the sons of Jacob and Laban, (see Genesis 31:47,) an exemplar by the hand of David, to give instruction when he gathered together the people, and passed by the heap of testimony, (איגר סהדותא ayegar sahadutha,) and set the battle in array against Aram, which is by the Euphrates; and against Aram, which is by Izobah. And after this Joab returned and smote the Idumeans in the Valley of Salt; and of the armies of David and Joab there fell twelve thousand men." The Psalm, therefore, seems to deplore this disastrous event; for although they had the victory at last, twelve thousand of the troops of Israel were justly considered too great a sacrifice for such a conquest, and a proof that God had not afforded them that succour which they had long been in the habit of receiving. The latter part of the Psalm seems to be intended to put God in remembrance of his ancient promise of putting Israel in possession of the whole land by driving out the ancient iniquitous inhabitants. Others consider the Psalm as descriptive of the distracted state of the land after the fatal battle of Gilboa, till David was anointed king of the whole at Hebron.
This is the last of the six Psalms to which מכתם michtam is prefixed; the others are Psalms 16:0, Psalms 56:0, Psalms 57:0, Psalms 58:0, and Psalms 59:0. I have said something relative to this word in the introduction to Psalms 16:1, but some observations of Mr. Harmer lead me to consider the subject more at large. It is well known that there were seven most eminent Arabic poets who flourished before and at the commencement of the career of Mohammed: their names were Amriolkais, Amru, Hareth, Tharafah, Zohair, Lebeid, and Antarah. These poets produced each a poem, which because of its excellence was deemed worthy to be suspended on the walls of the temple of Mecca; and hence the collection of the seven poems was termed Al Moallakat, The Suspended; and Al Modhahebat, The Gilded or Golden, because they were written in letters of gold upon the Egyptian papyrus. The six michtams of David might have this title for the same reason; they might have been written in letters of gold, or on gilded vellum, or the Egyptian papyrus; for the word מכתם michtam is generally supposed to signify golden, and כתם kethem is used to signify gold, probably stamped or engraven with figures or letters. That the Moallakat were written in this way, there can be no question; and that the works of men of great eminence in Asiatic countries are still thus written, my own library affords ample evidence. Copies of the following works are written on paper all powdered with gold, with gold borders, and highly illuminated anwans or titles: The MISNAVI of Jelaluddeen Raumy; The DEEVAN of Zuheer Faryabi; The HADIKATUSANI, or Garden of Praise; The SUHBET AL ABRAR; The DEEVAN of Hafiz; GULISTAN of Saady; DEEVAN of Shahy, with many more, all works of eminent authors, written in the finest manner, ruled with gold borders, c.
Copies of the Koran are often done in the same manner: one in 12mo., so thickly powdered over with gold that the ground on which the text is written appears to be almost totally gilded another large octavo, all powdered with gold, and golden flowers down every margin; another small octavo, that might be almost called the Codex Aureus, with rich golden borders on every page. And, lastly, one in large folio, which besides superbly illuminated anwans, has three gold lines to every page; one at the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom. To the above may be added a small folio, that opens out about eleven feet, every page of which is like a plate of solid gold, with the characters engraven on it. It is a collection of elegant extracts. Another of the same kind, large folio, opens out sixty-two feet, on which every page is finished in the same manner, with a vast variety of borders, sprigs, and flowers. And to close the whole, a copy of the Borda, supposed to be the most elegant MS. in Europe, entirely covered with gold flowers and lines, the writing the most perfect I ever saw; so that of this MS. it might be truly said, splendid as it is, materiam superabit opus.
As Mr. Harmer has alluded to accounts which he has collected from other writers in order to illustrate the michtams of David, I have above produced a number of evidences to bear witness to the fact that such is and such was the custom in the east, to write the works of the most eminent authors in letters of gold, or on a page highly ornamented with the utmost profusion of golden lines, figures, flowers, c. In this way these Psalms might have been written, and from this circumstance they may have derived their name. I may just add, that I think these titles were made long after the Psalms were composed.
Verse Psalms 60:1. O God, thou hast cast us off — Instead of being our general in the battle, thou hast left us to ourselves and then there was only the arm of flesh against the arm of flesh, numbers and physical power were left to decide the contest. We have been scattered, our ranks have been broken before the enemy, and thou hast caused the whole land to tremble at our bad success; the people are become divided and seditious. "Thou hast made the land to tremble, even the breaches of it, for it shaketh, it is all in commotion," Psalms 60:2.
