Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 108:13

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 108:13. Through God we shall do valiantly — From him we derive our courage, from him our strength, and by him our success.

[For the ANALYSIS, see the Psalms 57:1-11 (note) and Psalms 60:1-12 (note). Also see introduction to Psalms 108:1-13 (note)].

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 107-108 Specific thanksgivings

Psalms 107:0 seems to be particularly appropriate to the time of the Jews’ return to their homeland after their exile in Babylon. It is a song of thanksgiving to be sung by those who have been saved from some great affliction or danger (107:1-3). Four different cases are introduced by verses 4, 10, 17 and 23. Each of the cases describes the danger, notes the prayer, outlines the answer and concludes with a word of instruction and warning.

The first thanksgiving is that of homeless wanderers. Lonely, hungry and thirsty, they cried to God and were led to a place of safety and security. They should now bear in mind that complete satis faction is found only in God (4-9). The second thanksgiving is that of people who were in prison or slavery because of their sins, but when they cried to God he set them free. They should remember that no bondage is too strong for God (10-16). The third thanksgiving is that of the sick who once suffered for their wrongdoings but have now been healed. They should respond to God’s grace by telling others of what he has done for them (17-22). The fourth thanksgiving is that of people who have been saved from terrible storms at sea. They should bear in mind that God is the one who brings all peace and calm (23-32).
When people are wicked, God may turn nature against them, punishing them with thirst and hunger. But when thirsty and hungry people are in need, God sends his generous blessings of nature upon them (33-38). When rulers are wicked, God may turn them into homeless wanderers. But when the poor are oppressed, God lifts their families into places of honour (39-43).

Psalms 108:0 was composed for some special occasion by combining portions of two other psalms. It is a song of assurance that God will give victory on the basis of his promises. For 108:1-5 see notes on Psalms 57:7-11; for 108:6-13 see notes on Psalms 60:5-12.

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

A COMPOSITE OF Psalms 57:7-11
UNITED WITH Psalms 60:5-12

"My heart is fixed, O God; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early. I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the peoples; And I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens; And thy truth reacheth unto the skies. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, And thy glory above all the earth. That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us. God hath spoken in his holiness: I will exult; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defense of my head; Judah is my sceptre. Moab is my washpot; Upon Edom will I cast my shoe; Over Philistia will I shout. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who hath led me unto Edom? Hast not thou cast us off, O God? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts. Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: For he it is that will tread down our adversaries."

As Dummelow suggested in the quotation at the beginning of the previous chapter, this psalm was evidently put together for some type of liturgical use in one of the various Temple services of the Jews. Nothing whatever is known about who arranged this psalm or actually for what purpose.

The variations here are of such a slight nature that we consider them absolutely insignificant.

As we have already commented fully upon the passages united to form this psalm, we are content to refer the reader to those passages without further elaboration here.

Leupold proposed the following as an outline of what is written here.

A.    Resolution to praise God for deliverance (Psalms 108:1-6).

B.    The recalling of God's ancient promises (Psalms 108:7-9).

C.    Looking to the conquest of Edom (Psalms 108:1-13).H. C. Leupold, p. 762.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Through God we shall do ... - This also is taken from Psalms 60:12, without change.

Thus the psalm, though made up of parts of two separate psalms, is complete and continuous in itself. There is no break or discrepancy in the current of thought, but the unity is as perfect as though it had been an original composition. It is to be remarked, also, that though in the original psalms the parts which are used here have a different connection, and are separately complete there, yet as employed here, they seem to be exactly suited to the new use which is made of the language; and though the original “reasons” for the use of the language do not appear here, yet there is a sufficient reason for that language apparent in the psalm as rearranged. To an Israelite, also, there might be a new interest in the use of the language in the fact that words with which he was familiar, as employed for other purposes, “could” be thus combined, and made applicable to a new occasion in the national history.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 108:1-13 the psalmist declares:

O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory ( Psalms 108:1 ).

And then he calls for praise unto the Lord with the psaltery and the harp, a couple of instruments praising the Lord in music.

I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens ( Psalms 108:2-4 ):

Again, why do I praise God? Well, here I praise the Lord, again, for His mercy. "As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high is His mercy over those that fear Him" ( Psalms 103:11 ). Also praise,

that thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. [Further praise.] Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth ( Psalms 108:4-7 ).

Now here is David talking and he's talking about how God is going to give him victory and possessions. Dividing Shechem, meting out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; and over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man ( Psalms 108:8-12 ).

All of you that are spending so much time with counselors, you might read that again. Seeking the Lord for help. And a wise counselor will always just point you to the Lord, because He is the only One that can truly help you. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth" ( Psalms 121:1-2 ). Vain is the help of man.

Through God we shall do valiantly: for it is he that shall tread down our enemies ( Psalms 108:13 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 108

This song is evidently the product of someone who pieced together sections of other Davidic psalms for the Israelites to use in public worship. Psalms 108:1-5 are very similar to Psalms 57:7-11, and Psalms 108:6-13 are identical with Psalms 60:5-12. [Note: See my comments on these verses elsewhere in these notes.] The theme of this psalm is trust in God because of His promises, i.e., because of their past and future fulfillment.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. A confident prayer request 108:7-13

The psalmist cited God’s promise to subdue the nations around Israel (Psalms 108:7-9). Then he expressed his confidence that victory was possible if God would grant it, but impossible if He would not. David was relying on Israel’s Warrior, not his army, to defeat the enemy. He realized and confessed that if victory depended on the sinful people, they would fall in defeat.

This is a great expression of dependence on God and trust in Him for the deliverance He promised. We who are God’s people should face our spiritual enemies with the same humility and confidence.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.   7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.   8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;   9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.   10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?   11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?   12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.   13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

      We may here learn how to pray as well as praise. 1. We must be public-spirited in prayer, and bear upon our hearts, at the throne of grace, the concerns of the church of God, Psalms 108:6; Psalms 108:6. It is God's beloved, and therefore must be ours; and therefore we must pray for its deliverance, and reckon that we are answered if God grant what we ask for his church, though he delay to give us what we ask for ourselves. "Save thy church, and thou answerest me; I have what I would have." Let the earth be filled with God's glory, and the prayers of David are ended (Psalms 72:19; Psalms 72:20); he desires no more. 2. We must, in prayer, act faith upon the power and promise of God--upon his power (Save with thy right hand, which is mighty to save), and upon his promise: God has spoken in his holiness, in his holy word, to which he has sworn by his holiness, and therefore I will rejoice,Psalms 108:7; Psalms 108:7. What he has promised he will perform, for it is the word both of his truth and of his power. An active faith can rejoice in what God has said, though it be not yet done; for with him saying and doing are not two things, whatever they are with us. 3. We must, in prayer, take the comfort of what God has secured to us and settled upon us, though we are not yet put in possession of it. God had promised David to give him, (1.) The hearts of his subjects; and therefore he surveys the several parts of the country as his own already: "Shechem and Succoth, Gilead and Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah, are all my own," Psalms 108:8; Psalms 108:8. With such assurance as this we may speak of the performance of what God has promised to the Son of David; he will, without fail, give him the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession, for so has he spoken in his holiness; nay, of all the particular persons that were given him he will lose none; he also, as David, shall have the hearts of his subjects, John 6:37. And, (2.) The necks of his enemies. These are promised, and therefore David looks upon Moab, and Edom, and Philistia, as his own already (Psalms 108:9; Psalms 108:9): Over Philistia will I triumph, which explains Psalms 60:8, Philistia, triumph thou because of me, which some think should be read, O my soul! triumph thou over Philistia. Thus the exalted Redeemer is set down at God's right hand, in a full assurance that all his enemies shall in due time be made his footstool, though all things are not yet put under him,Hebrews 2:8. 4. We must take encouragement from the beginnings of mercy to pray and hope for the perfecting of it (Psalms 108:10; Psalms 108:11): "Who will bring me into the strong cities that are yet unconquered? Who will make me master of the country of Edom, which is yet unsubdued?" The question was probably to be debated in his privy council, or a council of war, what methods they should take to subdue the Edomites and to reduce that country; but he brings it into his prayers, and leaves it in God's hands: Wilt not thou, O God? Certainly thou wilt. It is probable that he spoke with the more assurance concerning the conquest of Edom because of the ancient oracle concerning Jacob and Esau, that the elder should serve the younger, and the blessing of Jacob, by which he was made Esau's lord, Genesis 27:37. 5. We must not be discouraged in prayer, nor beaten off from our hold of God, though Providence has in some instances frowned upon us: "Though thou hast cast us off, yet thou wilt now go forth with our hosts,Psalms 108:11; Psalms 108:11. Thou wilt comfort us again after the time that thou hast afflicted us." Adverse events are sometimes intended for the trial of the constancy of our faith and prayer, which we ought to persevere in whatever difficulties we meet with, and not to faint. 6. We must seek help from God, renouncing all confidence in the creature (Psalms 108:12; Psalms 108:12): "Lord, give us help from trouble, prosper our designs, and defeat the designs of our enemies against us." It is not unseasonable to talk of trouble at the same time that we talk of triumphs, especially when it is to quicken prayer for help from heaven; and it is a good plea, Vain is the help of man. "It is really so, and therefore we are undone if thou do not help us; we apprehend it to be so, and therefore depend upon thee for help and have the more reason to expect it." 7. We must depend entirely upon the favour and grace of God, both for strength and success in our work and warfare, Psalms 108:13; Psalms 108:13. (1.) We must do our part, but we can do nothing of ourselves; it is only through God that we shall do valiantly. Blessed Paul will own that even he can do nothing, nothing to purpose, but through Christ strengthening him,Philippians 4:13. (2.) When we have acquitted ourselves ever so well, yet we cannot speed by any merit or might of our own; it is God himself that treads down our enemies, else we with all our valour cannot do it. Whatever we do, whatever we gain, God must have all the glory.