10 Have not you put us away, O God? and you have not gone out with our armies.
And the Philistines, hearing the noise of their cry, said, What is this great cry among the tents of the Hebrews? Then it became clear to them that the ark of the Lord had come to the tent-circle. And the Philistines, full of fear, said, God has come into their tents. And they said, Trouble is ours! for never before has such a thing been seen.
So the Philistines went to the fight, and Israel was overcome, and every man went in flight to his tent: and great was the destruction, for thirty thousand footmen of Israel were put to the sword. And the ark of God was taken; and Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were put to the sword.
Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel; and the men of Israel went in flight before the Philistines, falling down wounded in Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines went hard after Saul and his sons, and put to death Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. And the fight was going against Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, falling on it himself. And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and came to his death. So death overtook Saul and his three sons; all his family came to an end together. And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the men of Israel had gone in flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they went in flight away from their towns; and the Philistines came and took them for themselves. Now the day after, when the Philistines came to take their goods from the dead, they saw Saul and his sons dead in Mount Gilboa. And they took everything off him, and took his head and his war-dress, and sent word into the land of the Philistines round about to give the news to their gods and to the people. And they put his war-dress in the house of their gods, and put up his head in the house of Dagon. And when the news came to Jabesh-gilead of what the Philistines had done to Saul, All the fighting-men came up and took away Saul's body and the bodies of his sons, and took them to Jabesh, and put their bones to rest under the oak-tree in Jabesh, and took no food for seven days. So death came to Saul because of the sin which he did against the Lord, that is, because of the word of the Lord which he kept not; and because he went for directions to one who had an evil spirit, And not to the Lord: for this reason, he put him to death and gave the kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.
Through you will we overcome our haters; by your name will they be crushed under our feet who are violent against us. I will not put faith in my bow, my sword will not be my salvation. But it is you who have been our saviour from those who were against us, and have put to shame those who had hate for us. Our pride is in God at all times, to his name we give praise for ever. (Selah.) But now you have sent us away from you, and put us to shame; you do not go out with our armies.
It is better to have faith in the Lord than to put one's hope in rulers. All the nations have come round me; but in the name of the Lord I will have them cut down.
And in that day you will say I will give praise to you, O Lord; for though you were angry with me, your wrath is turned away, and I am comforted. See, God is my salvation; I will have faith in the Lord, without fear: for the Lord Jah is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.
Have you taken note of what these people have said, The two families, which the Lord took for himself, he has given up? This they say, looking down on my people as being, in their eyes, no longer a nation. The Lord has said, If I have not made day and night, and if the limits of heaven and earth have not been fixed by me, Then I will give up caring for the seed of Jacob and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will let their fate be changed and will have mercy on them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 60
Commentary on Psalms 60 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 60
Ps 60:1-12. Shushan-eduth—Lily of testimony. The lily is an emblem of beauty (see on Ps 45:1, title). As a description of the Psalm, those terms combined may denote a beautiful poem, witnessing—that is, for God's faithfulness as evinced in the victories referred to in the history cited. Aram-naharaim—Syria of the two rivers, or Mesopotamia beyond the river (Euphrates) (2Sa 10:16). Aram-zobah—Syria of Zobah (2Sa 10:6), to whose king the king of the former was tributary. The war with Edom, by Joab and Abishai (2Ch 18:12, 25), occurred about the same time. Probably, while doubts and fears alternately prevailed respecting the issue of these wars, the writer composed this Psalm, in which he depicts, in the language of God's people, their sorrows under former disasters, offers prayer in present straits, and rejoices in confident hope of triumph by God's aid.
1-3. allude to disasters.
cast … off—in scorn (Ps 43:2; 44:9).
scattered—broken our strength (compare 2Sa 5:20).
Oh, turn thyself—or, "restore to us" (prosperity). The figures of physical, denote great civil, commotions (Ps 46:2, 3).
3. drink … wine of astonishment—literally, "of staggering"—that is, made us weak (compare Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17, 22).
4, 5. Yet to God's banner they will rally, and pray that, led and sustained by His power (right hand, Ps 17:7; 20:6), they may be safe.
5. hear me—or, "hear us."
6-10. God hath spoken in—or, "by."
his holiness—(Ps 89:35; Am 4:2), on the pledge of His attributes (Ps 22:3; 30:4). Taking courage from God's promise to give them possession (Ex 23:31; De 11:24) (and perhaps renewed to him by special revelation), with triumphant joy he describes the conquest as already made.
Shechem, and … Succoth—as widely separated points, and—
7. Gilead … and Manasseh—as large districts, east and west of Jordan, represent the whole land.
divide … and mete out—means to have entire control over.
Ephraim—denotes the military (De 33:17); and—
Judah—(the lawgiver, Ge 49:10), the civil power. Foreign nations are then presented as subdued.
8. Moab—is a my washpot—the most ordinary vessel.
over—or, "at"
Edom—(as a slave) he casts his shoe.
Philistia, triumph, &c.—or, rather, "shout."
for me—acknowledges subjection (compare Ps 108:9, "over Philistia will I triumph").
9, 10. He feels assured that, though once angry, God is now ready to favor His people.
who will lead me—or, who has led me, as if the work were now begun.
10. Wilt not thou?—or, "Is it not Thou?"
11, 12. Hence he closes with a prayer for success, and an assurance of a hearing.