Psalm 60:7-14
New Catholic Bible
7 [a]With your right hand come to our aid and answer us
so that those you love may be delivered.
8 [b]God has promised from his sanctuary,
“In triumph I will apportion Shechem
and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
9 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,[c]
Judah is my scepter.
10 Moab is my washbasin;[d]
upon Edom I will plant my sandal;
over Philistia I will shout in triumph.”
11 [e]Who will lead me into the fortified city?[f]
Who will guide me into Edom?
12 Is it not you, O God, who have rejected us
and no longer go forth with our armies?
13 Grant us your help against our enemies,
for any human assistance is worthless.
14 With God’s help we will be victorious,
for he will overwhelm our foes.
Footnotes
- Psalm 60:7 These verses occur again as verses 7-14 of Ps 108.
- Psalm 60:8 The Lord gives his people an oracle of hope, reminding them of his promises that the earth is his and no enemy can stand against him. Shechem was west of the Jordan, and Succoth east of it; therefore, they indicated dominion over all of Palestine. Next are named four Israelite tribes; hence, there are three regions in all that must be reduced to subjection.
- Psalm 60:9 Helmet: a symbol of the strength exhibited by the tribe of Ephraim (see Deut 33:17; Jdg 7:24—8:3). Scepter: a symbol of the King-Messiah who had been promised from Judah (see Gen 49:10).
- Psalm 60:10 Moab is my washbasin: i.e., its people will do menial work for the Israelites (see Gen 18:4). Plant my sandal: an Eastern way of signifying possession.
- Psalm 60:11 The psalmist asks the Lord to lead him to victory even though the pain of defeat and God’s apparent rejection are still with him. For he knows that the Lord remains with his people and will ensure a joyous and victorious outcome (see Pss 44:6; 118:15f).
- Psalm 60:11 Fortified city: doubtless Bozrah in Idumea (see Isa 34:6; 63:1; Am 1:12). It was from this inaccessible refuge that the Edomites sent incursions into Judea.
