Psalm 60

Psalm 60
"O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us"
Psalm of communal lament
Depiction of Joab, nephew and general of king David, as cavalry commander (Golden Psalter of St. Gallen, late 9th century)
Other name	Psalm 59 "Deus reppulisti nos et destruxisti nos"
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 60
← Psalm 59 Psalm 61 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 60 is the 60th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 59. In Latin, it is known as "Deus reppulisti nos et destruxisti nos".^[1]^[2] It is addressed "to the chief Musician upon Shushan Eduth",^[3] referring to the title of a song, presumably identifying the intended melody, mentioned only here and in Psalm 80,^[4] and described as "a Michtam of David, when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand."^[5] The heading text in the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible Revised Edition refers to Aram-Zobah,^[6]^[7] whereas in the New King James Version the reference is to Zobah.^[8] The psalm has been called a psalm of communal lament.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.

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Transcription

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[9]^[10] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַל־שׁוּשַׁ֣ן עֵד֑וּת מִכְתָּ֖ם לְדָוִ֣ד לְלַמֵּֽד׃‎	For the Leader; upon Shushan Eduth; Michtam of David, to teach;
2	בְּהַצּוֹת֨וֹ ׀ אֶ֥ת־אֲרַ֣ם נַהֲרַיִם֮ וְאֶת־אֲרַ֢ם צ֫וֹבָ֥ה וַיָּ֤שׇׁב יוֹאָ֗ב וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־אֱד֣וֹם בְּגֵיא־מֶ֑לַח שְׁנֵ֖ים עָשָׂ֣ר אָֽלֶף׃‎	when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand.
3	אֱ֭לֹהִים זְנַחְתָּ֣נוּ פְרַצְתָּ֑נוּ אָ֝נַ֗פְתָּ תְּשׁ֣וֹבֵֽב לָֽנוּ׃‎	O God, Thou hast cast us off, Thou hast broken us down; Thou hast been angry; O restore us.
4	הִרְעַ֣שְׁתָּה אֶ֣רֶץ פְּצַמְתָּ֑הּ רְפָ֖ה שְׁבָרֶ֣יהָ כִי־מָֽטָה׃‎	Thou hast made the land to shake, Thou hast cleft it; Heal the breaches thereof; for it tottereth.
5	הִרְאִ֣יתָ עַמְּךָ֣ קָשָׁ֑ה הִ֝שְׁקִיתָ֗נוּ יַ֣יִן תַּרְעֵלָֽה׃‎	Thou hast made Thy people to see hard things; Thou hast made us to drink the wine of staggering.
6	נָ֘תַ֤תָּה לִּירֵאֶ֣יךָ נֵּ֭ס לְהִתְנוֹסֵ֑ס מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י קֹ֣שֶׁט סֶֽלָה׃‎	Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
7	לְ֭מַעַן יֵחָלְצ֣וּן יְדִידֶ֑יךָ הוֹשִׁ֖יעָה יְמִינְךָ֣ (ועננו) [וַעֲנֵֽנִי]׃‎	That Thy beloved may be delivered, Save with Thy right hand, and answer me.
8	אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ דִּבֶּ֥ר בְּקׇדְשׁ֗וֹ אֶ֫עְלֹ֥זָה אֲחַלְּקָ֥ה שְׁכֶ֑ם וְעֵ֖מֶק סֻכּ֣וֹת אֲמַדֵּֽד׃‎	God spoke in His holiness, that I would exult; That I would divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
9	לִ֤י גִלְעָ֨ד ׀ וְלִ֬י מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה וְ֭אֶפְרַיִם מָע֣וֹז רֹאשִׁ֑י יְ֝הוּדָ֗ה מְחֹֽקְקִֽי׃‎	Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defence of my head; Judah is my sceptre.
10	מוֹאָ֤ב ׀ סִ֬יר רַחְצִ֗י עַל־אֱ֭דוֹם אַשְׁלִ֣יךְ נַעֲלִ֑י עָ֝לַ֗י פְּלֶ֣שֶׁת הִתְרוֹעָֽעִי׃‎	Moab is my washpot; Upon Edom do I cast my shoe; Philistia, cry aloud because of me!
11	מִ֣י יֹ֭בִלֵנִי עִ֣יר מָצ֑וֹר מִ֖י נָחַ֣נִי עַד־אֱדֽוֹם׃‎	Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom?
12	הֲלֹֽא־אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים זְנַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְֽלֹא־תֵצֵ֥א אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים בְּצִבְאוֹתֵֽינוּ׃‎	Hast not Thou, O God, cast us off? And Thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts.
13	הָֽבָה־לָּ֣נוּ עֶזְרָ֣ת מִצָּ֑ר וְ֝שָׁ֗וְא תְּשׁוּעַ֥ת אָדָֽם׃‎	Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man.
14	בֵּאלֹהִ֥ים נַֽעֲשֶׂה־חָ֑יִל וְ֝ה֗וּא יָב֥וּס צָרֵֽינוּ׃‎	Through God we shall do valiantly; For He it is that will tread down our adversaries.

King James Version

O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.
God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Geographical imagery

In verse 8, many writers consider "Moab is my washbowl" to refer to the Dead Sea in the vicinity of Moab, and "Upon Edom I will toss my sandal" is viewed as Edom becoming a humble servant, such as a servant who would clean a master's sandals. Commentaries expressing this view include Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible,^[11] Charles Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers and the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges.^[12] Psalm 108 also uses the imagery of tossing a sandal upon Edom.^[13] Barnes refers to "an allusion in the expression 'I will cast out my shoe', to the custom, when transferring a possession, of throwing down a shoe on the ground as a symbol of occupancy".^[11]

Herod was an Idumean, an Edomite, ruling over the Jews in his day. Some commentators, such as Ray Vander Laan in "In the Shadow of Herod", would view this promise pointing to a victory of the Jews over Edom similar to other promises that Esau (the father of the Idumeans) would serve Jacob and ultimately not fulfilled until Christ.^[14]

The "Valley of Salt" is also referred to as the "Valley of Saltpits".^[15]

Uses

Jewish liturgy

In Jewish liturgy, the psalm is recited on Shushan Purim.^[16] Verse 7 is part of the closing paragraph of the Amidah.^[17]

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the 11th day of the month.^[18]

Other uses

Actor Stephen Fry uses the phrase Moab Is My Washpot for the title of his autobiography covering his early years.^[19]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 60 in a metred version in German, "Ach Gott, der du vor dieser Zeit", SWV 157, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.