Psalm 60 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Psalm 60 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.

3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

5 That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

6 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

(60:7-8) God divides the world into those countries that he likes and those that he doesn't. Those he doesn't like he calls names (like "washpot") and says that he will throw his sandal on them.
Gilead, Manasseh and Ephraim are not countries, but part of Israel. This psalm was written when David was not yet king over all Israel, and these parts were still under the hand of Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 2:9. God had promised these parts to David as well, so that is why David says that Gilead, Manasseh and Ephraim would be his. And so it happened.
The reference to Judah refers to Gen. 49:10 where the Patriarch Jacob refers to Judah as the lawgiver. As Calvin says:

It followed, that no government could stand which was not resident in the tribe of Judah, this being the decree and the good pleasure of God.

8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

(60:7-8) God divides the world into those countries that he likes and those that he doesn't. Those he doesn't like he calls names (like "washpot") and says that he will throw his sandal on them.
The author of the SAB says that there are countries which God doesn't “like”. But in chapter 87:4 the psalmist says that from the heathen nations there will be many who will be counted as being born in Zion. So that is not the sense we will have to take this verse. What David means to say is that he will conquer the eternal enemies of Israel as well and they will not oppress Israel anymore like they had done in the past, Jg. 3:12, Jg. 11:17, and Jg. 10:7-8 among others..

9 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

10 Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.