Psalm 60

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 60

After many psalms which David penned in a day of distress this comes which was calculated for a day of triumph; it was penned after he was settled in the throne, upon occasion of an illustrious victory which God blessed his forces with over the Syrians and Edomites; it was when David was in the zenith of his prosperity, and the affairs of his kingdom seem to have been in a better posture then ever they were either before or after. See 2 Sam. 8:3, 13; 1 Chron. 18:3, 12. David, in prosperity,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 60:1-5

The title gives us an account, 1. Of the general design of the psalm. It is Michtam?David's jewel, and it is to teach. The Levites must teach it to the people, and by it teach them both to trust in God and to triumph in him; we must, in it, teach ourselves and one another. In a day of public rejoicing we have need to be taught to direct our joy to God and to terminate it in him, to give none of that praise to the instruments of our deliverance which is due to him only, and to encourage our... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 60:6-12

David is here rejoicing in hope and praying in hope; such are the triumphs of the saints, not so much upon the account of what they have in possession as of what they have in prospect (Ps. 60:6): ?God has spoken in his holiness (that is, he has given me his word of promise, has sworn by his holiness, and he will not lie unto David, Ps. 89:35), therefore I will rejoice, and please myself with the hopes of the performance of the promise, which was intended for more than a pleasing promise,?... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 60 To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach ; when he strove with Aramnaharaim, and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of Salt twelve thousand . The words "shushaneduth" are thought, by Aben Ezra, to be the beginning of a song, to the tune of which this psalm was set; though others, as he observes, take them to be the name of a musical instrument, on which it was sung. Some take "shushan" to be an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60:1

O God, thou hast cast us off ,.... What is said in this verse, and Psalm 60:2 , are by some applied to times past; to the distress of the people Israel by their neighbours in the times of the judges; to their being smitten by the Philistines, in the times of Eli and Samuel; and to the victory they obtained over them, when Saul and his sons were slain; and to the civil wars between the house of Saul and David; but rather the whole belongs to future times, which David, by a prophetic spirit,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60:2

Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it ,.... As is frequently done by an earthquake; which, whatever natural causes there may be of it, is always to be ascribed to God. The ancient Heathens F13 A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 2. c. 28. were of opinion that all earthquakes were of God. This respects not the whole earth, but the land of Israel only; and so the Targum, "thou hast moved the land of Israel, thou hast shaken and rent it;' and it does not design a natural... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60:3

Thou hast showed thy people hard things ,.... As to have their city and temple burial, multitudes of them slain, and the rest carried captive, and put into the hands of cruel lords and hard masters, and made a proverb, a taunt, and a curse, in all places; and all this done to a people that were the Lord's by profession, who called themselves so, though now a "loammi", Hosea 1:9 ; and these were hard things to flesh and blood, yet no other than what they deserved; thou hast made us to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60:4

Thou hast given a banner ,.... The word נס is, by Jarchi, taken to signify "temptation" or "trial" F15 So Yalkut Simconi in loc. par. 2. fol. 103. 1. ; and he interprets it of many troubles which they had, that they might be tried by them, whether they would stand in the fear of God, and so considers these words as a continuation of the account of the distresses of the people of Israel; but they are rather to be considered as declaring a peculiar blessing and favour bestowed upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60:5

That thy beloved may be delivered ,.... Some think that these words express the effect or end of the banner being displayed; but because of the word "Selah" at the end of Psalm 60:4 , which makes so full a stop; rather they are to be considered in construction with the following clause. By the Lord's "beloved" ones are meant, not so much the people of Israel, who were loved and chosen by the Lord above all people on the face of the earth, as the elect of God, both among Jews and Gentiles,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 60:6

God hath spoken in his holiness ,.... Or "in his holy place" F17 בקדשו "in sanctuario suo", Tigurine version, Vatablus; "in sancto suo", V. L. Musculus, Cocceius. ; in heaven, the habitation of his holiness and of his glory; or "in the house of the sanctuary", as the Targum: in the tabernacle, in the holy place by Urim and Thummim; and in the most holy place by his sacred oracle, from between the mercy seat: or "by his Holy Ones", as the Arabic version; by his holy prophets, Samuel... read more

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