9 Moab is my washpot; on Edom is the resting-place of my shoe; over Philistia will I send out a glad cry.
Now, in earlier times this was the way in Israel when property was taken over by a near relation, or when there was a change of owner. To make the exchange certain one man took off his shoe and gave it to the other; and this was a witness in Israel. So the near relation said to Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe.
And it came about after this that David made an attack on the Philistines and overcame them; and David took the authority of the mother-town from the hands of the Philistines. And he overcame the Moabites, and he had them measured with a line when they were stretched out on the earth; marking out two lines for death and one full line for life. So the Moabites became servants to David and gave him offerings.
And the Philistines went to war again with Israel; and David went down with his people, and while they were at Gob they had a fight with the Philistines: And there came against David one of the offspring of the Rephaim, whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, and having a new sword, he made an attempt to put David to death. But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, came to his help, and, turning on the Philistine, gave him his death-blow. Then David's men took an oath, and said, Never again are you to go out with us to the fight, so that you may not put out the light of Israel. Now after this there was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Sibbecai the Hushathite put to death Saph, one of the offspring of the Rephaim. And again there was war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan, the son of Jair the Beth-lehemite, put to death Goliath the Gittite, the stem of whose spear was like a cloth-worker's rod. And again there was war at Gath, where there was a very tall man, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet; he was one of the offspring of the Rephaim. And when he was purposing to put shame on Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimei, David's brother, put him to death. These four were of the offspring of the Rephaim in Gath; and they came to their end by the hands of David and his servants.
Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I put out my shoe; over Philistia will a glad cry be sounded. Who will take me into the strong town? who will be my guide into Edom? Have not you put us away, O God? and you have not gone out with our armies.
Be not glad, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod which was on you is broken: for out of the snake's root will come a poison-snake, and its fruit will be a winged poison-snake. And the poorest of the land will have food, and those in need will be given a safe resting-place: but your seed will come to an end for need of food, and the rest of you will be put to the sword. Send out a cry, O door! Make sounds of sorrow, O town! All your land has come to nothing, O Philistia; for there comes a smoke out of the north, and everyone keeps his place in the line. What answer, then, will my people give to the representatives of the nation? That the Lord is the builder of Zion, and she will be a safe place for the poor of his people.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Psalms 108
Commentary on Psalms 108 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 108
A Song cf15I or Psalm of David. This psalm consists of several passages out of the fifty seventh and sixtieth psalms, with very little variation. Jarchi and Kimchi refer it to the times of the Messiah. The title in the Syriac version is,
"concerning the calling of the Gentiles,'
to which, no doubt, it has respect.
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise,.... From hence to Psalm 108:6 the words are taken out of Psalm 57:7, which see.
Even with my glory; my tongue; in Psalm 57:8, it is read, "awake up my glory". See Gill on Psalm 57:7,
For thy mercy is great above the heavens,..... It is in Psalm 57:10, "thy mercy is great unto the heavens". See Gill on Psalm 57:10.
That thy beloved may be delivered,.... From hence to the end of the psalm the words are taken out of Psalm 60:5. See Gill on Psalm 60:5.
Over Philistia will I triumph,.... In Psalm 60:8, it is, "Philistia, triumph thou because of me"; See Gill on Psalm 60:8.
And wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?.... In Psalm 60:10, it is, "and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies". See Gill on Psalm 60:10.