8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I put out my shoe; over Philistia will a glad cry be sounded.
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 he put armed forces in Edom; all through Edom he had armed forces stationed, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went.
By your sword will you get your living and you will be your brother's servant; but when your power is increased his yoke will be broken from off your neck.
Edom will be his heritage, and he will put an end to the last of the people of Seir.
And when the Philistines had news that David had been made king over Israel, they all went up in search of David; and David, hearing of it, went down to the strong place. And when the Philistines came, they went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim. And David, desiring directions from the Lord, said, Am I to go up against the Philistines? will you give them up into my hands? And the Lord said, Go up, for I will certainly give up the Philistines into your hands. And David went to Baal-perazim, and overcame them there; and he said, The Lord has let the forces fighting against me be broken before me as a wall is broken by rushing waters. So that place was named Baal-perazim. And the Philistines, when they went in flight, did not take their images with them, and David and his men took them away. And the Philistines came up again, and went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim. And when David went for directions to the Lord, he said, You are not to go up against them in front; but make a circle round them from the back and come on them opposite the spice-trees. Then at the sound of footsteps in the tops of the trees, go forward quickly, for the Lord has gone out before you to overcome the army of the Philistines. And David did as the Lord had said; and he overcame the Philistines, attacking them from Gibeon to near Gezer.
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.
And it came about after this that David made an attack on the Philistines and overcame them, and took Gath with its daughter-towns out of the hands of the Philistines. And he overcame Moab, and the Moabites became his servants and gave him offerings.
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Commentary on Psalms 60 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 60
Ps 60:1-12. Shushan-eduth—Lily of testimony. The lily is an emblem of beauty (see on Ps 45:1, title). As a description of the Psalm, those terms combined may denote a beautiful poem, witnessing—that is, for God's faithfulness as evinced in the victories referred to in the history cited. Aram-naharaim—Syria of the two rivers, or Mesopotamia beyond the river (Euphrates) (2Sa 10:16). Aram-zobah—Syria of Zobah (2Sa 10:6), to whose king the king of the former was tributary. The war with Edom, by Joab and Abishai (2Ch 18:12, 25), occurred about the same time. Probably, while doubts and fears alternately prevailed respecting the issue of these wars, the writer composed this Psalm, in which he depicts, in the language of God's people, their sorrows under former disasters, offers prayer in present straits, and rejoices in confident hope of triumph by God's aid.
1-3. allude to disasters.
cast … off—in scorn (Ps 43:2; 44:9).
scattered—broken our strength (compare 2Sa 5:20).
Oh, turn thyself—or, "restore to us" (prosperity). The figures of physical, denote great civil, commotions (Ps 46:2, 3).
3. drink … wine of astonishment—literally, "of staggering"—that is, made us weak (compare Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17, 22).
4, 5. Yet to God's banner they will rally, and pray that, led and sustained by His power (right hand, Ps 17:7; 20:6), they may be safe.
5. hear me—or, "hear us."
6-10. God hath spoken in—or, "by."
his holiness—(Ps 89:35; Am 4:2), on the pledge of His attributes (Ps 22:3; 30:4). Taking courage from God's promise to give them possession (Ex 23:31; De 11:24) (and perhaps renewed to him by special revelation), with triumphant joy he describes the conquest as already made.
Shechem, and … Succoth—as widely separated points, and—
7. Gilead … and Manasseh—as large districts, east and west of Jordan, represent the whole land.
divide … and mete out—means to have entire control over.
Ephraim—denotes the military (De 33:17); and—
Judah—(the lawgiver, Ge 49:10), the civil power. Foreign nations are then presented as subdued.
8. Moab—is a my washpot—the most ordinary vessel.
over—or, "at"
Edom—(as a slave) he casts his shoe.
Philistia, triumph, &c.—or, rather, "shout."
for me—acknowledges subjection (compare Ps 108:9, "over Philistia will I triumph").
9, 10. He feels assured that, though once angry, God is now ready to favor His people.
who will lead me—or, who has led me, as if the work were now begun.
10. Wilt not thou?—or, "Is it not Thou?"
11, 12. Hence he closes with a prayer for success, and an assurance of a hearing.