9 Moab is my wash-pot; upon Edom will I cast my sandal; over Philistia will I shout aloud.
Now this [was the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redemption and concerning exchange, to confirm the whole matter: a man drew off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbour, and this was the [mode of] attestation in Israel. And he that had the right of redemption said to Boaz, Buy for thyself; and he drew off his sandal.
And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; and David took the power of the capital out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, [and] brought gifts.
And the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought with the Philistines. And David was exhausted. And Ishbibenob, who was of the children of Raphah -- the weight of his lance was three hundred shekels of bronze, and he was girded with new [armour] -- thought to smite David. And Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel. And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines, at Gob; then Sibbechai the Hushathite smote Saph, who was of the children of Raphah. And there was again a battle at Gob with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, smote Goliath the Gittite; now the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And there was again a battle, at Gath; and there was a man [there] of great stature, that had on each hand six fingers, and on each foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to Raphah. And he defied Israel; but Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother smote him. These four were born to Raphah, in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
Moab is my wash-pot; upon Edom will I cast my sandal; Philistia, shout aloud because of me. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me unto Edom? [Wilt] not thou, O God, who didst cast us off? and didst not go forth, O God, with our armies?
Rejoice not thou, Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a viper, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; but I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant shall be slain. Howl, O gate! cry, O city! thou, Philistia, art wholly dissolved; for there cometh from the north a smoke, and none remaineth apart in his gatherings [of troops]. And what shall be answered to the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and the afflicted of his people find refuge in it.
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Commentary on Psalms 108 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Two Elohimic Fragments Brought Together
The אודך in Psalms 108:4 and the whole contents of this Psalm is the echo to the הודוּ of the preceding Psalm. It is inscribed a Psalm-song by David , but only because it is compiled out of ancient Davidic materials. The fact of the absence of the למנצח makes it natural to suppose that it is of later origin. Two Davidic Psalm-pieces in the Elohimic style are here, with trifling variations, just put together, not soldered together, and taken out of their original historical connection.
That a poet like David would thus compile a third out of two of his own songs (Hengstenberg) is not conceivable.
This first half is taken from Ps. 57:8-12. The repetition of confident is my heart in Psalms 57:1-11 is here omitted; and in place of it the “my glory” of the exclamation, awake my glory , is taken up to “I will sing and will harp” as a more minute definition of the subject (vid., on Psalms 3:5): He will do it, yea,his soul with all its godlike powers shall do it. Jahve in Psalms 108:4 is transformed out of the Adonaj ; and Waw copul . is inserted both before Psalms 108:4 and Psalms 108:6 , contrary to Psalms 57:1-11. מעל , Psalms 108:5 (as in Esther 3:1), would be a pleasing change for עד if Psalms 108:5 followed Psalms 108:5 and the definition of magnitude did not retrograde instead of heightening. Moreover Psalms 36:6; Jeremiah 51:9 (cf. על in Psalms 113:4; Psalms 148:13) favour עד in opposition to מעל .
Ps. 60:7-14 forms this second half. The clause expressing the purpose with למען , as in its original, has the following הושׁיעה for its principal clause upon which it depends. Instead of ועננוּ , which one might have expected, the expression used here is וענני without any interchange of the mode of writing and of reading it; many printed copies have ועננו here also; Baer, following Norzi, correctly has וענני . Instead of ולי ... לי , Psalms 60:9, we here read לי ... לי , which is less soaring. And instead of Cry aloud concerning me, O Philistia do I shout for joy (the triumphant cry of the victor); in accordance with which Hupfeld wishes to take התרועעי in the former as infinitive: “over ( עלי instead of עלי ) Philistia is my shouting for joy” ( התרועעי instead of התרועעי , since the infinitive does not admit of this pausal form of the imperative). For עיר מצור we have here the more usual form of expression עיר מבצר . Psalms 108:12 is weakened by the omission of the אתּה ( הלא ).