Psalms 60:1-12
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;
8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumpha thou because of me.
9 Who will bring me into the strongb 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.c
12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
This is a song out of defeat. It may be divided into three parts. The first is a recognition of the cause of defeat, ending with a prayer (verses Psa 60:1-5). The second expresses the answer of God in the soul of the singer (verses Psa 60:6-8). In the third there is a note of helplessness, a cry of need, and a cry of confidence. In the midst of an evidently disastrous defeat, the singer recognizes the government of God. His appeal for help is based on his recognition of the true vocation of the people. They bear a banner for the display of truth. Note the "Selah" at this point, suggesting especial attention to this fact. For the sake of that banner the cry for deliverance is raised.
Then the singer tells of the answer, but the supreme note is "God hath spoken in His holiness."
All the fine imagery which describes triumph follows that declaration. Victory is possible only in holiness. Defeat is ever the issue of sin. All human aid is helpless when God has abandoned the people. The song ends with a cry for help and the declaration of personal assurance.