According to the title this Psalm refers to an event in the wars of David, "when he was contending with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand." David's conquest of Edom is recorded in 2 Samuel 8:13 f, but (see note on the passag... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou hast cast us off_ Cp. Psalms 60:10; Psalms 44:9; Psalms 44:23; Psalms 74:1; Psalms 77:7; Psalms 89:38. _thou hast scattered us_ Better as R.V., thou hast broken us down, a word applied to defeat (2 Samuel 5:20), or any great calamity (Judges 21:15;... [ Continue Reading ]
Grave disasters have befallen Israel through God's displeasure.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast made_&c. R.V. Thou hast made the land to tremble; thou hast rent it. The disaster is compared to an earthquake, which is often used as a symbol of great catastrophes and especially of divine judgement (Psalms 18:7; Psalms 46:3; Psalms 46:6; Isaiah 24:18 ff). -The breaches" may be the rent... [ Continue Reading ]
_hard_ i.e. calamitous. _the wine of astonishment_ Better as R.V., the wine of staggering. The cup of God's wrath is a common metaphor for His judgements. It is like some drugged potion, which robs the drinker of reason, and makes him reel helplessly along, the mockery of all beholders. Commonly it... [ Continue Reading ]
_That_it _may be displayed because of the truth_ With this rendering, which has been retained in the text of the R.V., the verse becomes the preface to the following prayer. Israel is charged with the maintenance of God's cause, therefore let Him help them against the heathen. But it is decidedly pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy beloved Thy beloved ones_(plur.) are Israel. Cp. Deuteronomy 33:12; Jeremiah 11:15. God's love for Israel is the counterpart to Israel's fear of God. _save_ i.e. give victory. Cp. Psalms 60:11. _hear me_ Answer me. The _Kthîbh_has _us_, which R.V. adopts; but the _Qrç_is _me_. This has the su... [ Continue Reading ]
A prayer for deliverance and victory, based upon God's promise to give Israel the possession of Canaan, and supremacy over the neighbouring nations.... [ Continue Reading ]
_in his holiness_ Or, by his holiness, for -spoken" is the equivalent of -promised" or -sworn." Cp. Psalms 89:35; Amos 4:2. God's -holiness" includes His whole essential nature in its moral aspect, and that nature makes it impossible for Him to break His promise (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). It is equ... [ Continue Reading ]
Gilead and Manasseh, that is the land of Bashan in which half the tribe of Manasseh settled, stand for the territory east of the Jordan and the tribes settled there: Ephraim and Judah stand for the tribes west of the Jordan. God claims all as His own: all therefore can claim God's protection. _Ephr... [ Continue Reading ]
The neighbouring nations are reduced to servitude. In strong contrast to the honour assigned to Ephraim and Judah is the disgrace of Moab and Edom. Moab, notorious for its pride (Isaiah 16:6), is compared to the vessel which is brought to the victorious warrior to wash his feet when he returns from... [ Continue Reading ]
_the strong city_ Probably Sela or Petra, the capital of Edom, famous for its inaccessibility (Obadiah 1:3). See Stanley's _Sinai and Pal_., p. 89, for a description of the wonderful defile, which in ancient times was the only usual approach to Petra. _Who will lead me into Edom_ The verb is in the... [ Continue Reading ]
None but God can give help, and though for the moment He has abandoned His people, He will surely once more lead them to victory.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wilt _not thou, O God_&c. This rendering, which is that of the LXX, Vulg., Symm., and Jer., is grammatically legitimate, though less obvious than that of R.V.; Hast not thou, O God, cast us off? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts. It suits the context better as the answer to Psalms 6... [ Continue Reading ]
_Give us help from trouble_ Or, as R.V., Give us help against the adversary. Cp. Psalms 60:12. _for vain_is _the help of man_ Lit. _salvation_. It is a delusion (cp. Psalms 33:17) to look to human strength for victory. See Psalms 44:6-7; 1 Samuel 17:47; Jeremiah 17:5; and cp. Judges 7:4; Judges 7:7;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Through God_ Cp. Psalms 56:4. _we shall do valiantly_ Cp. Numbers 24:18; Psalms 118:15-16. _shall tread down our enemies_ Cp. Psalms 44:5; Psalms 18:42 (note). R.V., adversaries, cp. Psalms 60:11.... [ Continue Reading ]