Bible Strands
Psalms 60:1
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A Miktam of David for instruction. When he fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David speaks to God as a choir director leads a congregational recitation, framing the psalm as instructional poetry composed after military campaigns against Aram-naharaim, Aram-zobah, and Edom. The text places the utterance in a moment of perceived national crisis following defeat.
The words — The Hebrew verbs זְנַחְתָּנוּ (zənaḥtānū) and פְרַצְתָּנוּ (pərāṣtānū) literally mean "you have rejected us" and "you have broken us," describing God's active withdrawal of favor. The verb תְּשׁוֹבֵב (təšōḇēḇ) follows immediately, meaning "you will restore," shifting the statement from accusation to petition.
The thread — The confession of divine rejection appears in Psalm 44:9, while the military context of defeating Zobah and Edomite forces aligns with the historical records in 2 Samuel 8:3 and 2 Samuel 8:13. The text links national calamity to perceived divine withdrawal.
Why it lands — The passage demands a reader acknowledge that communal distress is framed as divine abandonment before restoration is requested. It requires the reader to treat lament as a direct address to God rather than a passive observation of circumstance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
To the chief Musician upon Shushan–eduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram–naharaim and with Aram–zobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 8:12 from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
- 2 Samuel 8:3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
- Psalms 44:9 But You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go forth with our armies.
- 2 Samuel 5:20 So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim.
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.
- 1 Chronicles 18:12 Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
- 2 Kings 14:7 Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.
- Psalms 85:4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, and put away Your displeasure toward us.
- Psalms 90:13 Return, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.
- 1 Samuel 4:10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great—thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.