Commentary - Psalm 60:6-8

Bird's-eye view

After a lament over national disaster and a plea for deliverance, this psalm pivots dramatically. The first five verses are a candid acknowledgment that God has been the one to discipline His people. They have been broken, made to drink the wine of astonishment. But then comes the turn. The banner of truth has been raised (v. 4), and the beloved must be delivered (v. 5). The ground for this confidence is found in our text, verses 6-8. The foundation for all national recovery and future victory is a direct and holy word from God. He speaks, and the world is rearranged. This is not wishful thinking; it is a declaration of divine intent. God lays claim to His inheritance, both within the covenant lines of Israel and over the surrounding pagan nations. It is a stunning display of absolute sovereignty, a reminder that all geography is His geography, and all history is His story.

This passage is a divine war speech. God announces His intentions to parcel out His own land to His people and to subjugate His enemies, turning them into household servants. The imagery is potent and earthy. This is not the declaration of a distant, abstract deity. This is the King of all the earth, rolling up His sleeves to set His house in order. For the believer, this is the bedrock of our confidence. Our victories are not won by our own strength, but are simply the outworking of what God has already declared in His holiness.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 60 is a Michtam of David, set to Shushan Eduth, and it is for teaching. The historical superscription places it in the context of David's wars with Aram Naharaim, Aram Zobah, and Edom. Israel had suffered a significant military setback, which is the occasion for the lament in verses 1-3. The nation feels cast off and broken by God Himself. This is crucial. David doesn't blame the Edomites; he recognizes the hand of God in their trouble. This honest assessment is the necessary prerequisite for the turn that follows. After the plea for deliverance, our passage provides the divine response. It is a word of assurance from God that anchors the final verses of the psalm (vv. 9-12), which are a renewed expression of faith and a commitment to fight valiantly, trusting that God will be the one to tread down their enemies. The entire psalm moves from honest lament to confident faith, with God's sovereign declaration in verses 6-8 as the hinge.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 6 God has spoken in His holiness: “I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.

God has spoken in His holiness: Everything that follows rests on this foundation. The change from despair to triumph does not happen because circumstances have improved, or because David mustered up some positive thinking. It happens because God has spoken. This is the principle of revelation. History moves and bends according to the Word of God. And He speaks "in His holiness," which means His word is utterly reliable, set apart, and powerful. It is not a word that can be contaminated by creaturely weakness or sin. It is a pure, unassailable decree. When God speaks in His holiness, what He says is. The thing is as good as done.

I will exult, The first thing God declares is His own triumphant joy. He is not a reluctant king. He is not dragged into this conflict. He exults in the exercise of His sovereignty. This is the glad and triumphant God who rejoices over His works. He takes pleasure in restoring His people and judging His enemies. This should shape our whole understanding of God's governance. He is not a grim bureaucrat; He is a victorious, exulting warrior-king.

I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth. Now the King gets down to specifics. Shechem and Succoth are both significant places in Israel's history, located on either side of the Jordan River. Jacob settled near Shechem (Gen. 33:18) and built a booth at Succoth (Gen. 33:17). By declaring His intention to "portion out" and "measure" these places, God is reasserting His ownership of the promised land. He is the one who divides it up and assigns it. After a period of disarray where it seemed the enemy had the upper hand, God says, "No, this land is Mine, and I will administer it as I see fit." This is a picture of God restoring order, taking back the territory, and running the survey lines Himself.

v. 7 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; God continues His inventory of what belongs to Him. Gilead and Manasseh represent the tribes on the east of the Jordan. This is a comprehensive claim. From the west bank (Shechem) to the east bank (Gilead), it all belongs to Him. The repetition of "is Mine" is emphatic. There is no question of ownership. The land does not belong to the strongest tribe, or the most recent conqueror. It belongs to Yahweh. This is covenantal language. He is the great Suzerain, and the land is His grant to His people.

Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Here the imagery shifts from geography to warfare. God is arming Himself for battle, and He is using His own people as His armor and weapons. Ephraim, a large and powerful northern tribe, is described as God's helmet. This signifies a position of strength and defense. Ephraim was known for its warriors. God is saying that He will use the strength of this tribe for His own sovereign purposes, to protect His own divine headship in battle.

Judah is My scepter. Judah, the royal tribe from which David came, is God's scepter, or lawgiver's staff. This is a direct reference to Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:10. The scepter is the symbol of rule, authority, and royal decree. While Ephraim represents defensive might, Judah represents kingly authority. God will rule and execute His judgments through the line of Judah. Ultimately, this points us straight to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who holds the ultimate scepter and reigns over all.

v. 8 Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I shall throw My shoe; Make a loud shout, O Philistia, because of Me!”

Moab is My washbowl; Having organized His own house, God now turns His attention to the surrounding nations, His enemies. The language is one of profound contempt and utter subjugation. A washbowl was a common, lowly household vessel used for washing dusty, dirty feet. God says this is what Moab will be to Him. This proud nation will be reduced to the status of a menial slave, performing the most humble of tasks. There is no question here of a negotiated peace. This is absolute conquest.

Over Edom I shall throw My shoe; This is another image of conquest and ownership. To throw one's shoe or sandal over a piece of property was a symbolic act of taking possession. It is also an act of a master returning home and tossing his sandals to a slave for cleaning and storage. Edom, the descendants of Esau and a perpetual enemy of Israel, will be possessed. They will become God's property, His chattel. The arrogance of these pagan nations is met with the absolute authority of God, who treats them as pieces of His household furniture.

Make a loud shout, O Philistia, because of Me!” This final phrase is dripping with divine irony. The Hebrew can be understood in a couple of ways. It could be a command for Philistia to shout in triumph with Israel, having been subjugated. Or, more likely, it is a taunt. "Go ahead and shout your war cries against me, Philistia. Shout because of me." It is a challenge, like a champion daring his opponent to make a move. The outcome is so certain that God mocks their defiance. Any shout from Philistia will be a shout of dismay and defeat in the face of the conquering God of Israel. Their noise will be swallowed up in His victory. For the Church, this is a reminder that the defiant shouts of a hostile world are nothing to our God. He invites the challenge, because the victory is already His.

Application

The central lesson for us is that our confidence in the face of cultural decay or personal trials must be located in the same place David's was: in the sure and certain Word of God. God has spoken. He has spoken in His Son, Jesus Christ. He has declared that the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15).

We see a world that appears to be in chaos, with enemies of God shouting on every side. We can be tempted to despair, to feel like the people of God have been cast off. But we must return to what God has spoken in His holiness. He declares that the Church is His, that Jesus is King, and that He will use His people as His instruments to establish His rule. Ephraim is His helmet, Judah His scepter. The strength and the authority of the Church do not come from within ourselves, but from the role God has assigned to us in His cosmic battle plan.

And what of the enemies? What of the proud and arrogant ideologies that mock the faith? Moab is His washbasin. Edom is the place for His sandals. Philistia's shouting is futile. God will reduce all His enemies to servitude. This is not a call for carnal warfare on our part, but rather a call to fight valiantly (v. 12) with the spiritual weapons God has given us, the proclamation of the gospel, faithful worship, and obedient lives. We do this with exultant joy, knowing that it is God Himself who will tread down our enemies. Our task is to believe what He has spoken and to live and act accordingly.