Psalms 60:1

1 (59-1) <Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the inscription of a title, to David himself, for doctrine, (59-2) When he set fire to Mesopotamia of Syria and Sobal: and Joab returned and slew of Edom, in the vale of the saltpits, twelve thousand men.> (59-3) O God, thou hast cast us off, and hast destroyed us; thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us.

Psalms 60:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 60:1

O God, thou hast cast us off
What is said in this verse, and ( Psalms 60:2 Psalms 60:3 ) , are by some applied to times past; to the distress of the people Israel by their neighbours in the times of the judges; to their being smitten by the Philistines, in the times of Eli and Samuel; and to the victory they obtained over them, when Saul and his sons were slain; and to the civil wars between the house of Saul and David; but rather the whole belongs to future times, which David, by a prophetic spirit, was led to on the occasion of the victory obtained, when before this the nation had been in bad circumstances. This refers to the casting off of the Jews as a church and nation, when they had rejected the Messiah and killed him, persecuted his apostles, and despised his Gospel; of which see ( Romans 11:15 Romans 11:19-21 ) ;

thou hast scattered us;
as they were by the Romans among the various nations of the world, and among whom they are dispersed to this day; or "thou hast broken us" ^F11, as in ( Psalms 80:12 ) ; not only the walls of their city were broken by the battering rams of the Romans, but their commonwealth, their civil state, were broke to pieces by them. Jarchi applies this to the Romans; his note is this;

``when Edom fell by his hand (David's), he foresaw, by the Holy Ghost, that the Romans would rule over Israel, and decree hard decrees concerning them;''

thou hast been displeased;
not only with their immorality and profaneness, with their hypocrisy and insincerity, with their will worship and superstition, and the observance of the traditions of their elders; but also with their rejection of the Messiah, and contempt of his Gospel and ordinances;

O turn thyself to us again;
which prayer will be made by them, when they shall become sensible of their sins, and of their state and condition, and shall turn unto the Lord; and when he will turn himself to them, and turn away iniquity from them, and all Israel shall be saved, ( Romans 11:25 Romans 11:26 ) ; or "thou wilt return unto us" ^F12; who before were cast off, broken, and he was displeased with; or others to us.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wnturp) "rupisti nos", Montanus, Michaelis; "disrupisti", Gejerus; so Ainsworth.
F12 (wnl bbwvt) "reverteris ad nos", Pagninus, Montanus; "reduces ad nos", Gussetius, p. 836.

Psalms 60:1 In-Context

1 (59-1) <Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the inscription of a title, to David himself, for doctrine, (59-2) When he set fire to Mesopotamia of Syria and Sobal: and Joab returned and slew of Edom, in the vale of the saltpits, twelve thousand men.> (59-3) O God, thou hast cast us off, and hast destroyed us; thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us.

2 (59-4) Thou hast moved the earth, and hast troubled it: heal thou the breaches thereof, for it has been moved.

3 (59-5) Thou hast shewn thy people hard things; thou hast made us drink the wine of sorrow.

4 (59-6) Thou hast given a warning to them that fear thee: that they may flee from before the bow: That thy beloved may be delivered.

5 (59-7) Save me with thy right hand, and hear me.