Psalms 108

The first part of this Psalm (Psalms 108:1-5) is an enthusiastic utterance of adoration and thanksgiving, taken from Psalms 57:7-11. The second part (Psalms 108:6-13) is taken from Psalms 60:5-12. It is an appeal for help against Israel’s enemies, grounded upon God’s promise to apportion the land to His people, and give them dominion over the neighbouring nations. Doubtless it was for liturgical use that these two fragments of older poems were combined into a new hymn. But at what time or under what circumstances this was done can only be conjectured. Apparently Israel was threatened by enemies, and the second part of Psalms 60 was felt to be an appropriate prayer for their needs. But the complaint of severe disaster with which that Psalm opens was not appropriate, and accordingly a thanksgiving was substituted for it. It seems natural to connect this thanksgiving with the repeated calls to thanksgiving in the preceding Psalms (Psalms 105:1 ff.; Psalms 106:1; Psalms 106:47; Psalms 107:1); and the prayer of the second part may have been prompted by some attack or threatened attack on the part of Edom or some other neighbouring nation upon the weak community of the Restoration. The old words of promise and prayer with their historical associations were adapted to new needs. Jehovah had restored His people to their home; thanksgiving for this proof of His lovingkindness and truth was their first duty: but they were exposed to the attacks of envious and malicious neighbours, and His aid was needed to maintain them in secure possession of the land. Some such thought—apart from the obvious application of Psa 108:5—seems to have dictated the choice of this Psalm as a Proper Psalm for Ascension Day. On that day adoration and thanksgiving for Christ’s triumph are fitly joined with prayer that He will put forth His power to give His Church the victory over her spiritual enemies. This Psalm is of interest as proving that no scruple was felt in combining portions of other Psalms for liturgical purposes, and in prefixing to the new composition the title A Psalm of David which those Psalms bore. It justifies the assumption upon internal evidence that other Psalms (e.g. Psalms 19) are of composite origin. Further it is to be noted that the revision of the second main division of the Psalter by the Elohistic editor (Introd. p. lv f.) must have preceded the compilation of this Psalm. Psalms 57, 60 were obviously in the compiler’s hands in their ‘Elohistic’ form, for in its use of Elohim, ‘God,’ instead of Jehovah this Psalm forms a conspicuous exception to the regular usage of Book v.

Psalms 108:1-5

1–5. Resolutions of joyous thanksgiving for past mercies, and prayer that God will manifest Himself as the supremely exalted Ruler of the world.

Psalms 108:2

2. Awake, psaltery and harp] There is a special fitness in the call, if this Psalm was compiled at a time when the harp of Israel had long been mute in the Exile (Psalms 137:2). I myself will awake early] Better, as R.V. marg., I will awake the dawn. A bold and beautiful poetical figure. The dawn is often personified (Job 41:18; Psalms 139:9). Usually it is the dawn that awakes men; the Psalmist will awake the dawn by his praises before daybreak.

Psalms 108:3

3. I will give thanks unto thee, Jehovah, among the peoples: And I will make melody unto thee among the nations. Jehovah (A.V. Lord) takes the place of Adônai (A.V. Lord) of the ‘Elohistic’ Psalms 57:9. Again the old words would have special significance for the returned Israelites. Jehovah had wrought salvation for them “in the sight of the nations” (Psalms 98:2-3), and therefore they were to publish His praise among them (Psalms 96:3; Psalms 105:1).

Psalms 108:4

4. For thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens, And thy truth (reacheth) unto the skies. This verse gives the reason for the praises which he purposes to offer. Once more God’s lovingkindness and truth had been attested by the deliverance of Israel from exile. Cp. Psalms 98:3. The change of ‘unto the heavens’ into ‘above the heavens’ is a loss to the sense, making the second line an anticlimax.

Psalms 108:5

5. Be thou exalted] Or, Exalt thyself. Cp. Psalms 21:13; Psalms 46:10. God is exalted in majesty (Isaiah 6:1); what is needed is that He should manifest His supreme authority (Isaiah 2:11 ff.). This verse (the refrain of Psalms 57, vv5, 11) forms a fitting transition to the second part of the Psalm, with its prayer for deliverance and expressions of confidence in the help of God.

Psalms 108:6-13

6–13. Prayer for help, based upon God’s promise to give Israel possession of Canaan, and supremacy over the surrounding nations (6–9): with an expression of confidence that God, Who alone can help, will surely give His people the victory (10–13).

Psalms 108:7

7. 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 equivalent to ‘Himself’ (Amos 6:8; Hebrews 6:13; Hebrews 6:17-18). In his sanctuary (cp. Psalms 63:2) is a possible but less probable rendering. I will rejoice] Better as R.V., I will exult. God is the speaker. The language is bold, but not bolder than that of Isa 63:1 ff. God is represented as a victorious warrior, conquering the land, and portioning it out to His people. He makes Ephraim the chief defence of His kingdom, and Judah the seat of government, while surrounding nations are treated as vassals. It is possible that the original Psalmist was quoting some actual oracle, but more probably he was reproducing freely in poetical form the drift of the great promise to David (2 Samuel 7:9-10). Cp. Psalms 2:7; Psalms 89:19. Though the words in their full meaning could no longer be applicable to the community of the Restoration, they would serve as an assurance of God’s purpose to establish them once more securely in His own land. Shechem … the valley of Succoth] Shechem, as a central place of importance, represents the territory west of the Jordan; Succoth, ‘in the vale’ (Joshua 13:27), somewhere to the south of the Jabbok, between Peniel and the Jordan, represents the territory east of the Jordan. These two places in particular may be named, because of their connexion with the history of Jacob, who halted first at Succoth and then at Shechem, when he returned to Canaan (Genesis 33:17-18). God will fulfil His promise to Jacob, apportioning to His people the land in which their great ancestor settled.

Psalms 108:8

8. Gilead and Manasseh, i.e. 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: therefore all can claim God’s protection. Ephraim &c.] Render with R.V., Ephraim also is the defence of mine head; Judah is my sceptre. Ephraim, as the most powerful tribe and the chief defence of the nation, is compared to the warrior’s helmet: Judah, as the tribe to which belonged the Davidic sovereignty, is compared to the royal sceptre, or, as the same word is rendered in R.V. of Genesis 49:10, to which the present passage alludes, ‘the ruler’s staff.’

Psalms 108:9

9. The neighbouring nations are reduced to servitude. In striking 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 in when he returns from battle. The old enemy of God and His people is degraded to do menial service: in other words, it becomes a subject and a vassal. In close connexion with this metaphor the next line may be rendered, Unto Edom will I cast my shoe. Edom is like the slave to whom the warrior flings his sandals to carry or to clean. Haughty and defiant Edom (Obadiah 1:3-4) must perform the duty of the lowest slave (cp. Matthew 3:11). The R.V. renders, Upon Edom will I cast my shoe. This would mean, ‘I will take possession of Edom,’ in allusion to an oriental custom of taking possession of land by casting the shoe upon it; but the first explanation agrees best with the context. over Philistia will I triumph] Or, will I shout in triumph. This reading gives a good and simple sense, and may possibly be the original reading. For the various explanations of the difficult text in Psalms 60:8, shout thou because of me, see note there. The LXX has the same rendering in both places, ἐμοὶ (οἰ) ἀλλόφυλοιὑπετάγησαν, ‘unto me the aliens are subjected.’

Psalms 108:10

10. into the strong city] Into the fortified city, a different word from that in Psalms 60:9, though with similar meaning. Probably Sela or Petra, the capital of Edom, famous for its inaccessibility (Obadiah 1:3), was meant in the original Psalm. who will lead me into Edom?] The verb is in the perfect tense, and the R.V. renders, Who hath led me into Edom? But such a reference to some previous successful invasion does not suit the context. The Ancient Versions all render by the future, and the perfect is sometimes used in questions in Hebrew to express difficulty or hopelessness. ‘Who,’ it implies, ‘could lead me right into (the preposition is emphatic) Edom? The obstacles are apparently insuperable.’ See Driver, Tenses, § 19.

Psalms 108:11

11. The emphatic Thou of Psa 60:10 is omitted here. Two renderings are possible, that of the A.V., which is that of the LXX and Jer., and that of the R.V., which is substantially that of the Syr. and Targ.; Hast not thou cast us off, O God? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts. The first suits the context better as the answer to Psalms 108:10 in a tone of confidence which corresponds to that of Psa 108:13. Though God has for the moment deserted us, He will now give us help, for we trust in Him alone. The second rendering introduces a note of despair, which does not seem to harmonise with the confidence of Psa 108:13. With it the connexion of thought would be, Who can lead us into the enemy’s stronghold? None but God, and God has deserted us. Yet even now perhaps He will hear our prayer. With the second line cp. Psalms 44:9.

Psalms 108:12

12. from trouble] Or, as R.V., against the adversary. Cp. Psalms 108:13. for vain is the help of man] Lit. salvation. Cp. Psalms 108:6. 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; 1 Samuel 14:6; 2 Chronicles 14:11; 1Ma 3:16 ff.

Psalms 108:13

13. 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 108:11.