Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 60:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 60:3. Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment — We reel as drunken men; we are giddy, like those who have drank too much wine; but our giddiness has been occasioned by the astonishment and dismay that have taken place in consequence of the prevalence of our enemies, and the unsettled state of the land. It has been remarked that the three first verses of this Psalm do not agree with the rest, and it also appears that the three first verses of Psalms 85:1-3 do not agree with the rest of that Psalm. But let them change places, and the three first verses of this be set instead of the three first verses of Psalms 85:1-3, and let those be placed here instead of these, and then the whole of each Psalm will be consistent. This was first suggested by Bishop Hare, and the supposition seems to be well founded. Some imagine that the whole of the Psalm refers to the distracted state of the land after the death of Saul till the time that David was anointed king over all Israel, at Hebron; others, to the disastrous war with the Syrians. See before.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 60:0 Psalm Victory over Edom

In the war outlined in 2 Samuel 8:3-14 (and dealt with in more detail in 2 Samuel 10:1-19) David fought on many fronts. The present psalm concerns Israel’s victory in a battle against Edom. Because of the widespread military activity, a number of people and places are named in the accounts in 2 Samuel and in the heading to this psalm. Also three different leaders are named as bringing victory to Israel. The first is David, who was the supreme commander in Israel. The second is Joab, who was the army commander-in-chief. The third is Abishai, who was the leader of the army unit involved in the particular battle that is mentioned here (cf. heading to Psalms 60:0 with 2 Samuel 8:13; 1 Chronicles 18:12; 1 Chronicles 18:12).

While Israel has been fighting to the north and east, Edom and its allies have attacked from the rear (i.e. the south). Israel’s forces have suffered such heavy losses it appears God has deserted them. They have been thrown into confusion, as if hit by an earthquake. They stagger like a person who is drunk (1-3). Since they are God’s people, will he not reverse this disaster and lead them to victory (4-5)? Surely he will, for he has given them his promise. All the enemy-occupied areas, whether west of Jordan or east, will be liberated, for they belong to Israel by God’s appointment. The southern attackers - Moab, Edom and Philistia - will be overthrown and made to serve Israel (6-8).
Why then should God’s people doubt him? He has not forgotten them. He will indeed lead them against the enemy strongholds and give them victory (9-12).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

GOD IS PLEADED WITH

“O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast broken us down; Thou hast been angry; oh restore us again. Thou hast made the land to tremble; thou hast rent it: Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast showed thy people hard things: Thou hast made us to drink the wine of staggering. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, That it may be displayed because of the truth. (Selah That thy beloved may be delivered, Save with thy right hand, and answer us.”

“Thou hast cast us off… broken us down… been angry” “This psalm conveys the sense of national humiliation resulting from a wholly unseen military reverse.”The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 488. Notice also that God’s anger with Israel is also mentioned. This was no doubt due to the sins and rebellions of the Chosen People, the same being characteristic of that nation throughout its history.

“Thou hast made the land to tremble… rent it... it shaketh” Was this a real earthquake, or is the military defeat merely compared to an earthquake? We believe it is probably the latter, but earthquakes were by no means uncommon occurrences in Israel.

“The wine of staggering” This does not mean that God had actually given Israel such a deadly potion, but that God’s providence had allowed it. The metaphor of drugged wine is used in describing the sins of the Great Harlot in Revelation; and here it is a metaphor of the stunning effect of that surprising military defeat. “The nation had been rendered unable to function.”Anthony L. Ash, Jeremiah and Lamentations (Abilene, Texas: A.C.U. Press, 1987), p. 204.

Psalms 60:4 is not easily translated; and one possible meaning is that, “Israel had indeed raised the God-given banner; but it proved to be not so much a rallying point as a signal for dispersion.”The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8-B, p. 15

“That thy beloved may be delivered” This recalls the tremendous fact of God’s loving Israel, thus injecting a strong feeling of encouragement and hope into the passage.

“Save with thy right hand, and answer us” This double cry for God’s help emphasizes the great lesson of the psalm, namely, that no matter how discouraging and difficult any given situation may appear to be, the answer is always, inevitably, and certainly, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.”

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Thou hast showed thy people hard things - Thou hast caused them to see reverses, disappointments, and trials. This refers, according to the supposition in the Introduction to the psalm, to some calamitous events which had occurred. The probability seems to be that the Edomites may have spread desolation over the land.

Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment - The word rendered “astonishment” - תרעלה tar‛êlâh - occurs only here and in Isaiah 51:17, Isaiah 51:22 - in both of which verses in Isaiah it is rendered trembling. It means properly reeling, drunkenness; and the idea here is, that it was as if he had given them a cup - that is, an intoxicating drink - which had caused them to reel as a drunken man; or, in other words, their efforts had been unsuccessful. Compare Psalms 11:6, note; Isaiah 51:17, note.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

3.Thou hast showed thy people hard things He says, first, that the nation had been dealt with severely, and then adds a figure which may additionally represent the grievousness of its calamities, speaking of it as drunk with the wine of stupor or astonishment. Even the Hebraist interpreters are not agreed among themselves as to the meaning of תרעלה, tarelah, which I have rendered astonishment. Several of them translate it poison. But it is evident that the Psalmist alludes to some kind of poisoned drink, which deprives a person of his senses, insinuating that the Jews were stupified by their calamities. ⁽³⁸³⁾ He would place, in short, before their eyes the curse of God, which had pressed upon the government of Saul, and induce them to abandon their obstinate attempts to maintain the interests of a throne which lay under the divine reprobation.

(383) It was customary among the Hebrews to make their wine stronger and more inebriating by the addition of hotter and more powerful ingredients; such as honey, spices, defrutum , (i e. , wine inspissated by boiling it down to two-thirds or one-half of the quantity,) mandrakes, opiates, and other drugs. Such were the stupifying ingredients which the celebrated Helen is represented, in Homer’s Odyssey, as mixing in the bowl, together with the wine, for her guests oppressed with grief, to raise their spirits; and such is probably the wine to which there is here an allusion. The people were stupified by the heavy judgments of God, like a person stupified with wine which had been rendered more intoxicating by the deleterious drugs with which it had been mingled. This highly poetical language is not unfrequently employed to express the divine judgments: as in Isaiah 51:17, and Jeremiah 25:15. The original word תרעלה,tarelah, means properly trembling, from the verb רעל,raal, from which the English word reel is perhaps derived. We might therefore read, “the wine of trembling.”

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 60:1-12

Psalms 60:1-12 :

O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. For thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shakes. You have showed your people hard things: you have made us to drink the wine of astonishment. You have given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. That your beloved may be delivered; save with your right hand, and hear me. God hath spoken in his holiness; and I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me ( Psalms 60:1-8 ).

These verses, actually, here in this particular part are repeated. Verses Psa 60:5-12 are identical to Psalms 108:6-13 ,so we will get these further on again.

Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Will not thou, O God, which hath cast us off? and thou, O God, which did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies ( Psalms 60:9-12 ).

"Give us help, oh God. Vain is the help of man." In another place David said, "It is time for You to work, oh Lord, for vain is the work of man." Oh, that we would learn to just trust in God; call upon Him for our help. Rather than looking to man, look to God. We always are scheming. We're always devising. We are always trying to figure out just one more angle. So many people try to use me in their devices and in their scheming. They have tried every game in the book, every trick. And they finally think, "Well, if I can just get Chuck, you know, they will listen to him." And it is just another one of their... they are not willing to leave it in God's hands completely. They just can't leave it with God. They say, "Oh, I'm just turning my life over to God." And then they are still scheming, still conniving, still trying to work another angle. Why don't we just give up and let God take over completely? It is great day when I just yield to God all the issues of my life. And I trust Him completely. "Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly."

Father, we thank You tonight for Your Word. Let Your Spirit plant it in our hearts. May we grow thereby. In Jesus' name. Amen

May the Lord bless and keep and strengthen and guide your life through this week. Keep looking up; we are getting so close. Keep your eyes on the Middle East; it is coming down. The day of the Lord is at hand. Let us lay aside every weight, the sin which does so easily beset us, and let's run with patience the race that has been set before us, as we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

In the battle with the Arameans, Israel’s enemy overcame her temporarily. David viewed this defeat as punishment from the Lord. He called out in prayer for national restoration. Since God had allowed the defeat, He was the One who could reverse it.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. A cry for deliverance in battle 60:1-5

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 60

The occasion for this national (communal) lament psalm was Israel’s victory over the Arameans and the Edomites (cf. 2 Samuel 8:13; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 1 Chronicles 18:12). Naharaim (lit. rivers) and Zobah were regions in Aram. In this battle, Joab was responsible for defeating 12,000 Edomites (2 Samuel 8:13). Joab’s brother Abishai was the field commander, and the writer of Chronicles gave him the credit for the victory (1 Chronicles 18:12).

This is a didactic psalm according to the superscription. That is, David wrote it to teach the readers to trust in the Lord when they encountered similar difficulties.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Thou hast showed thy people hard things,.... As to have their city and temple burial, multitudes of them slain, and the rest carried captive, and put into the hands of cruel lords and hard masters, and made a proverb, a taunt, and a curse, in all places; and all this done to a people that were the Lord's by profession, who called themselves so, though now a "loammi", Hosea 1:9; and these were hard things to flesh and blood, yet no other than what they deserved;

thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment; or "of trembling" n, Isaiah 51:17; that is, to endure such troubles as made them tremble, and astonished and stupefied them; took away their senses, and made them unfit for anything, being smitten with madness, blindness, and astonishment of heart, as is threatened them, Deuteronomy 28:28; see

Romans 11:7.

n תרעלה "tremoris", Musculus, Vatablus, Amama; "trepidationis", Michaelis; "horroris", Gejerus.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician upon Shushan-eduth, Michtam of David, to teach,

when he strove with Aram-naharaim, and with Aramzobah, when

Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt 12,000.

      1 O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.   2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.   3 Thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.   4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.   5 That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

      The title gives us an account, 1. Of the general design of the psalm. It is Michtam--David's jewel, and it is to teach. The Levites must teach it to the people, and by it teach them both to trust in God and to triumph in him; we must, in it, teach ourselves and one another. In a day of public rejoicing we have need to be taught to direct our joy to God and to terminate it in him, to give none of that praise to the instruments of our deliverance which is due to him only, and to encourage our hopes with our joys. 2. Of the particular occasion of it. It was at a time, (1.) When he was at war with the Syrians, and still had a conflict with them, both those of Mesopotamia and those of Zobah. (2.) When he had gained a great victory over the Edomites, by his forces, under the command of Joab, who had left 12,000 of the enemy dead upon the spot. David has an eye to both these concerns in this psalm: he is in care about his strife with the Assyrians, and in reference to that he prays; he is rejoicing in his success against the Edomites, and in reference to that he triumphs with a holy confidence in God that he would complete the victory. We have our cares at the same time that we have our joys, and they may serve for a balance to each other, that neither may exceed. They may likewise furnish us with matter both for prayer and praise, for both must be laid before God with suitable affections and emotions. If one point be gained, yet in another we are still striving: the Edomites are vanquished, but the Syrians are not; therefore let not him that girds on the harness boast as if he had put it off.

      In these verses, which begin the psalm, we have,

      I. A melancholy memorial of the many disgraces and disappointments which God had, for some years past, put the people under. During the reign of Saul, especially in the latter end of it, and during David's struggle with the house of Saul, while he reigned over Judah only, the affairs of the kingdom were much perplexed, and the neighbouring nations were vexatious to them. 1. He complains of hard things which they had seen (that is, which they had suffered), while the Philistines and other ill-disposed neighbours took all advantages against them, Psalms 60:3; Psalms 60:3. God sometimes shows even his own people hard things in this world, that they may not take up their rest in it, but may dwell at ease in him only. 2. He owns God's displeasure to be the cause of all the hardships they had undergone: "Thou hast been displeased by us, displeased against us (Psalms 60:1; Psalms 60:1), and in thy displeasure hast cast us off and scattered us, hast put us out of thy protection, else our enemies could not have prevailed thus against us. They would never have picked us up and made a prey of us if thou hadst not broken the staff of bands (Zechariah 11:14) by which we were united, and so scattered us." Whatever our trouble is, and whoever are the instruments of it, we must own the hand of God, his righteous hand, in it. 3. He laments the ill effects and consequences of the miscarriages of the late years. The whole nation was in a convulsion: Thou hast made the earth (or the land) to tremble,Psalms 60:2; Psalms 60:2. The generality of the people had dreadful apprehensions of the issue of these things. The good people themselves were in a consternation: "Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment (Psalms 60:3; Psalms 60:3); we were like men intoxicated, and at our wits' end, not knowing how to reconcile these dispensations with God's promises and his relation to his people; we are amazed, can do nothing, nor know we what to do." Now this is mentioned here to teach, that is, for the instruction of the people. When God is turning his hand in our favour, it is good to remember our former calamities, (1.) That we may retain the good impressions they made upon us, and may have them revived. Our souls must still have the affliction and the misery in remembrance, that they may be humbled within us,Lamentations 3:19; Lamentations 3:20. (2.) That God's goodness to us, in relieving us and raising us up, may be more magnified; for it is as life from the dead, so strange, so refreshing. Our calamities serve as foils to our joys. (3.) That we may not be secure, but may always rejoice with trembling, as those that know not how soon we may be returned into the furnace again, which we were lately taken out of as the silver is when it is not thoroughly refined.

      II. A thankful notice of the encouragement God had given them to hope that, though things had been long bad, they would now begin to mend (Psalms 60:4; Psalms 60:4): "Thou hast given a banner to those that fear thee (for, as bad as the times are, there is a remnant among us that desire to fear thy name, for whom thou hast a tender concern), that it may be displayed by thee, because of the truth of thy promise which thou wilt perform, and to be displayed by them, in defense of truth and equity," Psalms 45:4. This banner was David's government, the establishment and enlargement of it over all Israel. The pious Israelites, who feared God and had a regard to the divine designation of David to the throne, took his elevation as a token for good, and like the lifting up of a banner to them, 1. It united them, as soldiers are gathered together to their colours. Those that were scattered (Psalms 60:1; Psalms 60:1), divided among themselves, and so weakened and exposed, coalesced in him when he was fixed upon the throne. 2. It animated them, and put life and courage into them, as the soldiers are animated by the sight of their banner. 3. It struck a terror upon their enemies, to whom they could now hang out a flag of defiance. Christ, the Son of David, is given for an ensign of the people (Isaiah 11:10), for a banner to those that fear God; in him, as the centre of their unity, they are gathered together in one; to him they seek, in him they glory and take courage. His love is the banner over them; in his name and strength they wage war with the powers of darkness, and under him the church becomes terrible as an army with banners.

      III. A humble petition for seasonable mercy. 1. That God would be reconciled to them, though he had been displeased with them. In his displeasure their calamities began, and therefore in his favour their prosperity must begin: O turn thyself to us again! (Psalms 60:1; Psalms 60:1) smile upon us, and take part with us; be at peace with us, and in that peace we shall have peace. Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia--A God at peace with us spreads peace over all the scene. 2. That they might be reconciled to one another, though they had been broken and wretchedly divided among themselves: "Heal the breaches of our land (Psalms 60:2; Psalms 60:2), not only the breaches made upon us by our enemies, but the breaches made among ourselves by our unhappy divisions." Those are breaches which the folly and corruption of man makes, and which nothing but the wisdom and grace of God can make up and repair, by pouring out a spirit of love and peace, by which only a shaken shattered kingdom is set to rights and saved from ruin. 3. That thus they might be preserved out of the hands of their enemies (Psalms 60:5; Psalms 60:5): "That thy beloved may be delivered, and not made a prey of, save with thy right hand, with thy own power and by such instruments as thou art pleased to make the men of thy right hand, and hear me." Those that fear God are his beloved; they are dear to him as the apple of his eye. They are often in distress, but they shall be delivered. God's own right hand shall save them; for those that have his heart have his hand. Save them, and hear me. Note, God's praying people may take the general deliverances of the church as answers to their prayers in particular. If we improve what interest we have at the throne of grace for blessings for the public, and those blessings be bestowed, besides the share we have with others in the benefit of them we may each of us say, with peculiar satisfaction, "God has therein heard me, and answered me."