For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; 2 a prayer 3 of David written to instruct others. 4 It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down 5 12,000 Edomites 6 in the Valley of Salt. 7
60:1 O God, you have rejected us. 8
You suddenly turned on us in your anger. 9
Please restore us! 10
1 sn Psalm 60. The psalmist grieves over Israel’s humiliation, but in response to God’s assuring word, he asks for divine help in battle and expresses his confidence in victory.
2 tn The Hebrew expression means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title.
3 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-59, is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
4 tn Heb “to teach.”
5 tn In Josh 8:21 and Judg 20:48 the two verbs “turn back” and “strike down” are also juxtaposed. There they refer to a military counter-attack.
6 tn Heb “12,000 of Edom.” Perhaps one should read אֲרַם (’aram, “Aram”) here rather than אֱדוֹם (’edom, “Edom”).
7 sn The heading apparently refers to the military campaign recorded in 2 Sam 10 and 1 Chr 19.
8 sn You have rejected us. See Pss 43:2; 44:9, 23.
9 tn Heb “you broke out upon us, you were angry.”
10 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.