12 verses
A lamenting psalm in which Israel cries for divine deliverance, recounts God’s sovereignty over tribes and enemies, and pledges confidence in divine victory.
Psalm 60 opens with a plea to God, lamenting that He has cast Israel aside and caused the earth to quake. The psalmist cries for healing of the nation's brokenness and asks for the banner of the faithful to be displayed. He calls on God to rescue the beloved and to hear his voice. The psalm then shifts to a prophetic claim of divine ownership over the regions of Gilead, Manasseh, and others, asserting that God will triumph over foes such as Moab, Edom, and Philistia. The psalmist asks who can lead Israel into the strong city and into Edom, lamenting that God has not answered with force. It concludes by affirming that only through God can Israel do valiantly and that He will trample the enemies.
negative
The psalm expresses distress and a plea for help, though it ends on a note of faith in God’s power.