The Meaning of Psalms 60:1 Explained

Psalms 60:1

KJV: {To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.} O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

YLT: To the Overseer. -- 'Concerning the Lily of Testimony,' a secret treasure of David, to teach, in his striving with Aram-Naharaim, and with Aram-Zobah, and Joab turneth back and smiteth Edom in the valley of Salt -- twelve thousand. O God, Thou hadst cast us off, Thou hadst broken us -- hadst been angry! -- Thou dost turn back to us.

Darby: {To the chief Musician. On Shushan. Testimony. Michtam of David; to teach: when he strove with the Syrians of Mesopotamia, and the Syrians of Zobah, and Joab returned, and smote the Edomites in the valley of salt, twelve thousand.} O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased: restore us again.

ASV: O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast broken us down; Thou hast been angry; oh restore us again.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{To the chief Musician  upon Shushaneduth,  Michtam  of David,  to teach;  when he strove  with Aramnaharaim  and with Aramzobah,  when Joab  returned,  and smote  of Edom  in the valley  of salt  twelve  thousand.  }} O God,  thou hast cast us off,  thou hast scattered  us, thou hast been displeased;  O turn thyself to us again. 

What does Psalms 60:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Michtam
Michtam, a prayer.

Context Summary

Psalms 60:1-12 - Prayer For Help Against Foes
This was a national psalm to be taught the people. See title; also Deuteronomy 31:19. A strong coalition had been formed against David at that time. See 2 Samuel 10:6; 2 Samuel 10:8; 2 Samuel 10:17; 2 Samuel 10:19; 1 Chronicles 18:12-15. Israel was threatened with disaster. It was as if an earthquake had rent the soil. But the king-psalmist argued that God had given His people a mission in the world, which could not be forfeited. First, Israel carried a banner for the truth, Psalms 60:4. In addition, God had "spoken in His holiness" and had promised that the seed of Abraham should possess Canaan. Standing on a hill-summit, the psalmist sees the Land of Promise outspread before him. Shechem and Succoth, Psalms 60:6, one west, the other east, of the Jordan, indicate the breadth of the land. All had been given over to Israel by covenant, and therefore the surrounding peoples must become subject.
As yet the strong city of Petra, rock-girded, Psalms 60:9, had laughed David to scorn; but he had confidence that God would lead him within its mighty walls, to tread down his adversaries, Numbers 24:18. Man could not, but God could. The question is never, Can God? but always, Can we trust and follow Him? [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 60

1  David, complaining to God of former judgment
4  now upon better hope, prays for deliverance
6  Comforting himself in God's promises, he craves that help whereon he trusts

What do the individual words in Psalms 60:1 mean?

To the Chief Musician Set to Lily of the Testimony a Michtam of David for teaching when he fought against for - Mesopotamia and Syrian Zoba and returned Joab and killed - Edom in the Valley of Salt of salt two [and] ten thousand God You have cast us off You have broken us down You have been displeased Oh restore again us
לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַל־ שׁוּשַׁ֣ן עֵד֑וּת מִכְתָּ֖ם לְדָוִ֣ד לְלַמֵּֽד בְּהַצּוֹת֨וֹ ׀ אֶ֥ת אֲרַ֣ם נַהֲרַיִם֮ וְאֶת־ צ֫וֹבָ֥ה וַיָּ֤שָׁב יוֹאָ֗ב וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־ אֱד֣וֹם בְּגֵיא־ מֶ֑לַח שְׁנֵ֖ים עָשָׂ֣ר אָֽלֶף אֱ֭לֹהִים זְנַחְתָּ֣נוּ פְרַצְתָּ֑נוּ אָ֝נַ֗פְתָּ תְּשׁ֣וֹבֵ֥ב לָֽנוּ

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ  To  the  Chief  Musician 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
עַל־  Set  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שׁוּשַׁ֣ן  Lily 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
עֵד֑וּת  of  the  Testimony 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שׁוּשַׁן 
Sense: instruction in the title of Psalm 60 and Psalm 80.
מִכְתָּ֖ם  a  Michtam 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִכְתָּם  
Sense: michtam.
לְדָוִ֣ד  of  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְלַמֵּֽד  for  teaching 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.
בְּהַצּוֹת֨וֹ ׀  when  he  fought  against 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נָצָה 
Sense: (Qal) to fly.
אֲרַ֣ם  - 
Parse:
נַהֲרַיִם֮  Mesopotamia 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם 
Sense: Mesopotamia.
צ֫וֹבָ֥ה  Syrian  Zoba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרַם צֹובָה  
Sense: probably the land northeast of Damascus.
וַיָּ֤שָׁב  and  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יוֹאָ֗ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
וַיַּ֣ךְ  and  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱד֣וֹם  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
בְּגֵיא־  in  the  Valley  of  Salt 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
מֶ֑לַח  of  salt 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלַח  
Sense: salt.
שְׁנֵ֖ים  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂ֣ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
אָֽלֶף  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אֱ֭לֹהִים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
זְנַחְתָּ֣נוּ  You  have  cast  us  off 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: זָנַח 
Sense: to cast off, reject, spurn.
פְרַצְתָּ֑נוּ  You  have  broken  us  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: פָּרַץ  
Sense: to break through or down or over, burst, breach.
אָ֝נַ֗פְתָּ  You  have  been  displeased 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָנַף  
Sense: to be angry, to be displeased, to breathe hard.
תְּשׁ֣וֹבֵ֥ב  Oh  restore  again 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לָֽנוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural