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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 60

Psalm 60 is read especially through the theme of thanksgiving, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Thanksgiving
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 60

1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A teaching poem by David, when he fought with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah, and Joab returned, and killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again.

2You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes.

3You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger.

4You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

5So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

6God has spoken from his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.

7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter.

8Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my sandal on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia.”

9Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom?

10Haven’t you, God, rejected us? You don’t go out with our armies, God.

11Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain.

12Through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 60

Psalm 60 is read especially through the theme of thanksgiving, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book II (Psalms 42–72). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Thanksgiving. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 60

Psalm 60 contains 12 verses and about 235 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A teaching poem by David, when he fought with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah, and Joab returned…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 12 closes: “Through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, edom, aram, valley, rejected, down. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 60

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 60:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes thanksgiving, with related themes of Thanksgiving. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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