Psalms 60:3
PSALM 60
Psa 60:1-12. Shushan-eduth--Lily of testimony. The lily is an emblem of beauty (see on Psa 45:1, title). As a description of the Psalm, those terms combined may denote a beautiful poem, witnessing--that is, for God's faithfulness as evinced in the victories referred to in the history cited. Aram-naharaim--Syria of the two rivers, or Mesopotamia beyond the river (Euphrates) (2Sa 10:16). Aram-zobah--Syria of Zobah (2Sa 10:6), to whose king the king of the former was tributary. The war with Edom, by Joab and Abishai (2Ch 18:12, 25), occurred about the same time. Probably, while doubts and fears alternately prevailed respecting the issue of these wars, the writer composed this Psalm, in which he depicts, in the language of God's people, their sorrows under former disasters, offers prayer in present straits, and rejoices in confident hope of triumph by God's aid.
1-3. allude to disasters. cast ... off--in scorn (Psa 43:2; 44:9). scattered--broken our strength (compare 2Sa 5:20). Oh, turn thyself--or, "restore to us" (prosperity). The figures of physical, denote great civil, commotions (Psa 46:2, 3). Isaiah 51:17
17. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, &c.--(Is 52:1). drunk--Jehovah's wrath is compared to an intoxicating draught because it confounds the sufferer under it, and makes him fall (Job 21:20; Psa 60:3; 75:8; Jr 25:15, 16; 49:12; Zec 12:2; Re 14:10); ("poured out without mixture"; rather, "the pure wine juice mixed with intoxicating drugs"). of trembling--which produced trembling or intoxication. wrung ... out--drained the last drop out; the dregs were the sediments from various substances, as honey, dates, and drugs, put into the wine to increase the strength and sweetness. Isaiah 51:22
22. pleadeth ... cause--(Psa 35:1; Jr 50:34; Mi 7:9). no more drink it--(Is 54:7-9). This cannot apply to Israel after the return from Babylon, but only to them after their final restoration. Jeremiah 13:12-13
12. A new image. Do we not ... know ... wine--The "bottles" are those used in the East, made of skins; our word "hogshead," originally "oxhide," alludes to the same custom. As they were used to hold water, milk, and other liquids, what the prophet said (namely, that they should be all filled with wine) was not, as the Jews' taunting reply implied, a truism even literally. The figurative sense which is what Jeremiah chiefly meant, they affected not to understand. As wine intoxicates, so God's wrath and judgments shall reduce them to that state of helpless distraction that they shall rush on to their own ruin (Jr 25:15; 49:12; Is 51:17, 21, 22; 63:6). 13. upon David's throne--literally, who sit for David on his throne; implying the succession of the Davidic family (Jr 22:4). all--indiscriminately of every rank. Jeremiah 25:15-33
15. wine cup--Compare Jr 13:12, 13, as to this image, to express stupefying judgments; also Jr 49:12; 51:7. Jeremiah often embodies the imagery of Isaiah in his prophecies (La 4:21; Is 51:17-22; Re 16:19; 18:6). The wine cup was not literally given by Jeremiah to the representatives of the different nations; but only in symbolical vision. 16. be moved--reel (Na 3:11). 18. Jerusalem--put first: for "judgment begins at the house of God"; they being most guilty whose religious privileges are greatest (1Pe 4:17). kings--Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah. as it is this day--The accomplishment of the curse had already begun under Jehoiakim. This clause, however, may have been inserted by Jeremiah at his final revision of his prophecies in Egypt. 19. Pharaoh--put next after Jerusalem, because the Jews had relied most on him, and Egypt and Judea stood on a common footing (Jr 46:2, 25). 20. mingled people--mercenary foreign troops serving under Pharaoh-hophra in the time of Jeremiah. The employment of these foreigners provoked the native Egyptians to overthrow him. Psammetichus, father of Pharaoh-necho, also had given a settlement in Egypt to Ionian and Carian adventurers [Herodotus, 2.152, 154]. (Compare Jr 50:37; see on Is 19:2, 3; Is 20:1; Eze 30:5. The term is first found in Ex 12:38. Uz--in the geographical order here, between Egypt and the states along the Mediterranean; therefore not the "Uz" of Job 1:1 (north of Arabia-Deserta), but the northern part of Arabia-Petræa, between the sea and Idumea (La 4:21; see Ge 36:20, 28). remnant of Ashdod--called a "remnant," because Ashdod had lost most of its inhabitants in the twenty-nine years siege by Psammetichus. Compare also see on Is 20:1. Gath is not mentioned because it was overthrown in the same war. 21. Edom ... Moab ... Ammon--joined together, as being related to Israel (see Jr 48:1-49:39). 22. all the kings of Tyrus--the petty kings of the various dependencies of Tyre. isles--a term including all maritime regions (Psa 72:10). 23. Dedan--north of Arabia (Ge 25:3, 4). Tema ... Buz--neighboring tribes north of Arabia (Job 32:2). all ... in ... utmost corners--rather, "having the hair cut in angles," a heathenish custom (see on Jr 9:26). 24. mingled people--not in the same sense as in Jr 25:20; the "motley crowd," so called in contempt (compare Jr 49:28, 31; 50:37). By a different pointing it may be translated the "Arabs"; but the repetition of the name is not likely. Blaney thinks there were two divisions of what we call Arabia, the west (Araba) and the east. The west included Arabia-Petræa and the parts on the sea bordering on Egypt, the land of Cush; the east, Arabia-Felix and Deserta. The latter are "the mixed race" inhabiting the desert. 25. Zimri--perhaps the Zabra mentioned by Ptolemy between Mecca and Medina. Zimran also, as Dedan, was one of Abraham's sons by Keturah (Ge 25:2). Elam--properly, west of Persia; but used for Persia in general. 26. Sheshach--Babylon; as the parallelism in Jr 51:41 proves. In the Cabalistic system (called Athbash, the first Hebrew letter in the alphabet being expressed by the last) Sheshach would exactly answer to Babel. Jeremiah may have used this system (as perhaps in Jr 51:41) for concealment at the time of this prediction, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, while Nebuchadnezzar was before Jerusalem. In Jr 51:41 there can be no concealment, as Babylon is expressly mentioned. Michaelis more simply explains the term "brazen-gated" (compare Is 45:2); others, "the house of a prince." Rather, it comes from the Babylonian goddess, Shach, by reduplication of the first letter; from her Misael was named Meshach by the Babylonians. The term Shace was applied to a festival at Babylon, alluded to in Jr 51:39, 57; Is 21:5. It was during this feast that Cyrus took Babylon [Herodotus, 1]. Thus Jeremiah mystically denotes the time of its capture by this term [Glassius]. 27. rise no more--The heathen nations in question should fall to rise no more. The Jews should fall but for a time, and then rise again. Therefore, the epithet is given, "the God of Israel." 28. if they refuse to take the cup--No effort of theirs to escape destruction will avail. 29. If I spared not Mine elect people on account of sin, much less will I spare you (Eze 9:6; Ob 16; Lu 23:31; 1Pe 4:17). be unpunished--"be treated as innocent." 30. roar--image from a destructive lion (Is 42:13; Joe 3:16). upon his habitation--rather, "His pasturage"; keeping up the image of a lion roaring against the flock in the pasture. The roar was first to go forth over Judea wherein were "the sheep of His pasture" (Psa 100:3), and thence into heathen lands. shout ... tread ... grapes--(Jr 48:33; Is 16:9, 10). 31. controversy--cause at issue (Mi 6:2). plead with all flesh--(Is 66:16). God shows the whole world that He does what is altogether just in punishing. 32. from the coasts--rather, "from the uttermost regions." Like a storm which arises in one region and then diffuses itself far and wide, so God's judgments shall pass "from nation to nation," till all has been fulfilled; no distance shall prevent the fulfilment. not be lamented--(Jr 16:4, 6). neither gathered--to their fathers, in their ancestral tombs (Jr 8:2). dung--(Psa 83:10). Jeremiah 49:12
12. (Compare Jr 25:15, 16, 29). they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup--the Jews to whom, by virtue of the covenant relation, it did not belong to drink the cup. It might have been expected that they would be spared. He regards not the merits of the Jews, for they were as bad or worse than others: but the grace and adoption of God; it is just and natural ("judgment") that God should pardon His sons sooner than aliens [Calvin]. Jeremiah 51:7
7. Babylon is compared to a cup, because she was the vessel in the hand of God, to make drunken with His vengeance the other peoples (Jr 13:12; 25:15, 16). Compare as to spiritual Babylon, Re 14:8; 17:4. The cup is termed "golden," to express the splendor and opulence of Babylon; whence also in the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar (Da 2:38) the head representing Babylon is of gold (compare Is 14:4). Lamentations 4:21-22
21. Rejoice--at our calamities (Psa 137:7). This is a prophecy that Edom should exult over the fall of Jerusalem. At the same time it is implied, Edom's joy shall be short-lived. Ironically she is told, Rejoice while thou mayest (Ec 11:9). cup--for this image of the confounding effects of God's wrath, see Jr 13:12; 25:15, 16, 21; as to Edom, Jr 49:7-22. Tau. 22. (Is 40:2). Thou hast been punished enough: the end of thy punishment is at hand. no more carry thee ... into captivity--that is, by the Chaldeans. The Romans carried them away subsequently. The full accomplishment of this prophecy must therefore refer to the Jews' final restoration. discover--By the severity of His punishments on thee, God shall let men see how great was thy sin (Jr 49:10). God "covers" sin when He forgives it (Psa 32:1, 5). He "discovers," or "reveals," it, when He punishes it (Job 20:27). Jr 49:10 shows that Margin is wrong, "carry captive" (this rendering is as in Na 2:7; compare "discovered," Margin).
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