108 A Song. A Psalm of David.
108:1 My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!1
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me!
7 God has promised in his holiness:2
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
12 Oh grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
13 With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
Section Overview
It would appear that David composed this community lament using material from two other psalms, with small variations: verses 1–5 are from Psalm 57:7–11 (an individual lament), and verses 6–13 are from Psalm 60:5–12 (a community lament). The result has its own flow of thought: amid a dangerous situation the members of the singing congregation express their confident hope of thanking God “among the peoples” (108:3), including those who are the present threat. This confidence is based on God’s own oracles about the land (vv. 7–9), not on how things look from a purely human perspective (vv. 10–13).671
Psalms 108–110 are all attributed to David (as are Psalms 122; 124; 131; 133; 138–145). It is unclear why this group of Davidic psalms was placed here; perhaps the terms “give thanks” and “the peoples” (108:3) establish a link with Psalms 105–107 (cf. 105:1; 106:1, 47; 107:1–3; cf. also 109:30).
The psalm’s movement comes through the changes in direction. The first section stresses the intentions for public worship (108:1–4), while the second is a prayer for God to be glorified (vv. 5–6). The third recounts God’s declaration of ownership over the nations (vv. 7–9), and the fourth finishes with prayer (vv. 10–13).
Section Outline
I. Confidently Expecting to Give Thanks (108:1–4)
II. Prayer for God to Be Exalted (108:5–6)
III. God Has Spoken: “These Lands Are Mine!” (108:7–9)
IV. Grant Us Help, for Vain Is the Salvation of Man! (108:10–13)
Response
Psalm 108 enables the Israelite faithful to pray for success against their foes—in this case, against Gentile powers’ resisting their rule—in a way that reflects the original creation plan, with the whole earth as a sanctuary in which the Lord’s “glory” is made known to all the nations by way of Israel. Theoretically, this would put a brake on mere exploitative land-grabbing on the part of Israel’s and Judah’s kings in favor of something more benevolent.
After the exile, Judah was primarily in a more defensive position, surrounded by larger and more powerful empires. Nevertheless, this psalm should serve as a vehicle of prayer for protection and as a reinforcement of the Judeans’ sense of purpose in the world.
Christians have benefited from God’s preservation of Israel, so this forms part of their story. Further, they seek to spread the kingship of Jesus through the world, not with conquest but with their faithful witness; they also face resistance and persecution. So in their prayers they need the reminders that God has declared his ownership over all nations and is the one with whom they will do valiantly.Psalm 108
Psalm 109