Psalm 60 10

Psalm 60:10 kjv

Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

Psalm 60:10 nkjv

Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?

Psalm 60:10 niv

Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

Psalm 60:10 esv

Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.

Psalm 60:10 nlt

Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?

Psalm 60 verses

Psalm 60 10 Meaning

Psalm 60:10 is a poignant lament and rhetorical question, born from a position of defeat and distress. The psalmist directly appeals to God, expressing deep anguish and doubt over God's apparent absence and rejection in the nation's military endeavors. It questions if God has truly abandoned His people and if He is unwilling to lead their armies into battle, which historically led to certain defeat for Israel. It conveys the despair of a people who feel that their divine Protector has withdrawn His saving power.

Psalm 60 10 Context

Psalm 60 opens as a "Miktam of David," specified to be "For instruction. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand." This title indicates a historical backdrop of intense warfare involving significant defeats and subsequent victories for Israel under David's command. The psalm itself vividly portrays the nation's distress and brokenness after a perceived divine rejection (vv. 1-3), describing it as an "earthquake" and a "staggering drink." It pleads for restoration and aid (vv. 4-5). Surprisingly, a divine oracle of promise for victory and dominion over surrounding nations (Moab, Edom, Philistia) follows in verses 6-8. However, despite these promises, verse 10, like verse 9, returns to a cry of lament and questioning, reflecting a lingering doubt and the reality of the initial setback. It expresses the people's feeling that God had seemingly abandoned them in the very battles He promised them victory over. This tension between initial defeat, divine promise, and persistent lament highlights the psalmist's honest wrestling with faith amidst difficult circumstances before ultimately reaffirming trust in God's help in verse 12.

Psalm 60 10 Word analysis

• "Hast not Thou": This is an emphatic rhetorical question (Hălo' ’Attah). It doesn't genuinely seek information but rather expresses intense distress, confusion, and a deep, pained plea. It functions as an accusation mixed with a desperate petition, implying, "Surely, you haven't really done this, have you?"
• "O God" (’Elohim): The divine name used here emphasizes God's majesty, power, and role as the Creator and covenant God. The direct address highlights the psalmist's fervent plea and direct reliance on the sovereign Lord.
• "cast us off" (zanachtanu): From the Hebrew root zanach (זָנַח). This verb means "to cast away, reject, abandon, forsake, despise, utterly throw down." It signifies a deliberate and total act of rejection. In this context, it expresses the profound sense of divine desertion experienced by Israel in their military failures, as if God had definitively turned His back on them.
• "And goest not forth" (wĕlō-tēṣēʾ): From the Hebrew root yatsa (יָצָא), meaning "to go out, come forth." In military contexts, it denotes leading an army into battle. The negative form, "goest not forth," describes God's perceived absence and unwillingness to participate actively as a leader and warrior with Israel's troops.
• "O God" (’Elohim): Repeated for emphasis, reiterating the direct appeal to the powerful, covenantal God. It reinforces the rhetorical question's direct target.
• "with our armies" (‘im-ṣḇōʾotênu): The Hebrew word tsava' (צָבָא) refers to an army or host. "Our armies" specifies the direct sphere of God's perceived absence: the military forces of Israel. The desire is not merely for God's passive blessing but for His active, fighting presence and leadership among their troops, which was seen as the only guarantee of victory.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Hast not Thou, O God, cast us off?": This phrase captures the profound spiritual and existential crisis of a people who believed themselves to be in covenant with God, yet experienced devastating defeat. It’s a bold challenge to God's faithfulness from the depths of despair, questioning why their divine Protector has seemingly rejected them entirely, implying that such a state of affairs could only result from God's complete abandonment.
• "And goest not forth, O God, with our armies?": This clause parallels the first, specifying the mode of abandonment. It laments the critical lack of God's active, frontline presence in battle. For Israel, God "going forth" with their armies was essential for victory, a clear sign of His favor and intervention. His perceived absence meant certain defeat and was equated with being "cast off." The repetition of "O God" underscores the psalmist’s desperate direct address and theological struggle.

Psalm 60 10 Bonus section

This verse illustrates a crucial aspect of biblical lament: that true faith allows for honest and even challenging questions directed towards God, without severing the relationship. The psalmist does not abandon God but brings the deepest theological dilemmas—like the experience of abandonment despite covenant—directly before Him. It reveals that the perception of God "casting off" His people is not necessarily God's ultimate decision, but rather the human experience during a period of discipline, testing, or a hiding of His face. Historically, Israel understood that victory in battle was predicated upon God's presence, not merely their military prowess (as seen in passages like Josh 1:9 or Deut 20:4). Therefore, when defeat occurred, the immediate and most logical conclusion for them was that God must have withdrawn or even actively opposed them, hence the desperate plea for Him to "go forth" once more. The psalmist's plea here is foundational to understanding the resilient nature of Israel's covenant faith—they turn to God even when they feel His hand is against them.

Psalm 60 10 Commentary

Psalm 60:10 reflects a critical juncture in the psalm, occurring after an initial lament and even following a divine oracle of promise. The verse gives voice to the raw human experience of continuing distress and doubt, even after a word from God. The rhetorical questions reveal a deep, aching desire for God’s intervention, born from a reality that felt like divine rejection and absence in battle. It is a profound expression of disorientation when perceived experience contradicts historical expectation and even current promise. The psalmist questions not God's power, but His presence and disposition towards His covenant people. It highlights the biblical tension where suffering can feel like God has "cast off" His people, yet they persist in prayer, reminding God of their covenant relationship. This prayer reveals an authentic struggle to reconcile divine promise with painful reality, pleading for God to once again actively lead them to victory.