Psalm 108

¹⁰ Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?

¹¹ Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
¹² Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.

¹³ Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

[This psalm] represents in fact a combination of the parts of two previous psalms—verses 1-5, corresponding to Psalm 57:7-11, and verses 6-13, corresponding to Psalm 60:5-12. — Wechsler, page 257.

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David begins by underscoring the depth from which his praises are brought forth to God—i.e., from his soul (lit., “glory,” which is employed as a poetic euphemism for the soul as that part of man that was derived not from the ground, but from the breath of God Himself (Genesis 2:7)—hence also underscoring the depth (or “height,” per the imagery of v.4) of God’s lovingkindness form which David praises Him. — Wechsler, page 258.

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This worship … will be fulfilled when Messiah returns to sin upon David’s throne. … The night is over; sorrow, oppression, persecution, affliction are all forgotten. That terrible period, rightly called night, is now passed. The remnant of saints will be awakened by singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to Him who loved them and gave Himself for them. This praise and worship will be heard by all the nations of the earth. His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Since this Psalm is in the midst of a cluster of prophetic Psalms, it is easy to see that the speaker in this section was inspired to impersonate the Faithful Remnant of Israel, whom the Messiah will bring back tot he land of Abraham, to be loved and admired, not only during the Kingdom Age, but throughout eternity (Jeremiah 30:3; Isaiah 27:6).

Shechem, the valley of Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, Judah, Edom and Philistia, all belong to Israel for ever, because God gave it to her. The deed is recorded in Genesis 15:18. … The deed has never been revoked, but stands. Psalm 108 is a prophecy that God Himself will give it back to the Faithful Remnant … Phillips, pages 266-267.

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David here (vs.6-9) affirms God’s promises regarding the land—i.e., that He has given it to Israel and that they will dwell in it in peace and flourish therein—by focusing on those places and peoples within it that have served as historical focal points of opposition to the fulfillment of these promises. Hence he mentions ( in v.8) Israel’s most prominent tribal-ethnic enemies in the land: Moab (to the east), Edom (to the southeast), and Philistia (to the south and southwest)—all of which have since been judged and removed by God from the face of history. (The “Palestinians” of today, despite the oft-touted claims of their religious and political authorities, bear no connection whatsoever—except that of a similar ethos of opposition to Israel—to the “Philistines” of the Old Testament.) In vs 7-8 he mentions those places epitomizing opposition to Israel’s presence in the land not before David’s time, but also in the time after David—specifically, after Israel’s return from Babylonian exile and especially in the present day. i.e., Shechem (on Mount Ephraim; the political center of the Northern Kingdom of Israel [1 Kings 12:1, 25] and, today, the area around Nablus in the West Bank), the valley of Succoth (a city east of the Jordan River alloted to the tribe of Gad (Joshua 13:27) and in present-day Jordan), Gilead, Manasseh, and Ephraim (all three of which collectively encompass those areas of the Promised Land currently part of the West Bank and western Jordan). These references culminate with the mention of Judah, whose capital (i.e., Jerusalem) has always served as a political nexus of opposition to Israel (as it still does in the ongoing controversy over “East Jerusalem,” and as it will until the end cf. Zechariah 12:3)—the resolution of which opposition is concisely affirmed by the qualification of Judah as God’s “scepter,” referring to His promise in Genesis 49:10 to raise up a Jewish king from the tribe of Judah who will bring peace to His people and receive the obedience of all other nations on earth. — Wechsler, page 258.

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The dominant note in this song is sounded in the words, “God hath spoken” (v.7). Upon this assured foundation Messiah builds all His confident expectations in regard to His future Kingdom in Israel and His dominion over the Nations (vs.7-9). His expectation is based upon the holiness of the Word of God; for such being its moral character and value, its engagements and promises are absolutely sure of fulfillment. By the union of these two Psalms 57 and 60 from Book 2, the fundamental truth is repeated the emphasised that all blessing for Israel, for the Nations and for the Earth is based upon Messiah as the Word of God. — Williams, page 383

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David concludes—in characteristic fashion (cf. 1 Samuel 17:45-47; Psalm 20:7; 124:8)—by affirming his and (what should be) his people’s utter dependence of God for military victory, for whereas deliverance by man in in vain, through God they shall do valiantly. — Wechsler, page 259.