Psalms
Chapter 108
This psalm joins praise and prayer. It opens with a promise to sing to God at dawn and to praise him among the nations, because God's love is higher than the sky. Then it turns to God's own words claiming land and peoples as his own, and ends with a plea for help in battle, saying human help is worthless and only God can bring victory. Much of it repeats lines found in Psalm 57 and Psalm 60.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
1God, my heart is steady and sure. I will sing and make music with all that I am.
"Even with my glory" in the King James Version means with his whole self, his very best.
2Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
2Wake up, harp and lyre! I myself will wake up the dawn.
The psaltery and harp are stringed instruments. "I myself will awake early" means he will be up singing before the sun rises.
3I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
3LORD, I will thank you out loud in front of the peoples. I will sing your praises among the nations.
4For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
4Your faithful love is higher than the sky. Your truth reaches up to the clouds.
5Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
5God, be lifted high, higher than the sky. Let your glory cover the whole earth.
6That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
6Answer me and save us with your strong right hand, so the people you love are rescued.
7God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7God has spoken from his holy place: "I will win. I will divide up Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
8Gilead belongs to me. Manasseh belongs to me. Ephraim is the helmet on my head. Judah holds my ruler's staff.
"Judah is my lawgiver" points to a staff or scepter, the stick a ruler carries as a sign of power.
9Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
9Moab is my washbasin. I toss my sandal onto Edom to claim it. I shout in victory over Philistia."
A washbasin held dirty water for washing feet, and throwing a sandal on land was a way of saying "this is mine." Both are pictures of one nation ruling another.
10Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
10Who will bring me into the city with strong walls? Who will lead me into Edom?
11Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
11God, have you not pushed us away? You no longer march out with our armies.
12Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
12Help us against our trouble. Help that comes from people is worth nothing.
13Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
13With God's help we will fight bravely. He is the one who will trample our enemies down.
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