Psalm 60 5

Psalm 60:5

ESV: That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!

KJV: That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

NIV: Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

NKJV: That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me.

NLT: Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.

Meaning

Psalm 60:5 is a fervent prayer to God, urgently pleading for the deliverance and salvation of His people, identified as His "beloved ones." It expresses a profound trust that God's power, symbolized by His "right hand," is the sole source of rescue from distress. The petition culminates in a request for God to actively "answer" the cry, signifying an expectation of His swift and direct intervention.

Cross References

Context

Psalm 60 is a communal lament, born out of a profound national crisis. The superscription links it to David's campaign against Aram-naharaim, Aram-zobah, and Edom, specifically after a significant military setback where Joab struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. This psalm reflects the initial despair of defeat ("You have rejected us, O God... You have made us stumble," vv. 1-3) coupled with a defiant hope in God's covenant promises (v. 6-8). Verse 5, situated amidst this prayer, marks a pivotal moment of direct appeal, shifting from expressing grief and recounting distress to earnestly seeking God's intervention. It foregrounds God's intimate relationship with Israel, referring to them as His "beloved ones," a term emphasizing God's covenant loyalty despite their current suffering. This reliance on God's covenant love and omnipotence, specifically His "right hand," is a subtle yet potent polemic against trusting in human might or the strength of pagan deities, implicitly affirming YHWH as the exclusive source of national salvation in a time of severe trial.

Word analysis

• That Your beloved ones (לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ – lĕmaʿan yēḥāləṣûn yəḏîḏeyḵā):

  • Your beloved ones (yəḏîḏeyḵā from yadid): The root means "beloved," "dear one," "friend." It highlights an intimate, cherished relationship. In the Old Testament, Israel is often called God's beloved or chosen (e.g., Dt 33:12; Ps 127:2). This term underscores the basis of the prayer – not simply a plea from the distressed, but a rightful appeal from those for whom God has a special affection and covenant bond. It reminds God of His own prior commitment and love.
  • may be delivered (yēḥāləṣûn from ḥālatz): This verb means "to be drawn out," "pulled out," "set free," "rescued from a snare or difficulty." It conveys the idea of being extricated from a perilous situation, emphasizing the need for active rescue from imminent danger, suggesting they are trapped or ensnared by their circumstances.

• save (הוֹשִׁיעָה – hôshîʿāh from yashaʿ): An imperative verb, directly commanding God to act. Yashaʿ is the most common Hebrew word for "to save" or "to deliver." It encompasses military victory, spiritual redemption, and rescue from distress. Its use here is a direct, urgent petition for divine intervention, calling upon God as the ultimate Savior.

• with Your right hand (בִּימִינְךָ – bîmînəkā from yamin): The "right hand" is a consistent biblical symbol of strength, power, authority, decisive action, and victory (Ex 15:6; Ps 20:6). God's right hand represents His omnipotence at work, executing His will. This phrase excludes any reliance on human strength, military might, or any other source of help, placing total dependence on God's sovereign and effective power for salvation.

• and answer us (וַעֲנֵנוּ – waʿanēnu from ʿanah): An imperative verb, "answer," "respond," "attend to." This is not merely a request for deliverance but for God's personal and audible response. It highlights the psalmist's desire for a palpable manifestation of God's attentiveness to their cries, reinforcing the idea of a personal God who interacts with His people and affirms their prayer by acting on their behalf.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "That Your beloved ones may be delivered, save with Your right hand": This sequence grounds the request for salvation in God's established love for His people, emphasizing that the means of that salvation is entirely divine and powerful. It connects divine affection with divine action.
  • "save with Your right hand and answer us": This phrase pairs the means of salvation (God's power) with the desired result for the supplicants (God's responsive presence). It signifies a complete reliance on God's capacity to act and His willingness to engage directly with their plea.

Commentary

Psalm 60:5 is a profound cry of faith woven into a lament. Despite national defeat and feeling forsaken, the psalmist anchors their plea for salvation in God's enduring love for His chosen people, identifying them as His "beloved ones." This deep covenant affection forms the premise of their bold request. The call for God to "save" them highlights the desperate need for divine intervention, specifying "with Your right hand" as the sole and supreme means. This detail is crucial; it excludes human ability and invokes God's incomparable power, celebrated throughout Scripture as decisive in delivering His people. Finally, the earnest appeal to "answer us" reveals a desire not just for outcome but for communion—for God to demonstrate His attentiveness and respond actively to their petition, affirming His personal engagement with their suffering. It serves as a timeless model for prayer in distress, reminding believers to plead on the basis of God's character and omnipotence. For instance, in times of personal or corporate crisis, Christians can echo this prayer, trusting in God's faithful love and mighty power to deliver them according to His divine will and perfect timing.

Bonus section

The juxtaposition of human distress with divine power in Psalm 60:5 mirrors a core theological theme found across the Old Testament, where God consistently acts to deliver His people out of seemingly impossible situations (e.g., the Exodus from Egypt by God's "strong hand and outstretched arm"). This verse implicitly asserts God's sovereignty over history and battle, directly countering the ancient world's belief in the supremacy of national deities whose power was often tied to military success. By calling upon YHWH's "right hand," the psalmist invokes His covenant might that had demonstrably rescued Israel throughout their history, thereby anticipating a reversal of fortunes based purely on divine fidelity and omnipotence rather than any inherent strength of Israel itself.

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