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Psalm 108 · a question people ask

The psalm prays, "Be exalted, God, above the heavens!" (108:5), and God speaks (108:7-9). Then it asks, "Haven’t you rejected us, God?" (108:11). Why?

In the text

The psalm doesn't say. It asks the question, and then it prays: "Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain" (108:12) (tap help), and "Through God, we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our enemies" (108:13). In Psalm 108 this is the one place the psalm speaks of being rejected, and it is a question (tap rejected). Psalm 60, where the line also comes, opens with the same verb as a statement: "God, you have rejected us" (Psalm 60:1). Psalm 108 doesn't have that line. The same Hebrew words for rejected, go out and armies are in Psalm 44:9 too, and the chapter on Psalm 44 sets the verses side by side. Psalm 108 doesn't say whether the praise answers the question or the question tempers the praise. It keeps both, and its last words are "it is he who will tread down our enemies" (108:13).

The verses

“Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.”
Psalm 108:5 · World English Bible
“God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter. Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia.” Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Haven’t you rejected us, God? You don’t go out, God, with our armies. Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain. Through God, we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our enemies.”
Psalm 108:7-13 · World English Bible
“For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A teaching poem by David, when he fought with Aram Naharaim and with Aram Zobah, and Joab returned, and killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again.”
Psalm 60:1 · World English Bible
“But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.”
Psalm 44:9 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 108

Psalm 108: Two psalms, one song

Psalm 108 has the end of Psalm 57 (57:7-11) and most of Psalm 60 (60:5-12) in one psalm, and its own order is the surprise: it opens with a steadfast heart, its praise leads straight into a plea (108:5-6), and it speaks of being rejected only once, as a question (108:11).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions