Psalms 108 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Attributed to David, around 1010 to 970 BC, though assembled in its present form later
Location
Jerusalem, with the psalm naming territory across the whole kingdom, from Shechem and the Jordan valley to Moab and Edom east and south of the Dead Sea
Audience
Israelites at worship, and likely soldiers or a king preparing for a campaign
Situation
A confident morning song of praise turns into a request for help in battle, specifically against Edom. The writer admits that God has seemed to reject the army and asks him to march out with it again.
Key Background
This psalm is stitched together from two earlier ones, the second half of Psalm 57 and the second half of Psalm 60, an editing practice that shows the Psalms were reused and recombined for new occasions. God's speech listing the tribal regions is written as a landowner dividing an estate, and the insults aimed at Moab and Edom, a washbasin and a place to throw a sandal, are the gestures a master would make toward a household servant. Edom, the rocky highland southeast of Judah, controlled trade routes and was a long-running rival, which is why it stands as the test case for whether God is still with the army.