RR Psalm 60:13 Part 6
Shalom,
Psalm 60:13 Give us aid against the adversary, for the help of man is worthless.
There are two powerful verses, at the end of Psalm 60. Yet, as strong as their meaning is, from the translated English, there is even more to unpack from the original Hebrew of David. Let’s break them down, one today and the last verse tomorrow. What’s better, as we break them down, we will rebuild them according to our own amplified version.
“Havah” (Hey-Bet-Hey) from “Yahav” (Yud-Bet-Hey) translated “give.” There are many other more common words for simply “give.” This word means “ascribe” as at the beginning of Psalm 29.… Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to Adonai the glory of His Name. Bow down to Adonai in the beauty of holiness. “Havah” as used here, at the end of Psalm 60 means to assign a new quality of life, and that life changing quality is found in our next word, translated as “aid.”
The sense here is that we can’t help ourselves and nobody else can help us either. We’ve got enemies and it is going to take the strength and power of God to defeat them. 1John 3:13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
The Hebrew word translated as “aid” is “Ezrat” (Ayin-Zayin-Resh-Tav) from “Ezrah,” like the name of the prophet. The “help” connoted in this word “Ezrat” goes beyond “aid.” In using it, David is recognizing our own inability to help ourselves, and at the same time, our need to rely on the Almighty to defeat our enemies.
The next Hebrew word is “Mitzar” (“Mem-Tzadi-Resh”) meaning, “from enemies.” The “Mem” in front is a prefix meaning “from” and “Tzar” (Tzadi-Resh) is an adversary, one who opposes your purposes. When we decide to stand with God, we align ourselves with God against everything and everyone else that is not FOR Him. (Despite the “50 shades of grey” theory, in God’s kingdom everything is either white, for God, in the light, or against God, appearing as black, hiding in the dark.
Rabbi Trail: Almost every verse of the Hebrew Scriptures are divided into two parts, like an “if this, then that” structure. An “Etnachta” serves as a comma to show us where the thoughts divide. It looks like a point up wishbone that appears under a word. Our sages (wise rabbis of ancient times) decided where to put the diacritical mark “etnachta,” and for this verse, and they put it under the word “Mitzar.” So then, we are now at the end of the first thought of verse 13. Let’s repackage just this much.
The entire verse is a part of and (at the same time) a continuation of David’s prayer to the Lord. Here is our own amplified version of the first half of the verse. “Ascribe unto us, (in other words) give unto us the help we need (see the RT below), to be (redeemed or delivered) from our enemies.”
Rabbi Trail: As we say in High Holiday liturgy, “Ki Ayn Banu Ma’asim.” It means, “Because we have nothing within us to make (anything).” Here, in this first part of verse 13, we are acknowledging that we’re all part of the problem. We therefore recognize that we need God’s help. Spoiler alert, God is specifically mentioned in the next verse. End RT.
Now for the second part of verse 13. “V’Shav” (Vav-Shin-Vav-Aleph) from “Shav” (Shin-Vav-Aleph) meaning “vanity, deceit, false vision, useless and deceptive.” The leading “Vav” is the prefixed conjunction, “and.” This leads us to the last operative phrase.
What is useless and deceptive? It is “T’shuat Adam” meaning “(the) salvation (of) man.” Headline: “We Can’t Save Ourselves or Each Other.” That’s right, salvation comes through faith in Yeshua and in Him alone. As Peter rightly testified, Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved!”
So, to recap what we have rebuilt today. “Ascribe unto us, (in other words) give us the help we need, to be (redeemed or delivered) from our enemies, because we know it is vanity and deceptive to think that salvation can come from (just any) man.” We’ll close out Psalm 60 tomorrow as we close our our week. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu6-Aug 202623rd of Av, 5786
De 14:22-29Ez 451 Ch 232 Ti 1 (Jn 11:1-27)
Psalm 60:13 Give us aid against the adversary, for the help of man is worthless.
There are two powerful verses, at the end of Psalm 60. Yet, as strong as their meaning is, from the translated English, there is even more to unpack from the original Hebrew of David. Let’s break them down, one today and the last verse tomorrow. What’s better, as we break them down, we will rebuild them according to our own amplified version.
“Havah” (Hey-Bet-Hey) from “Yahav” (Yud-Bet-Hey) translated “give.” There are many other more common words for simply “give.” This word means “ascribe” as at the beginning of Psalm 29.… Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to Adonai the glory of His Name. Bow down to Adonai in the beauty of holiness. “Havah” as used here, at the end of Psalm 60 means to assign a new quality of life, and that life changing quality is found in our next word, translated as “aid.”
The sense here is that we can’t help ourselves and nobody else can help us either. We’ve got enemies and it is going to take the strength and power of God to defeat them. 1John 3:13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
The Hebrew word translated as “aid” is “Ezrat” (Ayin-Zayin-Resh-Tav) from “Ezrah,” like the name of the prophet. The “help” connoted in this word “Ezrat” goes beyond “aid.” In using it, David is recognizing our own inability to help ourselves, and at the same time, our need to rely on the Almighty to defeat our enemies.
The next Hebrew word is “Mitzar” (“Mem-Tzadi-Resh”) meaning, “from enemies.” The “Mem” in front is a prefix meaning “from” and “Tzar” (Tzadi-Resh) is an adversary, one who opposes your purposes. When we decide to stand with God, we align ourselves with God against everything and everyone else that is not FOR Him. (Despite the “50 shades of grey” theory, in God’s kingdom everything is either white, for God, in the light, or against God, appearing as black, hiding in the dark.
Rabbi Trail: Almost every verse of the Hebrew Scriptures are divided into two parts, like an “if this, then that” structure. An “Etnachta” serves as a comma to show us where the thoughts divide. It looks like a point up wishbone that appears under a word. Our sages (wise rabbis of ancient times) decided where to put the diacritical mark “etnachta,” and for this verse, and they put it under the word “Mitzar.” So then, we are now at the end of the first thought of verse 13. Let’s repackage just this much.
The entire verse is a part of and (at the same time) a continuation of David’s prayer to the Lord. Here is our own amplified version of the first half of the verse. “Ascribe unto us, (in other words) give unto us the help we need (see the RT below), to be (redeemed or delivered) from our enemies.”
Rabbi Trail: As we say in High Holiday liturgy, “Ki Ayn Banu Ma’asim.” It means, “Because we have nothing within us to make (anything).” Here, in this first part of verse 13, we are acknowledging that we’re all part of the problem. We therefore recognize that we need God’s help. Spoiler alert, God is specifically mentioned in the next verse. End RT.
Now for the second part of verse 13. “V’Shav” (Vav-Shin-Vav-Aleph) from “Shav” (Shin-Vav-Aleph) meaning “vanity, deceit, false vision, useless and deceptive.” The leading “Vav” is the prefixed conjunction, “and.” This leads us to the last operative phrase.
What is useless and deceptive? It is “T’shuat Adam” meaning “(the) salvation (of) man.” Headline: “We Can’t Save Ourselves or Each Other.” That’s right, salvation comes through faith in Yeshua and in Him alone. As Peter rightly testified, Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved!”
So, to recap what we have rebuilt today. “Ascribe unto us, (in other words) give us the help we need, to be (redeemed or delivered) from our enemies, because we know it is vanity and deceptive to think that salvation can come from (just any) man.” We’ll close out Psalm 60 tomorrow as we close our our week. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu6-Aug 202623rd of Av, 5786
De 14:22-29Ez 451 Ch 232 Ti 1 (Jn 11:1-27)
Posted in Rabbis Reflections
Recent
Archive
2026
January
RR Psalm 42:12(11) Part 8RR Psalm 43:1 Part 1RR In Praise of Milk By David HarwoodRR Psalm 43:2 Part 2RR Psalm 43:3 Part 3RR Psalm 43:4 Part 4RR Psalm 43:5 Part 5RR Psalm 44:1-5(1-4) Part 1RR “The Priority & Power of Relationship” by Jerry MillerRR Favor on top of Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 44:6-9(5-8) Part 2RR Psalm 44:10-13(9-12) Part 3RR Psalm 44:14-17(13-16) Part 4RR Psalm 44:18-22(17-21) Part 5RR The Throne By David HarwoodRR Psalm 44:23-27(22-26) Part 6RR Psalm 45:1-3(1,2) Part 1RR PPsalm 45:4(3) Part 2RR Psalm 45:5(4) Part 3RR Psalm 45:6(5) Part 4RR Psalm 45:7(6) Part 5RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord” by Jerry MillerRR Doubting Favor by David HarwoodRR Psalm 45:8(7) Part 6RR Psalm 45:9(8) Part 7RR Psalm 45:10(9) Part 8RR Psalm 45:11-13(10-12) Part 9RR Favor and Calling By David HarwoodRR YESHUA BEYOND THE BIBLE By Dr. Raymond Finney RR Psalm 45:11-13(10-12) Part 10
February
RR Psalm 45:14-16(13-15) Part 11RR Psalm 45:17,18(16,17) Part 12RR Psalm 46:1,2(1) Part 1RR Psalm 46:3,4(2,3) Part 2RR Charismata - Signs of Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) Part 3RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord” by Jerry MillerRR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) Part 5RR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) – Part 4RR Psalm 46:5-8(4-7) Part 6RR Psalm 46:9-12(8-11) Part 7RR THE ONE AND ONLY YOU (Part 1) The Amazing Mystery of Light and You By Dr. Raymond FinneyRR Favor and Sanctity by David HarwoodRR Psalm 46:9-12 (8-11) Part 8RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 1RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 2RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 3RR Psalm 47:1-4(1-3) Part 4RR Gratitude for Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 47:6(5) Part 5RR Psalm 47:7(6) Part 6RR Psalm 47:9(8) Part 8RR Psalm 47:10(9) Part 9RR Psalm 48:1-3 Part 1RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord, Part 3” by Jerry MillerRR Some Favorite Verses (1) By David HarwoodRR Psalm 1:1 Part 1 (rerun)
March
RR Psalm 48:4(3) Part 2RR Psalm 48:8,9 Part 5RR Psalm 48:8,9 Part 4RR Psalm 48:5-7 Part 3RR Psalm 48:10-12 Part 6RR Psalm 48:10-12 Part 7RR Some Favorite Verses (2) Generosity and Enabling Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 48:13-15 Part 8RR Psalm 49:1-5 Part 1RR Psalm 49:1-5 Part 2RR Psalm 49:6(5) – Part 3RR Some Favorite Verses (3) Favor in Speaking and Knowledge By David HarwoodRR Psalm 49:7-9(6-8) Part 4RR Psalm 49:10,11(9,10) Part 5RR Psalm 49:12(11), 13(12) – Part 6RR Psalm 49:14(13) Part 7RR Manifestations of Favor in Speaking and Knowledge By David HarwoodRR Psalm 49:15,16(14,15) Part 9RR Psalm 49:15,16(14,15) Part 8RR Psalm 49:19-21(18-20) Part 11RR Psalm 49:17,18(16,17) Part 10RR Psalm 50:1,2 Part 1RR Psalm 50:3 Part 2RR “Guarding our Relationship with the Lord, Part 5” by Jerry MillerRR Yeshua’s Enriched Speech and Knowledge By David HarwoodRR Psalm 50:5 Part 4RR Psalm 50:4 Part 3RR Psalm 50:6 Part 5RR Psalm 50:6 Part 6RR Psalm 50:7-15 Part 7
April
RR Psalm 50:7-15 Part 8RR Psalm 50:7-15 Part 9RR Yeshua Provides a Pattern By David HarwoodRR Pasach 3 Torah Lesson – Exodus 33-12-34:26 By Jeffrey FreemanRR Let's Celebrate Yom HaBikurimRR Psalm 50:16-21 Part 10RR Psalm 50:16-21 Part 11RR Sh’mini Torah lesson – Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47 By Jeffrey FreemanRR Psalm 50:22,23 Part 13RR Psalm 50:16-21 Part 12RR Yeshua Grew By David HarwoodRR Psalm 51:1,2 Part 1RR Psalm 51:3 Part 2