Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. This concluding verse expresses confident expectation of victory through divine empowerment. After acknowledging human help's vanity (v.11), David affirms that God's help ensures victorious action. The verse balances human agency ("we shall do valiantly") with divine causation ("he it is that shall tread down our enemies"), presenting biblical perspective on divine-human cooperation in spiritual warfare.
"Through God" (be-Elohim, בֵּאלֹהִים) indicates instrumentality—by means of God, with God's help, empowered by God. The preposition be can mean "in," "by," "with," or "through," emphasizing that God is the means, source, and enabler of victorious action. Apart from God, Israel cannot succeed; through God, they cannot fail. This echoes Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
"We shall do valiantly" (na'aseh-chayil, נַעֲשֶׂה־חָיִל) combines future certainty with confident action. Asah means to do, make, accomplish, perform. Chayil means strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army—often translated "valiantly" in military contexts. The phrase indicates effective, powerful, victorious action. Importantly, "we shall do"—believers aren't passive while God does everything, but actively engaged in accomplishing God's purposes, empowered by Him.
This presents balanced biblical perspective on divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God empowers, but humans act. Faith isn't passive fatalism ("God will do everything; I'll do nothing") nor is it self-reliance ("I'll accomplish this through my effort"). Rather, "through God we shall do"—God's power working through human action produces victorious results.
"For he it is that shall tread down our enemies" (vehu yabus tzarenu, וְהוּא יָבוּס צָרֵינוּ) provides the basis for confidence. Yabus means to trample, tread down, bring into subjection—military imagery of victor trampling defeated foes. "He it is" is emphatic: "He Himself, God alone." While believers act ("we shall do valiantly"), ultimate victory belongs to God's power, not human effort. Genesis 3:15 promised the seed of woman would bruise the serpent's head. Romans 16:20 assures believers: "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."
The verse concludes the psalm with confident expectation. Though opening with lament over defeat (v.1-3), the psalm moves through recognition of God's provision (v.4-8), urgent appeal for help (v.9-11), to confident assurance of victory (v.12). This progression models faith's movement from discouragement through trust to confident hope.
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse reflects Israel's theology of holy war. In Old Testament military engagements, Israel understood that Yahweh fought for them, giving victory not through military superiority but through divine intervention. Joshua at Jericho, Gideon against Midian, David against Goliath, Jehoshaphat against the Moabite-Ammonite coalition—in each case, God's power produced victory despite human weakness or inferior numbers.
The phrase 'tread down enemies' appears throughout Scripture. Psalm 44:5 declares: 'Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.' Psalm 108:13 (which duplicates Psalm 60:12) repeats this exact verse. The imagery of treading down enemies originates in ancient warfare where victorious armies literally trampled defeated foes, and conquerors placed feet on necks of defeated kings (Joshua 10:24) symbolizing complete subjection.
David's wars with Aram and Edom (the historical context) illustrate this principle. Second Samuel 8:1-14 describes systematic subjugation of surrounding peoples—Moab, Zobah, Syria, Edom—all made tributaries to Israel. The text repeatedly attributes victory to divine action: 'The LORD preserved David whithersoever he went' (2 Samuel 8:6, 14). David's military success wasn't due to military genius or superior army but to God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.
The principle extends beyond physical warfare to spiritual conflict. Ephesians 6:10-18 describes spiritual armor and warfare, concluding: 'And take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.' Believers fight spiritual battles not with physical weapons but with divine power. Second Corinthians 10:4 assures: 'The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.'
Christ's victory over sin, death, and Satan fulfills this ultimately. Colossians 2:15 declares that Christ 'spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it' [the cross]. The resurrection demonstrates God's power to 'tread down' humanity's ultimate enemies. Believers share in Christ's victory through union with Him, experiencing progressive victory over sin (sanctification) and anticipating final victory when Christ returns to fully establish His kingdom.