You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prayer isn't just about physical damage from an "earthquake"; it's a desperate plea to repair the societal ruptures and political chaos that followed a great disaster. God's actions are likened to an earthquake, but the "breaches" He's asked to heal are the deep divisions within the nation itself.
You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is lamenting a devastating defeat and scattering of God's people, comparing the land's turmoil to an earthquake that has torn it apart. This verse acknowledges that God, not mere chance, is the ultimate source of such cataclysmic events, setting the stage for a plea for divine intervention to repair the damage and restore stability.
Have you ever felt like the ground beneath you shifted, not physically, but in your life circumstances? This verse speaks to that kind of profound instability.
The Psalmist isn't talking about a literal earthquake here, though the imagery is powerful. Instead, 'the land' represents the nation, its people, and its very way of life. When God is described as making the land tremble and break it open, it signifies a divine judgment that causes immense upheaval. This isn't random chaos; it's the consequence of sin and disobedience, leading to the shattering of peace, security, and order. The 'breaches' are the deep divisions and vulnerabilities that open up in the nation's fabric during such times.
After recognizing God's hand in the devastation, what's the natural response? It's a desperate cry for Him to step in and fix what's broken.
The second half of the verse shifts from description to a fervent prayer: 'repair its breaches, for it totters.' Even though God is the one who brought the shaking, the Psalmist understands that only God has the power to truly heal and restore. The land is 'tottering' – unstable and on the brink of collapse. The prayer isn't just for things to go back to 'normal,' but for a deep, foundational repair. It's an acknowledgment that human efforts alone are insufficient to mend such deep wounds. The plea is for God's restorative power to stabilize and make the nation whole again.
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The 'trembling' and 'breaches' in the land are not describing a literal earthquake, but the profound political and social devastation of a nation torn apart by civil war and external conflict. The verse calls for God's intervention to heal these deep wounds of division and instability.
c. 1050-1010 BC
Reign of Saul and early conflicts
This period was marked by ongoing conflict with the Philistines and other surrounding nations, leading to significant instability and internal strife within Israel. David's rise as a military leader also created political tensions.
c. 1010 BC
David anointed king of Judah
Following Saul's death, David was anointed king over the tribe of Judah, while the rest of Israel remained divided. This division and the ensuing civil war would have caused immense suffering and instability.
c. 1003 BC— this verse
David becomes king over all Israel
David finally united the tribes and was crowned king over all Israel. However, the nation had been deeply fractured by years of war, internal conflict, and the failures of Saul's reign.
c. 1000-970 BC
David's military campaigns and consolidation
David engaged in numerous wars to secure Israel's borders and expand its territory. These campaigns, while ultimately successful, would have involved significant upheaval and loss, causing the land and its people to tremble.
This passage describes God's voice shaking not only the earth but also the heavens, drawing a direct parallel to the land trembling and being torn apart in Psalms 60:2 as a sign of divine judgment and the instability of earthly kingdoms.
Isaiah 30:26This verse speaks of the Lord healing his people's wounds and their land's bruises, directly echoing the plea in Psalms 60:2 to 'heal its breaches, for it totters.'
Jeremiah 6:14This verse describes a false peace where people are told 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace, mirroring the 'tottering' state of the land in Psalms 60:2, implying a superficial healing or a nation in crisis that has not been truly mended.
1 Kings 18:21Elijah confronts the people of Israel, asking how long they will 'limp between two opinions,' which reflects the unsettling, divided, and tottering state of the nation described in Psalms 60:2, where the land itself is depicted as unstable and in need of divine repair.
gillPsalms 60:2: "Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh."
Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it,.... As is frequently done by an earthquake; which, whatever natural causes there may be of it, is always to be ascribed to God. The ancient Heathens (m) were of opinion that all earthquakes were of God. This respects not the whole earth, but the land of Israel only; and so the Targum, "thou hast moved the land of Israel, th…
pulpitPsalms 60:2: "Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh."
Verse 2. - Thou hast made the earth (rather, the land) to tremble. The blow struck convulsed the whole land - i.e. the people in it. It is not really an earthquake, but a panic fear, that is intended. Thou hast broken it; or, rent it. The imagery of an earthquake is kept up. Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. The panic fear still continued.
The prayer isn't just about physical damage from an "earthquake"; it's a desperate plea to repair the societal ruptures and political chaos that followed a great disaster. God's actions are likened to an earthquake, but the "breaches" He's asked to heal are the deep divisions within the nation itself.
The psalmist is lamenting a devastating defeat and scattering of God's people, comparing the land's turmoil to an earthquake that has torn it apart. This verse acknowledges that God, not mere chance, is the ultimate source of such cataclysmic events, setting the stage for a plea for divine intervention to repair the damage and restore stability.
The psalmist is lamenting a devastating defeat and scattering of God's people, comparing the land's turmoil to an earthquake that has torn it apart. This verse acknowledges that God, not mere chance, is the ultimate source of such cataclysmic events, setting the stage for a plea for divine intervention to repair the damage and restore stability.
"You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters." — The prayer isn't just about physical damage from an "earthquake"; it's a desperate plea to repair the societal ruptures and political chaos that followed a great disaster. God's actions are likened t…
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Last reviewed October 2026