Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

PSALMS 108:9KJV
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Psalms 108:9 (KJV)

What does Psalms 108:9 mean?

Psalms 108:9 uses vivid images to show God’s authority over Israel’s neighbors: Moab is compared to a washpot, Edom to a place where a shoe is thrown, and Philistia as a nation over which God will shout in triumph. The verse pictures these nations as being under God’s control and subject to His will.

The psalm is spoken by David, addressing God in a song of praise and trust. David names Moab, Edom, and Philistia—three nations often hostile to Israel—and uses strong, everyday objects to describe how God treats them. The verse is part of a larger psalm celebrating God’s help and rule over all nations, not just Israel.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 108:9

  • washpot (רַחְצוֹת, rachatzot): This word means a basin or pot used for washing feet. Calling Moab a washpot suggests a lowly, servile role, showing that Moab is not honored but used for a humble purpose.
  • out (שָׁלַךְ, shalak) and shoe (נַעַל, na'al): To "cast out" a shoe over Edom is often understood as a symbolic act of claiming ownership or showing dominance, like tossing a sandal to mark territory or subdue it.
  • triumph (רוּעַ, rua'): This word means to shout or cry out, often in victory. Saying God will "triumph" over Philistia means He will celebrate victory over them, not just defeat them quietly.

Why Psalms 108:9 matters

  • The verse clears up that these images are not random insults but deliberate symbols of dominance and control, showing God’s power over Israel’s old enemies.
  • It emphasizes that God’s authority extends beyond Israel, reaching even those nations that opposed His people.
  • In the context of the psalm, these statements build confidence for the worshiper, reminding them that God is not limited by borders or human power.

Where else these words appear

“washpot” Hebrew H7366 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 60:8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

“Philistia” Hebrew H6429 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 15:14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
  • Psalms 83:7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
  • Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

“shoe” Hebrew H5275 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 14:23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
  • Joshua 9:5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
  • Isaiah 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

“washpot” Hebrew H5518 · used in 32 verses

  • Exodus 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
  • 2 Chronicles 4:16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.
  • Ezekiel 11:3 Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.