1 O God, why hast thou cast `us' off for ever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast gotten of old, Which thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of thine inheritance; `And' mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual ruins, All the evil that the enemy hath done in the sanctuary.
4 Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of thine assembly; They have set up their ensigns for signs.
5 They seemed as men that lifted up Axes upon a thicket of trees.
6 And now all the carved work thereof They break down with hatchet and hammers.
7 They have set thy sanctuary on fire; They have profaned the dwelling-place of thy name `by casting it' to the ground.
8 They said in their heart, Let us make havoc of them altogether: They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see not our signs: There is no more any prophet; Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why drawest thou back thy hand, even thy right hand? `Pluck it' out of thy bosom `and' consume `them'.
12 Yet God is my King of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: Thou brakest the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces; Thou gavest him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave fountain and flood: Thou driedst up mighty rivers.
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: Thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: Thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Jehovah, And that a foolish people hath blasphemed thy name.
19 Oh deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast: Forget not the life of thy poor for ever.
20 Have respect unto the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Oh let not the oppressed return ashamed: Let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: Remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee all the day.
23 Forget not the voice of thine adversaries: The tumult of those that rise up against thee ascendeth continually. Psalm 75 For the Chief Musician; `set to' Al-tash-heth. A Psalm of Asaph; a song.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 74
Commentary on Psalms 74 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 74
Ps 74:1-23. If the historical allusions of Ps 74:6-8, &c., be referred, as is probable, to the period of the captivity, the author was probably a descendant and namesake of Asaph, David's contemporary and singer (compare 2Ch 35:15; Ezr 2:41). He complains of God's desertion of His Church, and appeals for aid, encouraging himself by recounting some of God's mighty deeds, and urges his prayer on the ground of God's covenant relation to His people, and the wickedness of His and their common enemy.
1. cast … off—with abhorrence (compare Ps 43:2; 44:9). There is no disavowal of guilt implied. The figure of fire to denote God's anger is often used; and here, and in De 29:20, by the word "smoke," suggests its continuance.
sheep … pasture—(Compare Ps 80:1; 95:7).
2. The terms to denote God's relation to His people increase in force: "congregation"—"purchased"—"redeemed"—"Zion," His dwelling.
3. Lift … feet—(Ge 29:1)—that is, Come (to behold) the desolations (Ps 73:19).
4. roar—with bestial fury.
congregations—literally, "worshipping assemblies."
ensigns—literally, "signs"—substituted their idolatrous objects, or tokens of authority, for those articles of the temple which denoted God's presence.
5, 6. Though some terms and clauses here are very obscure, the general sense is that the spoilers destroyed the beauties of the temple with the violence of woodmen.
was famous—literally, "was known."
6. carved work—(1Ki 6:29).
thereof—that is, of the temple, in the writer's mind, though not expressed till Ps 74:7, in which its utter destruction by fire is mentioned (2Ki 25:9; Isa 64:11).
7. defiled—or, "profaned," as in Ps 89:39.
8. together—at once, all alike.
synagogues—literally, "assemblies," for places of assembly, whether such as schools of the prophets (2Ki 4:23), or "synagogues" in the usual sense, there is much doubt.
9. signs—of God's presence, as altar, ark, &c. (compare Ps 74:4; 2Ch 36:18, 19; Da 5:2).
no more any prophet—(Isa 3:2; Jer 40:1; 43:6).
how long—this is to last. Jeremiah's prophecy (Jer 25:11), if published, may not have been generally known or understood. To the bulk of the people, during the captivity, the occasional and local prophetical services of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel would not make an exception to the clause, "there is no more any prophet."
10. (Compare Ps 31:1).
how long … reproach?—us, as deserted of God.
blaspheme thy name—or, "perfections," as power, goodness, &c. (Ps 29:2).
11. Why cease to help us? (Compare Ps 3:7; 7:6; 60:5).
12. For—literally, "And," in an adversative sense.
13-15. Examples of the "salvation wrought" are cited.
divide the sea—that is, Red Sea.
brakest … waters—Pharaoh and his host (compare Isa 51:9, 10; Eze 29:3, 4).
14. heads of leviathan—The word is a collective, and so used for many.
the people … wilderness—that is, wild beasts, as conies (Pr 30:25, 26), are called a people. Others take the passages literally, that the sea monsters thrown out on dry land were food for the wandering Arabs.
15. cleave the fountain—that is, the rocks of Horeb and Kadesh; for fountains.
driedst up—Jordan, and, perhaps, Arnon and Jabbok (Nu 21:14).
16, 17. The fixed orders of nature and bounds of earth are of God.
18. (Compare Ps 74:10; De 32:6). The contrast is striking—that such a God should be thus insulted!
19. multitude—literally, "beast," their flock or company of men (Ps 68:10).
turtledove—that is, the meek and lonely Church.
congregation—literally, "the company," as above—thus the Church is represented as the spoiled and defeated remnant of an army, exposed to violence.
20. And the prevalence of injustice in heathen lands is a reason for invoking God's regard to His promise (compare Nu 14:21; Ps 7:16; 18:48).
21. oppressed—broken (Ps 9:9).
return—from seeking God.
ashamed—(Ps 35:4).
22, 23. (Compare Ps 3:7; 7:6). God hears the wicked to their own ruin (Ge 4:10; 18:20).