1 {To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. An instruction.} O God, with our ears have we heard, our fathers have told us, the work thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old:
2 Thou, by thy hand, didst dispossess the nations, but them thou didst plant; thou didst afflict the peoples, but them didst thou cause to spread out.
3 For not by their own sword did they take possession of the land, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst delight in them.
4 Thou thyself art my king, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.
5 Through thee will we push down our adversaries; through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not put confidence in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 For thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to shame that hate us.
8 In God will we boast all the day, and we will praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to confusion, and dost not go forth with our armies;
10 Thou hast made us to turn back from the adversary, and they that hate us spoil for themselves;
11 Thou hast given us over like sheep [appointed] for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations;
12 Thou hast sold thy people for nought, and hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price;
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a mockery and a derision for them that are round about us;
14 Thou makest us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All the day my confusion is before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 Because of the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely against thy covenant:
18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy path;
19 Though thou hast crushed us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, and stretched out our hands to a strange ùgod,
21 Would not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 But for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up for our help, and redeem us for thy loving-kindness' sake.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 44
Commentary on Psalms 44 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 44
Ps 44:1-26. In a time of great national distress, probably in David's reign, the Psalmist recounts God's gracious dealings in former times, and the confidence they had learned to repose in Him. After a vivid picture of their calamities, he humbly expostulates against God's apparent forgetfulness, reminding Him of their faithfulness and mourning their heavy sorrows.
1-3. This period is that of the settlement of Canaan (Jos 24:12; Jud 6:3).
have told—or, "related" (compare Ex 10:2).
2. plantedst them—that is, "our fathers," who are also, from the parallel construction of the last clause, to be regarded as the object of "cast them out," which means—literally, "send" them out, or, "extend them." Heathen and people denote the nations who were driven out to make room for the Israelites.
4. Thou art my King—literally, "he who is my King," sustaining the same covenant relation as to the "fathers."
5. The figure drawn from the habits of the ox.
6-8. God is not only our sole help, but only worthy of praise.
7. put … to shame—(compare Ps 6:10), disgraced.
8. thy name—as in Ps 5:11.
9. But—contrasting, cast off as abhorrent (Ps 43:2).
goest not forth—literally, "will not go" (2Sa 5:23). In several consecutive verses the leading verb is future, and the following one past (in Hebrew), thus denoting the causes and effects. Thus (Ps 44:10-12), when defeated, spoiling follows; when delivered as sheep, dispersion follows, &c.
11. The Babylonian captivity not necessarily meant. There were others (compare 1Ki 8:46).
13, 14. (Compare De 28:37; Ps 79:4).
15. shame of … face—blushes in disgrace.
16. Its cause, the taunts and presence of malignant enemies (Ps 8:2).
17-19. They had not apostatized totally—were still God's people.
18. declined—turned aside from God's law.
19. sore broken—crushed.
place of dragons—desolate, barren, rocky wilderness (Ps 63:10; Isa 13:22),
shadow of death—(Compare Ps 23:4).
20, 21. A solemn appeal to God to witness their constancy.
stretched out … hands—gesture of worship (Ex 9:29; Ps 88:9).
22. Their protracted sufferings as God's people attests the constancy. Paul (Ro 8:36) uses this to describe Christian steadfastness in persecution.
23-26. This style of addressing God, as indifferent, is frequent (Ps 3:7; 9:19; 13:1, &c.). However low their condition, God is appealed to, on the ground, and for the honor, of His mercy.