Psalms74
New King James Version
1 O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed— This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs.
5 They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees.
6 And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers.
7 They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them altogether.” They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
12 For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.
16 The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.
20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.
Study
Psalms 74Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 74. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The desolations of the sanctuary. (1–11). Pleas for encouraging faith. (12–17). Petitions for deliverances. (18–23).
vv1-11
This psalm appears to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Chaldeans. The deplorable case of the people of God, at the time, is spread before the Lord, and left with him. They plead the great things God had done for them. If the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt was encouragement to hope that he would not cast them off, much more reason have we to believe, that God will not cast off any whom Christ has redeemed with his own blood. Infidels and persecutors may silence faithful ministers, and shut up places of worship, and say they will destroy the people of God and their religion together. For a long time they may prosper in these attempts, and God's oppressed servants may see no prospect of deliverance; but there is a remnant of believers, the seed of a future harvest, and the despised church has survived those who once triumphed over her. When the power of enemies is most threatening, it is comfortable to flee to the power of God by earnest prayer.
vv12-17
The church silences her own complaints. What God had done for his people, as their King of old, encouraged them to depend on him. It was the Lord's doing, none besides could do it. This providence was food to faith and hope, to support and encourage in difficulties. The God of Israel is the God of nature. He that is faithful to his covenant about the day and the night, will never cast off those whom he has chosen. We have as much reason to expect affliction, as to expect night and winter. But we have no more reason to despair of the return of comfort, than to despair of day and summer. And in the world above we shall have no more changes.
vv18-23
The psalmist begs that God would appear for the church against their enemies. The folly of such as revile his gospel and his servants will be plain to all. Let us call upon our God to enlighten the dark nations of the earth; and to rescue his people, that the poor and needy may praise his name. Blessed Saviour, thou art the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Make thy people more than conquerors. Be thou, Lord, all in all to them in every situation and circumstances; for then thy poor and needy people will praise thy name.
Key Words
מַשְׂכִּיל: instructive, i.e. a didactic poem
אָסָף: Asaph, the name of three Israelites, and of the family of the first
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
מָה: properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
זָנַח: reject, forsake, fail
נֶצַח: properly, a goal, i.e. the bright object at adistance travelled towards; hence (figuratively), splendor, or (subjectively) truthfulness, or (objectively) confidence; but usually (adverbially), continually (i.e. to the most distant point of view)
אַף: properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
עָשַׁן: to smoke, whether literal or figurative
צֹאן: a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
מִרְעִית: pasturage; concretely, a flock
Cross References
Psalms 74Explicit reference to the carved work of the temple which the enemies broke down with axes.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel lament over the cessation of prophecy during the exile ('her prophets find no vision').
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Identifies the Lord cutting Rahab/dragons, a clear parallel to breaking the heads of the dragons.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Asks if they thus requite the Lord, calling them a 'foolish people' whom He purchased.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
The Lord has cast off His altar; enemies make a noise/roar in the house of assembly.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical record of the Chaldeans burning the house of the Lord, fulfilling this lament.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Verbal link to the anger of the Lord 'smoking' against His covenant people.
Supported by JFB
Refers to the congregation of God which He purchased 'of old' at the Exodus.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Defines the Lord's portion as His people, Israel as the 'rod/lot of his inheritance'.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Pharaoh depicted as the great dragon (leviathan) in the midst of his waters.
Supported by JFB
God's covenant promise establishing the perpetual seasons of summer and winter.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jerusalem trodden down by the Gentiles, matching the 'perpetual desolations' of the sanctuary.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallels the profaning/defiling of the crown and sanctuary cast down to the ground.
Supported by JFB
Urges God to awake and not cast His people off forever, drawing out His hand.
Supported by JFB