Psalms 79

Psalm 79 is a corporate lament voicing profound distress over the destruction of Jerusalem and the desecration of the temple, transitioning into an urgent intercessory petition for divine mercy and vindication.

• The Psalmist laments the visible carnage, noting the invasion of the heathen, the defilement of the holy sanctuary, and the humiliation of the people.
• The text presents an inquiry into the duration of God's anger and jealousy.
• The Psalmist transitions to a prayer for righteous judgment against the nations that defy God, followed by an urgent plea for national cleansing and atonement.
• The passage concludes with a vow of perpetual praise if God acts to vindicate His name and preserve His people.

• The heathen (goy, H1471) invading the inheritance.
• The bodies of the servants (ebed, H5650) left unburied as food for beasts.
• The reproach (cherpah, H2781) and derision of neighboring nations.
• The appeal to God's glory and name, rather than the merits of the people.

This passage provides a model for prayer in times of national disaster, demonstrating that authentic lament acknowledges God's sovereignty and righteousness while grounding all hope for deliverance in the glory of His name. It bridges the gap between suffering and faith by refusing to let despair silence the worship of the Covenant God.

When crisis renders human resources helpless, prayer finds its confidence not in the petitioner's worth, but in the revealed glory of God's Name.

The Psalm begins with an external description of total ruin (v1-4) and pivots to an internal, covenantal dialogue with God (v5-13), moving from the 'taunt' of the enemy to the 'thanks' of the people.

• Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen (v6)
• Remember not against us former iniquities (v8)
• Help us, O God of our salvation (v9)
• Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee (v11)
• Render unto our neighbours sevenfold (v12)

• The ruin of Jerusalem and the death of servants serve as a tangible warning of the consequences of apostasy and the defilement of the holy (v1-3).

• The Psalm likely reflects the aftermath of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, where the temple (the heykhal) was desecrated and the city turned to ruins.

• In the ancient Near East, the defeat of a nation was often interpreted as the defeat of its deity. The Psalmist is fighting against this cultural perception, insisting that God is sovereign and must defend His own honor.

• The Psalm aligns with the genre of 'communal lament,' sharing significant vocabulary and themes with the book of Lamentations, specifically the mourning over the city and the temple.

• This Psalm echoes the themes of covenant curses found in Deuteronomy 28. It assumes the logic of the sanctuary—that the presence of God (the holy, qodesh, H6944) demands purity, and its violation leads to judgment.

• 1 Maccabees 7:17 explicitly quotes Psalm 79:2-3 to describe the murder of the Hasideans, demonstrating how later Jewish tradition applied this lament to contemporary persecution.

• The word 'heathen' (goy, H1471) denotes a foreign nation, often with the connotation of one outside the covenant community. Its use here emphasizes the irony that those who 'know not' God are the ones currently 'consuming' His people.
• The term 'taunt' (cherpah, H2781) implies a deep, shameful disgrace. It is a recurring theme in the Psalter where the people of God are mocked by their enemies for their trust in a seemingly absent God.
• The 'purge' in v9 translates a concept of expiation; the Psalmist recognizes that before God can act against the heathen, He must deal with the 'iniquities' of His own people.

• The shift in verse 12 from requesting vengeance to requesting that it be 'sevenfold into their bosom.' This is a request for full, proportionate justice that reflects the gravity of the 'reproach' against God's Name.

• There is a historic interpretive tension regarding the 'imprecatory' elements (calling for judgment on enemies, v6-7, 10-12). One historic position (often associated with a 'realized eschatology') suggests these are prayers for God to establish cosmic justice, trusting Him to vindicate His holiness. A contrasting position expresses concern about aligning the human heart with 'vengeance,' suggesting such prayers must be read as raw, honest expressions of grief that God ultimately answers through His own timing, rather than models for current prayer in the New Covenant era.