Psalms 74:1

Psalm 74 ¹ 

A well-written song ²  by Asaph.

74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? ³ 

Why does your anger burn ⁴  against the sheep of your pasture?

Psalms 79:1-5

Psalm 79 ⁵ 

A psalm of Asaph.

79:1 O God, foreigners ⁶  have invaded your chosen land; ⁷ 

they have polluted your holy temple

and turned Jerusalem ⁸  into a heap of ruins.

79:2 They have given the corpses of your servants

to the birds of the sky; ⁹ 

the flesh of your loyal followers

to the beasts of the earth.

79:3 They have made their blood flow like water

all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. ¹⁰ 

79:4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;

those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. ¹¹ 

79:5 How long will this go on, O Lord? ¹² 

Will you stay angry forever?

How long will your rage ¹³  burn like fire?

[74:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 b.c., asks God to consider Israel’s sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people. He describes the ruined temple, recalls God’s mighty deeds in the past, begs for mercy, and calls for judgment upon God’s enemies.

[74:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[74:1]  ³ sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.

[74:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.

[79:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 79. The author laments how the invading nations have destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive his people and to pour out his vengeance on those who have mistreated them.

[79:1]  ⁶ tn Or “nations.”

[79:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “have come into your inheritance.”

[79:1]  ⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[79:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “[as] food for the birds of the sky.”

[79:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem, and there is no one burying.”

[79:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.” See Ps 44:13.

[79:5]  ¹² tn Heb “How long, O Lord?”

[79:5]  ¹³ tn Or “jealous anger.”