Psalms 74:17-23

74:17 You set up all the boundaries ¹  of the earth;

you created the cycle of summer and winter. ² 

74:18 Remember how ³  the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, ⁴ 

and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!

74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove ⁵  over to a wild animal!

Do not continue to disregard ⁶  the lives of your oppressed people!

74:20 Remember your covenant promises, ⁷ 

for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules. ⁸ 

74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame!

Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! ⁹ 

74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! ¹⁰ 

Remember how fools insult you all day long! ¹¹ 

74:23 Do not disregard ¹²  what your enemies say, ¹³ 

or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you. ¹⁴ 

[74:17]  ¹ tn This would appear to refer to geographical boundaries, such as mountains, rivers, and seacoasts. However, since the day-night cycle has just been mentioned (v. 16) and the next line speaks of the seasons, it is possible that “boundaries” here refers to the divisions of the seasons. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:156.

[74:17]  ² tn Heb “summer and winter, you, you formed them.”

[74:18]  ³ tn Heb “remember this.”

[74:18]  ⁴ tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the Lord.”

[74:19]  ⁵ sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.

[74:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “do not forget forever.”

[74:20]  ⁷ tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix. The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word (כִּי) begins with kaf (כ).

[74:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).

[74:21]  ⁹ sn Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! The statement is metonymic. The point is this: May the oppressed be delivered from their enemies! Then they will have ample reason to praise God’s name.

[74:22]  ¹⁰ tn Or “defend your cause.”

[74:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”

[74:23]  ¹² tn Or “forget.”

[74:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”

[74:23]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”