This psalm is entitled “Maschil of Asaph.” On the word Maschil - meaning “didactic,” or adapted “to give instruction” - see the notes at the title to Psalms 32:1. On the phrase “of Asaph,” see the notes at the title to Psalms 73. It may mean either “for” Asaph, or ““of” Asaph; that is, it may either... [ Continue Reading ]
O GOD, WHY HAST THOU CAST US OFF FOR EVER? - Thou seemest to have cast us off forever, or finally. Compare Psalms 44:9, note; Psalms 13:1, note. “Why doth thine anger smoke.” See Deuteronomy 29:20. The presence of smoke indicates fire, and the language here is such as often occurs in the Scriptures,... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THY CONGREGATION - The word rendered “congregation” means properly an “assembly,” a “community,” and it is frequently applied to the Israelites, or the Jewish people, considered as a body or a community associated for the service of God. Exodus 12:3; Exodus 16:1, Exodus 16:9; Leviticus 4:15... [ Continue Reading ]
LIFT UP THY FEET - That is, Advance, or draw near. Come and look directly and personally on the desolations which now exist in the holy city. UNTO THE PERPETUAL DESOLATIONS - Hebrew, “the ruins of perpetuity,” or eternity; that is, such as have been long continued, and threaten to continue forever.... [ Continue Reading ]
THINE ENEMIES ROAR - This refers to the shout and tumult of war. They raised up the war-cry even in the very place where the congregations had been assembled; where God had been worshipped. The word rendered “roar” properly has reference to wild beasts; and the meaning is, that their war-cry resembl... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN WAS FAMOUS - literally, “He is known;” or, shall be known. That is, he was or shall be celebrated. ACCORDING AS HE HAD LIFTED UP AXES - literally, “As one raising on high axes;” that is, as one lifts up his axe high in the air in order to strike an effectual stroke. UPON THE THICK TREES - The... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW THEY BREAK DOWN THE CARVED WORK THEREOF ... - literally, “But now the carvings of it together, at once, with sledge and hammers they beat down.” The carved work refers evidently to the ornaments of the temple. The word used here - פתוח _pittûach_ - is rendered engraving, carved work, or car... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE CAST FIRE INTO THY SANCTUARY - Into the temple to destroy it. Literally, “They have cast thy sanctuary into the fire.” The meaning is, that they had burned it down. This was actually done by the Chaldeans, 2 Kings 25:9; 2 Chronicles 36:19. THEY HAVE DEFILED BY CASTING DOWN THE DWELLING-PLA... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAID IN THEIR HEARTS - They purposed; they designed it. LET US DESTROY THEM TOGETHER - Let us destroy all these buildings, temples, towers, and walls at the same time; let us make an entire destruction of them all. THEY HAVE BURNED UP ALL THE SYNAGOGUES OF GOD IN THE LAND - The phrase “they ha... [ Continue Reading ]
WE SEE NOT OUR SIGNS - The emblems of worship, or the national emblems or banners, which we have been accustomed to see. There are no signals or tokens of our nationality in the land. All have been removed by the invaders, and we see everywhere evidences of the presence of a foreign power. The marks... [ Continue Reading ]
O GOD, HOW LONG SHALL THE ADVERSARY REPROACH?... - How long shall this state of things be allowed to continue? Is there to be no end to it? Are these desolations never to be repaired - these ruins never to be rebuilt? It “seemed” so; and hence, this earnest appeal. So to us it often appears as if ou... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY WITHDRAWEST THOU THY HAND, EVEN THY RIGHT HAND? - Why dost thou not stretch forth thy hand for our deliverance? The hand, especially the right hand, is the instrument by which we wield a sword, or strike a blow; and the expression here is equivalent to asking why God did not interfere and save t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD IS MY KING OF OLD - That is, the king, or ruler of his people. The people had acknowledged him as their king and ruler, and he had showed himself to be such. This is given as a reason why he should now interpose in their behalf. It is an argument, proper always to be urged, drawn from the fa... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU DIDST DIVIDE THE SEA BY THY STRENGTH - Margin, as in Hebrew, “break.” That is, he had by his power “broken up” the strength of the sea so that it offered no resistance to their passing through it. The allusion is evidently to the passage through the Red Sea, Exodus 14:21. THOU BRAKEST THE HEADS... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU BRAKEST THE HEADS OF LEVIATHAN IN PIECES - On the meaning of the word “leviathan,” see the notes at Job 41:1. The word is used here as descriptive of sea monsters. AND GAVEST HIM TO BE MEAT - Gavest him for “food.” TO THE PEOPLE INHABITING THE WILDERNESS - That is, the sea monsters were killed... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU DIDST CLEAVE THE FOUNTAIN AND THE FLOOD - That is, the source of the streams and the streams themselves. The main allusion is probably to the Jordan, and the idea is, that God had, as it were, divided all the waters, or prevented any obstruction to his people from the river in any respect; as i... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY IS THINE, THE NIGHT ALSO IS THINE - Thou hast universal dominion. All things are under thy control. Thou hast power, therefore, to grant what we desire of thee. THOU HAST PREPARED THE LIGHT AND THE SUN - He who has made the sun - that greatest and noblest object of creation to the view of m... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST SET ALL THE BORDERS OF THE EARTH - Thou hast established all the boundaries of the world; that is, the boundaries of the earth itself; or the natural bonndaries of nations and people, made by seas, mountains, rivers, and deserts. The language in regard to the first of these - the earth its... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THIS, THAT THE ENEMY HATH REPROACHED - Has used opprobrious and abusive words in regard to thee, and to thy people. The idea is, that religion - the true religion - had been reproached by the foe. They had treated that religion as if it were false; they had reproached God as if he were a fa... [ Continue Reading ]
O DELIVER NOT THE SOUL OF THY TURTLE-DOVE - The “life” of thy turtle-dove; or, thy turtle-dove itself. The turtle-dove is a name of endearment for one beloved, in Song of Solomon 2:12, and is thus applied here to the people of Israel. The leading idea in such an application of the word is that of in... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE RESPECT UNTO THE COVENANT - The covenant which thou hast made with thy people, promising, on thy part, to protect them, and to be their God. Compare Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:2; Deuteronomy 26:18. The prayer here is, that God would remember, in the day of national calamity, the solemn pro... [ Continue Reading ]
O LET NOT THE OPPRESSED RETURN ASHAMED - Ashamed by being disappointed, as if they had trusted in that which had no claims to confidence. Compare the notes at Job 6:20. The word rendered “oppressed,” means “trodden down, crushed, broken, afflicted.” It refers to the people as attacked by foreign arm... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, O GOD - As if God were now insensible to the wrongs and sufferings of his people; as if he were inattentive and indisposed to come to their help. See the notes at Psalms 3:7. PLEAD THINE OWN CAUSE - literally, “Contend thine own contention.” That is, Maintain a cause which is really thine ow... [ Continue Reading ]
FORGET NOT THE VOICE OF THINE ENEMIES - The voice of thine enemies clamoring for the destruction of thy people. Compare Psalms 137:7. The prayer is, that God would bring deserved chastisement upon them for their purposes and their aims against his people. It is not necessarily a prayer for vengeance... [ Continue Reading ]