Psalm 44

The nation asks for victory over their enemies.

 


 

THE NATION ASKS FOR VICTORY OVER THEIR ENEMIES

For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm.

 

VERSE 1. We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us, what work you did in their days, in the days of old.

 

VERSE 2. You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.

drove out the nations with your hand. It was through Joshua son of Nun that the LORD led the nation into the Promised Land and drove out the inhabitants.

 

VERSE 3. For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.

right hand. The Bible often mentions “the right hand” of God. That is a position of power and honor. We believe it refers to Jesus Christ. More verses about the right hand.

because you were favorable to them. Our victories are not from ourselves. Rather, they are from the LORD.

 

VERSE 4. You are my King, God. Command victories for Jacob!

You are my King. In those early days, the nation was still trusting the LORD God as their king.

 

VERSE 5. Through you, will we push down our adversaries. Through your name, we will tread them under who rise up against us.

Through you. That is, with God’s help. By his power.

will we push down our adversaries. That is, we will wipe out our enemies. We will overcome our haters. We will drive them back.

we will tread them under. That is, we will stomp them to dust. We will crush them under our feet.

The Hebrew word is “buwc.” It means to tread down, reject, trample down, desecrate, kick out.

who rise up against us. That is, our enemies. Those who hate us. Our adversaries. Our foes.

 

VERSE 6. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

 

VERSE 7. But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.

 

VERSE 8. In God we have made our boast all day long, we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah.

our boast all day long. A child of God might seem to be drunk on God.

That’s what people nicknamed the Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza: “The God-intoxicated man!”

Oh that we Christians would deserve to be called drunk on God!

 

VERSE 9. But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.

 

VERSE 10. You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.

make us turn back. For some people, their whole life has been a story of retreating from their enemies. But God can turn that around for them. This can be a time for victory!

 

VERSE 11. You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.

 

VERSE 12. You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.

 

VERSE 13. You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

You make us a reproach. Their defeat was humiliating.

 

VERSE 14. You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

 

VERSE 15. All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,

 

VERSE 16. At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.

 

VERSE 17. All this has come on us, yet we haven’t forgotten you. We haven’t been false to your covenant.

We haven’t been false to your covenant. The nation had not strayed into idolatry.

 

VERSE 18. Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,

 

VERSE 19. Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

 

VERSE 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god;

 

VERSE 21. won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

 

VERSE 22. Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

 

VERSE 23. Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.

Wake up! This reminds us of the Lord Jesus falling asleep in the boat:

Luke 8:23. But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

 

VERSE 24. Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?

 

VERSE 25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.

 

VERSE 26. Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.

 


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PSALMS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1617, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 3435, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 5253, 5455, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 7071, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 888990, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104105, 106, 107108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148149, 150

Deuterocanonical chapter: 151

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, MemorizeDavid’s Fasting

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.