Psalms 79:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

The dead bodies of thy servants have they given [to be] meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

Complete Jewish Bible:

They have given the corpses of your servants as food for the birds in the air, yes, the flesh of those faithful to you for the wild animals of the earth.

Berean Standard Bible:

They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.

American Standard Version:

The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be food unto the birds of the heavens, The flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

The dead bodies^{H5038} of thy servants^{H5650} have they given^{H5414}{H8804)} to be meat^{H3978} unto the fowls^{H5775} of the heaven^{H8064}, the flesh^{H1320} of thy saints^{H2623} unto the beasts^{H2416} of the earth^{H776}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:

BibleHub.com BibleRef.com

Commentary for Psalms 79:2

Psalm 79:2 is part of a lament psalm attributed to Asaph, a leader of one of the temple choirs during the time of King David. This particular psalm is often associated with the historical context of the Babylonian exile, which occurred after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The verse vividly depicts the aftermath of a devastating attack on Jerusalem, where the bodies of God's people, referred to as "thy servants" and "thy saints," have been left unburied, becoming food for scavenging animals and birds.

The themes present in this verse include the desecration of the dead, a profound disrespect in ancient Near Eastern culture, and the deep sorrow and horror felt by the survivors. The imagery underscores the complete vulnerability and humiliation of the victims, as well as the utter disregard for the sanctity of human life shown by the conquerors. It also reflects the psalmist's sense of betrayal and abandonment by God, as the enemies of Israel seem to have prevailed without divine intervention.

In the broader context of Psalm 79, the psalmist cries out to God for mercy and justice, pleading for God to avenge the blood of His servants and to repay the nations for their cruelty. The psalm expresses a communal lament, where the community's suffering is brought before God, seeking His deliverance and restoration. It is a prayer for God to remember His covenant with His people, to turn His wrath away from them, and to pour it out instead upon the nations responsible for such atrocities. This verse, and the psalm as a whole, encapsulates the anguish of a people in exile, clinging to their faith in God's justice and sovereignty amidst national tragedy and personal loss.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5038
   There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נְבֵלָה
   Transliteration: nᵉbêlâh
   Pronunciation: neb-ay-law'
   Description: from נָבֵל; a flabby thing, i.e. a carcase or carrion (human or bestial, often collectively); figuratively, an idol; (dead) body, (dead) carcase, dead of itself, which died, (beast) that (which) dieth of itself.
   
2. Strong's Number: H5650
   There are 714 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עֶבֶד
   Transliteration: ʻebed
   Pronunciation: eh'-bed
   Description: from עָבַד; a servant; [idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5414
   There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָתַן
   Transliteration: nâthan
   Pronunciation: naw-than'
   Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
   
4. Strong's Number: H3978
   There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מַאֲכָל
   Transliteration: maʼăkâl
   Pronunciation: mah-ak-awl'
   Description: from אָכַל; an eatable (includ. provender, flesh and fruit); food, fruit, (bake-)meat(-s), victual.
   
5. Strong's Number: H5775
   There are 70 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עוֹף
   Transliteration: ʻôwph
   Pronunciation: ofe
   Description: from עוּף; a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively; bird, that flieth, flying, fowl.
   
6. Strong's Number: H8064
   There are 395 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁמַיִם
   Transliteration: shâmayim
   Pronunciation: shaw-mah'-yim
   Description: dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve); air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).
   
7. Strong's Number: H1320
   There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּשָׂר
   Transliteration: bâsâr
   Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
   Description: from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.
   
8. Strong's Number: H2623
   There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָסִיד
   Transliteration: châçîyd
   Pronunciation: khaw-seed'
   Description: from חָסַד; properly, kind, i.e. (religiously) pious (a saint); godly (man), good, holy (one), merciful, saint, (un-) godly.
   
9. Strong's Number: H2416
   There are 452 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חַי
   Transliteration: chay
   Pronunciation: khah'-ee
   Description: from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively; [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
   
10. Strong's Number: H776
    There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֶרֶץ
    Transliteration: ʼerets
    Pronunciation: eh'-rets
    Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.