Psalms79

Psalm 79 laments the devastation of Jerusalem and the defilement of God's temple by the heathen, who have left the bodies of God's servants unburied. The people cry out to the Lord, questioning His enduring anger and pleading for His wrath to be poured upon their enemies. They appeal for God's help and deliverance, not for their own sake, but for the glory of His name, promising perpetual thanks and praise.
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Jerusalem and Temple Desecrated

1
The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. ​
2
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. ​
3
They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. ​
4
We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us. ​

How Long, O Lord?

5
How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? ​
6
Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that refuse to call on Your name, ​
7
for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.

Plea for Mercy and Divine Vindication

8
Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low. ​
9
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name. ​
10
Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants. ​
11
May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death. ​
12
Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord. ​

Vow of Eternal Praise

13
Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will thank You forever; from generation to generation we will declare Your praise. ​

Study Notes for Psalms 79

Verse 1

This psalm is a corporate lament, likely written following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, traditionally attributed to the Babylonian invasion (586 BC). The invaders are called 'the heathen' (Gentiles), who have violated God's sacred space and land ('thine inheritance').

Verse 2

The inability to bury the dead was considered a profound dishonor and curse in the ancient Near East, symbolizing complete defeat and divine rejection. The bodies are left exposed as carrion.

Verse 3

The phrase 'shed like water' emphasizes the extreme scale and casual cruelty of the slaughter. The horror is compounded by the fact that there was no one left to perform the necessary burial rites.

Verse 4

The suffering is not only physical but also relational and theological. Israel has become a 'reproach'—subjected to scorn and derision by surrounding nations—implying that Yahweh is powerless to protect His people.

Verse 5

This interrogative lament, 'How long, LORD?', is a classic expression of theological distress, questioning the duration of God's apparent withdrawal or anger. 'Thy jealousy' refers to God’s protective zeal for His own covenant and honor.

Verse 6

The psalmist redirects God's wrath, asking Him to pour it out on the Gentile nations who do not acknowledge Him, rather than continuing to punish Israel. This sets up a contrast between covenant keepers and pagan aggressors.

Verse 8

The psalm acknowledges that the people's suffering is tied to their past sins ('former iniquities'). However, they appeal not to their own righteousness, but to God’s 'tender mercies' for swift help, as they are utterly devastated.

Verse 9

The central petition is driven by theological concern: deliverance is sought 'for the glory of thy name.' God must act to save His people to preserve His own reputation and honor among the nations.

Verse 10

This is a key verse of theodicy. The ultimate concern is that the Gentiles mock God by asking, 'Where is their God?' The psalmist demands divine intervention—vengeance—as a public display of Yahweh’s power and sovereignty.

Verse 11

The focus shifts to the weakest and most vulnerable—the 'prisoner' and 'those that are appointed to die.' The greatness of God’s power is invoked specifically to rescue those in imminent peril of execution.

Verse 12

To render 'sevenfold' is an intense imprecation, requesting complete and overwhelming retribution against the neighbors who have scorned Israel and, by extension, reproached the Lord Himself.

Verse 13

The psalm concludes with a commitment to worship and thanksgiving (a vow of praise). This final promise affirms the covenant relationship: once God acts as Shepherd, the people will eternally fulfill their role as the 'sheep of thy pasture.'

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