Psalms 44:10

KJV

Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

KJV (with Strong's)

Thou makest us to turn {H7725}{H8686)} back {H268} from the enemy {H6862}: and they which hate {H8130}{H8764)} us spoil {H8154}{H8804)} for themselves.

Complete Jewish Bible

You make us retreat from the adversary, and those who hate us plunder us at will.

Berean Standard Bible

You have made us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have plundered us.

American Standard Version

Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary; And they that hate us take spoil for themselves.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 44:10 captures the profound anguish of a community experiencing devastating military defeat and national humiliation, attributing their plight directly to God's perceived action. It voices a deep lament over divine abandonment, where the psalmist believes God has not only allowed their retreat from the enemy but has actively caused it, permitting their adversaries to plunder them, despite the nation's asserted covenant faithfulness. This verse poignantly expresses the confusion and despair of a people grappling with inexplicable suffering and the apparent withdrawal of divine favor in a time of acute crisis.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 44 is a communal lament that stands out in the Psalter due to its unique assertion of the nation's righteousness and faithfulness in the face of overwhelming suffering. The psalm begins by recalling God's glorious acts of deliverance in Israel's past, emphasizing that victories were achieved by divine power, not human strength, as highlighted in [Psalm 44:1-3](/psalms/44-1-3 "Psalm 44:1-3 - Remembering God's Mighty Deeds"). This historical memory serves as a stark and painful contrast to the present reality, where the community endures devastating defeat and shame. Verses [Psalm 44:9-16](/psalms/44-9-16 "Psalm 44:9-16 - The Nation's Humiliation") vividly detail this reversal of fortune, with verse 10 specifically depicting the military rout and subsequent plundering by the enemy. The psalmist then emphatically asserts the nation's continued covenant loyalty and innocence of apostasy in [Psalm 44:17-22](/psalms/44-17-22 "Psalm 44:17-22 - Assertion of Faithfulness"), making the current suffering even more perplexing and leading to an urgent, almost demanding, plea for God's immediate intervention in [Psalm 44:23-26](/psalms/44-23-26 "Psalm 44:23-26 - An Urgent Plea for Deliverance").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** While the precise historical event that occasioned Psalm 44 remains a subject of scholarly debate, the psalm clearly reflects a period of profound national crisis and military catastrophe for ancient Israel. In the ancient Near East, military success was universally interpreted as a clear sign of a deity's favor and active support for a nation, while defeat signaled divine disfavor, abandonment, or even judgment. The phrase "Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy" graphically portrays a forced retreat, a complete rout on the battlefield, which was the ultimate military humiliation, far removed from a strategic withdrawal. The practice of "spoiling" or plundering the defeated was a standard and brutal aspect of ancient warfare, serving not only to enrich the conquerors but also to profoundly demoralize, impoverish, and subjugate the vanquished. This cultural understanding amplifies the immense shame, material loss, and existential threat conveyed by the verse.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several central themes within Psalm 44 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **perceived divine abandonment**, a recurring motif in lament literature where the faithful grapple with God's apparent absence, silence, or even active opposition in the face of suffering, echoing sentiments found in [Psalm 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"). Secondly, it vividly portrays **national humiliation and military defeat**, highlighting the profound shame, material devastation, and loss of honor inflicted upon God's people when they are routed and plundered, a theme that resonates throughout the historical books of the Old Testament. Thirdly, and perhaps most acutely, it raises the profound tension between **covenant faithfulness and present suffering**, as the psalmist insists on Israel's loyalty to God even while experiencing what appears to be divine rejection, a theological paradox explored extensively in wisdom literature like the [Book of Job](/job/1 "The Book of Job") and various prophetic books.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Turn back (Hebrew, _shûwb'_):** From H7725, a primitive root meaning "to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively." While it can imply a simple return, in this military context, it signifies a forced retreat or flight from the enemy. It conveys a sense of disarray, helplessness, and the inability to stand one's ground, indicative of a decisive and humiliating defeat rather than a strategic maneuver.
* **Enemy (Hebrew, _tsar'_):** From H6862, meaning "narrow," "a tight place," or "an opponent (as crowding)." In this context, it refers to the adversary or foe that is pressing in, causing distress and anguish. The term emphasizes the oppressive and hostile nature of the opposing force, highlighting the dire straits in which the psalmist's community finds itself.
* **Spoil (Hebrew, _shâçâh'_):** From H8154, a primitive root meaning "to plunder" or "to rob." This verb describes the act of seizing possessions, livestock, and resources from the defeated. In ancient warfare, this was a definitive sign of conquest and subjugation, further deepening the shame and material loss of the vanquished. The enemies are not merely victorious but are actively enriching themselves at the expense of the defeated, underscoring their complete dominance.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy":** This opening clause attributes the military defeat directly to God's action or allowance. The psalmist does not blame human error, lack of strength, or even the enemy's prowess, but perceives God as actively causing or permitting their retreat. This is a profound expression of theological confusion and pain, as it implies God is working *against* His own covenant people. It depicts a complete rout, where the nation's forces are in full flight, unable to resist their adversaries.
* **"and they which hate us spoil for themselves":** This second clause describes the immediate and devastating consequence of the rout. The enemies, explicitly identified as those who "hate us," are now freely plundering the defeated. This act of "spoiling" signifies the complete victory of the adversaries and the utter subjugation of Israel, resulting in significant material loss and profound national humiliation. The enemies are enriching themselves at Israel's expense, highlighting the depth of their defeat and the accompanying shame.

#### Literary Devices
Psalm 44:10 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of distress and bewilderment. The most prominent is **Direct Address** to God ("Thou makest us"), which is characteristic of lament psalms, allowing the psalmist to voice raw complaint, confusion, and even accusation directly to the divine. The phrase "turn back from the enemy" is a form of **Metonymy**, where the action (turning back) stands for the entire military defeat and the ensuing humiliation. The stark contrast between God's glorious past deliverance (recounted earlier in the psalm) and His perceived present action of causing defeat creates a powerful **Juxtaposition**, amplifying the psalmist's anguish and bewilderment. Furthermore, the imagery of the enemy "spoiling for themselves" is vivid **Imagery**, painting a clear and distressing picture of the consequences of defeat and the complete subjugation of the people. The entire verse functions as a form of **Hyperbole** in its attribution of the defeat directly to God, emphasizing the psalmist's profound sense of abandonment and the severity of the crisis.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 44:10 confronts the perplexing reality of suffering and defeat experienced by God's faithful people. It challenges the simplistic notion that righteousness always leads to immediate prosperity and victory, while sin always results in immediate judgment. Instead, it presents a scenario where, despite apparent faithfulness, the community faces profound humiliation and loss, leading to a crisis of faith regarding God's covenant promises and His active presence. This verse highlights the tension between theological understanding and lived experience, forcing a deeper reflection on divine sovereignty, human suffering, and the nature of God's justice and faithfulness, even when His ways are inscrutable. The psalmist's lament ultimately serves as a theological wrestling match, seeking to reconcile God's character with their current, painful reality, and inviting believers to bring their deepest questions and disappointments before Him.

* [Psalm 13:1](/psalms/13-1 "Psalm 13:1 - How Long, O Lord?")
* [Job 1:21](/job/1-21 "Job 1:21 - The Lord Gives and Takes Away")
* [Lamentations 1:8](/lamentations/1-8 "Lamentations 1:8 - Jerusalem's Humiliation")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 44:10 offers profound insights for believers navigating seasons of inexplicable suffering, defeat, or perceived divine abandonment, even when they believe they have been faithful. It validates the raw, honest expression of pain and confusion before God, demonstrating that true faith does not demand a stoic silence in the face of adversity, but rather invites fervent lament and questioning. This verse reminds us that the Christian journey is not immune to profound setbacks, humiliation, or periods where God's presence feels distant or even adversarial. It challenges us to examine our expectations of God's intervention, particularly in times of crisis, and encourages a mature faith that can grapple with the paradox of suffering in the lives of the righteous. Ultimately, it calls us to persist in prayer and trust, even when circumstances seem to contradict God's character or promises, holding onto the hope that God hears our cries and will ultimately act, even if His timing and methods are beyond our immediate comprehension.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you respond when your circumstances seem to contradict your understanding of God's character or promises?**
* **In what ways might expressing honest lament, like the psalmist, be a healthy and faith-building practice in your spiritual life?**
* **How can we maintain trust in God's sovereignty and goodness when facing humiliation or defeat, particularly when we feel we have been faithful?**

### FAQ
**Why does the psalmist say "Thou makest us to turn back" instead of blaming the enemy?**

Answer: The psalmist's attribution of defeat directly to God's action ("Thou makest us") is a characteristic and profound feature of biblical lament. It reflects a deep theological conviction in ancient Israel that God is sovereign over all events, including military outcomes. In Israelite thought, both victory and defeat were ultimately seen as divinely ordained, either as blessings for obedience or judgments for disobedience (see [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses")). However, in Psalm 44, the psalmist explicitly denies any national sin that would warrant such a severe judgment ([Psalm 44:17-22](/psalms/44-17-22 "Psalm 44:17-22 - Assertion of Faithfulness")), making the perceived divine abandonment all the more perplexing and painful. This direct address is not an accusation of malice, but rather a desperate, anguished plea for God to explain and reverse His perceived withdrawal, highlighting the profound crisis of faith and understanding within the covenant relationship. It underscores the psalmist's belief that only God could have allowed such a devastating reversal.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Psalms 44:10 expresses the lament of a people experiencing perceived divine abandonment and humiliation, its ultimate fulfillment and deepest answer are found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The psalmist's cry of seemingly unwarranted suffering resonates profoundly with Christ's experience on the cross, where He truly was "made to turn back" from the enemy of sin and death, not for His own transgression, but as the spotless Lamb of God for the sins of the world. On the cross, Jesus endured the ultimate humiliation, becoming a "reproach of men, and despised of the people" ([Psalm 22:6](/psalms/22-6 "Psalm 22:6 - A Reproach of Men")), and cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" ([Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")). He allowed Himself to be "spoiled" of His glory and life, not by an earthly enemy, but by the spiritual forces of darkness, so that we might be rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into His glorious kingdom ([Colossians 1:13](/colossians/1-13 "Colossians 1:13 - Delivered from Darkness")). His seeming defeat was, in fact, the decisive victory over sin, death, and the devil, transforming the shame of the cross into the glory of resurrection and eternal life. Thus, the lament of Psalm 44:10 finds its ultimate answer not in a reversal of earthly fortunes, but in the redemptive suffering of the Lamb of God, who, through His own humiliation, secured our eternal triumph and delivers us from the ultimate enemy ([Revelation 5:9-10](/revelation/5-9-10 "Revelation 5:9-10 - The Lamb Who Was Slain")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Joshua 7:8

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

Leviticus 26:17

And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

Joshua 7:12

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, [but] turned [their] backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Psalms 89:41

All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.

Deuteronomy 28:25

The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

1 Samuel 4:17

And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

Jeremiah 15:13

Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and [that] for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.