Psalms 74:9

KJV

We see not our signs: [there is] no more any prophet: neither [is there] among us any that knoweth how long.

KJV (with Strong's)

We see {H7200}{H8804)} not our signs {H226}: there is no more any prophet {H5030}: neither is there among us any that knoweth {H3045}{H8802)} how long {H5704}.

Complete Jewish Bible

We see no signs, there is no prophet any more; none of us knows how long it will last.

Berean Standard Bible

There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.

American Standard Version

We see not our signs: There is no more any prophet; Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 74:9 articulates a profound communal lament during a period of intense national distress, likely the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. The verse expresses a deep spiritual crisis marked by the perceived absence of divine intervention ("We see not our signs"), the cessation of prophetic revelation ("no more any prophet"), and a desperate uncertainty about the duration of their suffering ("neither is there among us any that knoweth how long"). It captures the despair of a people feeling abandoned and cut off from God's direct communication and guidance in their darkest hour, highlighting a profound sense of spiritual desolation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 74 is a poignant communal lament (a *maskil*) attributed to Asaph, one of the Temple musicians. It stands as a desperate cry to God in the face of overwhelming devastation. The preceding verses [Psalm 74:3-8](/psalms/74-3-8 "Psalm 74:3-8 - Desecration of the Sanctuary") vividly describe the desecration and destruction of God's sanctuary—the Temple in Jerusalem—by the enemy. The psalmist details the burning of the holy place, the smashing of its carved work, and the enemy's boastful establishment of their own "signs" (standards) in the sanctuary. Verse 9 then shifts from the physical destruction to the spiritual void, expressing the profound sense of divine silence that accompanies the physical ruin, intensifying the lament by highlighting the absence of God's active presence and voice. This transition underscores that the crisis is not merely physical but deeply spiritual, affecting the very relationship between God and His people.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The most widely accepted historical backdrop for Psalm 74 is the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BC, an event of catastrophic proportions for ancient Israel. The Temple was not merely a building but the symbolic dwelling place of God, the center of Israelite worship, and the focal point of their national identity and covenant relationship with Yahweh. Its destruction was a profound theological crisis, perceived as a sign of God's judgment or abandonment. In this context, "signs" (אוֹתֹת, *'otot*) would refer to miraculous interventions, divine tokens of favor, or visible manifestations of God's power, which were conspicuously absent. The "prophet" (נָבִיא, *navi'*) was God's direct mouthpiece, providing guidance, comfort, and revelation. The cessation of prophecy left the people without divine direction, deepening their despair and sense of being cut off from God, as they traditionally relied on such direct communication for understanding and hope.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several key themes within Psalm 74 and the broader Psalter. A primary theme is **Divine Silence and Perceived Absence**, as the people lament the lack of visible divine activity and direct communication. This ties into the theme of **Desecration and Suffering**, where the physical destruction of the Temple is mirrored by a spiritual famine. Despite the deep despair, the psalm also implicitly carries themes of **Lament and Appeal to God's Character**, as the very act of crying out to God, even in perceived silence, demonstrates a lingering hope in His sovereignty and covenant faithfulness, recalling His mighty acts of deliverance, such as [His splitting of the sea](/psalms/74-13 "Psalm 74:13 - God's Power Over Chaos") and [His establishment of the sun and moon](/psalms/74-16 "Psalm 74:16 - God's Creation and Order"). The collective "we" underscores the theme of **Community Suffering**, reflecting a shared national crisis of faith and identity, where the entire nation feels the weight of God's apparent withdrawal.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Signs (Hebrew, _ʼôwth'_):** This plural noun (H226) refers to a signal, mark, miracle, or token. In the context of the lament, its absence signifies a lack of tangible evidence of God's active involvement, intervention, or favor. The people are desperately looking for God to manifest Himself in powerful ways, as He had in the past (e.g., the Exodus plagues, the pillar of cloud and fire), but see no such indications, leading to a profound sense of abandonment.
* **Prophet (Hebrew, _nâbîyʼ'_):** The term (H5030) denotes a prophet or an inspired person, one who speaks on behalf of God, conveying His message, will, and warnings to the people. The declaration "no more any prophet" highlights a profound spiritual famine, a perceived cessation of direct divine communication. This leaves the people without authoritative guidance, comfort, or a clear understanding of God's purposes during their darkest hour, exacerbating their despair.
* **How long (Hebrew, _ʻad'_):** This word (H5704) functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction, often indicating duration ("as long as," "until") or extent. In this interrogative context, it expresses deep uncertainty, impatience, and longing for an end to suffering. It's a common lament motif in the Psalms, reflecting a desperate plea for God to intervene and bring an end to the tribulation. Without prophetic insight or divine "signs," no one in the community can foresee when God will act, compounding their despair with an unbearable sense of open-ended suffering.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"We see not our signs":** This clause expresses the people's desperate search for tangible evidence of God's presence and activity, but finding none. It signifies a profound sense of abandonment and a lack of miraculous intervention or tokens of divine favor that they had come to expect in times of national crisis. The use of "our" suggests a historical expectation based on God's past dealings with Israel, making the current absence even more acutely felt.
* **"there is no more any prophet":** This declaration highlights a spiritual vacuum. Prophets served as God's direct mouthpiece, providing guidance, rebuke, comfort, and revelation. Their absence means a perceived silence from God, leaving the people without divine direction or a clear understanding of His will during their darkest hour, a true famine of the word that leaves them disoriented and without hope.
* **"neither is there among us any that knoweth how long":** This final clause articulates the utter despair and lack of hope regarding the duration of their suffering. Without prophetic insight or divine "signs" to indicate a timeline or a turning point, the people are left in a state of profound uncertainty, burdened by the unknown length of their tribulation. This uncertainty becomes a heavy existential burden, reflecting a deep spiritual crisis where the future is shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

#### Literary Devices
Psalm 74:9 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of despair and spiritual famine. The entire psalm is an exemplary **Lament**, a genre of prayer that expresses profound grief, complaint, and petition to God in the face of suffering. Within verse 9 itself, there is a clear **Parallelism** or tri-colon structure, where each of the three clauses incrementally deepens the sense of spiritual deprivation: the absence of visible signs, the absence of a divine voice, and the absence of knowledge regarding the suffering's end. This progression builds a powerful cumulative effect, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of their distress. The terms "signs" and "prophet" also function as **Metonymy** or **Synecdoche**, representing God's active presence and direct communication with His people. Their absence, therefore, signifies God's perceived withdrawal or silence. The phrase "how long" is an implied **Rhetorical Question**, not expecting a direct answer from a human, but rather serving as a desperate plea directed towards God, urging Him to break His silence and intervene.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 74:9 speaks profoundly to the human experience of divine silence and the perceived absence of God's active presence. Theologically, it grapples with the tension between God's unchanging character and His seemingly hidden face during times of intense suffering. It reminds us that even faithful communities can experience periods of spiritual dryness, where the clear manifestations of God's power or the direct guidance of His voice seem to cease. This verse validates the honest expression of doubt and despair before God, modeling a form of lament that does not deny the pain but brings it directly into the divine presence. It challenges the simplistic notion that God always intervenes visibly or speaks audibly, prompting us to consider His sovereignty and purposes even in His quietness. The psalmist's raw honesty in this lament serves as a powerful permission for believers to voice their deepest struggles to a God who is big enough to handle their questions and doubts.

* [1 Samuel 3:1](/1_samuel/3-1 "1 Samuel 3:1 - The Word of the Lord Was Rare")
* [Amos 8:11](/amos/8-11 "Amos 8:11 - A Famine of Hearing the Words of the Lord")
* [Lamentations 2:9](/lamentations/2-9 "Lamentations 2:9 - No More Prophets")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 74:9 offers a profound resonance for believers navigating periods of spiritual dryness, unanswered prayers, or profound uncertainty. It validates the honest human experience of feeling cut off from God's clear guidance or tangible presence. In a world often marked by chaos and confusion, we too can lament the absence of clear "signs" or a "prophetic word" to direct our paths or alleviate our suffering. This verse encourages us to bring our raw, unvarnished questions and despair before God, just as the psalmist did. It reminds us that faith is not merely the absence of doubt, but often the courageous act of trusting God's character and His unseen hand, even when His actions are unclear and His voice seems silent. It calls us to lean into His faithfulness, even when we don't "know how long" our trials will last, holding onto the truth that God is sovereign and His purposes are always at work, even when hidden from our sight. This lament teaches us that true faith can coexist with profound questions, and that bringing our honest struggles to God is an act of worship and trust, not a sign of weakness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you respond when God's presence or guidance feels absent in your life, and you "see not your signs"?**
* **What does it mean to trust God's character and His promises when you feel there is "no more any prophet" or clear word from Him?**
* **How does the psalmist's honest lament encourage you in your own prayers during periods of uncertainty, especially when you don't "know how long" a trial will last?**

### FAQ
**What does it mean that God's "signs" were not seen, and there was "no more any prophet"?**

Answer: This verse describes a profound spiritual crisis where the people felt abandoned by God. "Signs" (H226, _ʼôwth'_) refer to visible, miraculous interventions or tokens of God's presence and favor, like the plagues in Egypt or the parting of the Red Sea. The lament "We see not our signs" means they were looking for such divine manifestations to assure them of God's active involvement in their plight, but found none. Similarly, a "prophet" (H5030, _nâbîyʼ'_) was God's direct spokesperson, conveying His will and comfort. The declaration "no more any prophet" signifies a perceived cessation of direct divine revelation, leaving the people without authoritative guidance or understanding of God's purposes. This period of divine silence and the absence of prophetic voices was particularly distressing for Israel, as seen in other biblical texts like [1 Samuel 3:1](/1_samuel/3-1 "1 Samuel 3:1 - The Word of the Lord Was Rare") and [Amos 8:11](/amos/8-11 "Amos 8:11 - A Famine of Hearing the Words of the Lord"), which speak of a "famine of hearing the words of the Lord." It highlights a time when God's people felt cut off from His communication, deepening their despair amidst national devastation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The lament of Psalms 74:9, expressing a profound longing for divine signs, prophetic revelation, and knowledge of the future, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is the **ultimate "sign"** from God, not merely a token, but God Himself incarnate, performing miracles that testify to His divine authority and the arrival of the Kingdom of God ([John 2:18](/john/2-18 "John 2:18 - Jesus' Sign of the Temple"), [John 20:30-31](/john/20-30-31 "John 20:30-31 - Purpose of Jesus' Signs")). Jesus is also the **Prophet par excellence**, the one whom Moses foretold ([Deuteronomy 18:15](/deuteronomy/18-15 "Deuteronomy 18:15 - A Prophet Like Moses")) and whom Peter declared to be the fulfillment of that promise ([Acts 3:22-23](/acts/3-22-23 "Acts 3:22-23 - Peter's Sermon on the Prophet")). He is God's final and complete Word to humanity, rendering any further prophetic revelation unnecessary in the same way as the Old Testament prophets ([Hebrews 1:1-2](/hebrews/1-1-2 "Hebrews 1:1-2 - God's Final Word in His Son")). Furthermore, the desperate question of "how long" is answered in Christ's finished work on the cross, which secured our eternal future, and in His promise to return, bringing an end to all suffering and uncertainty ([Revelation 22:20](/revelation/22-20 "Revelation 22:20 - Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!")). In Him, believers are never truly without a sign, a prophet, or knowledge of their ultimate destiny, for He is the Alpha and the Omega, holding all time in His hands and revealing God's ultimate plan for redemption and restoration.

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

Amos 8:11

¶ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

Ezekiel 7:26

Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.

1 Samuel 3:1

¶ And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; [there was] no open vision.

Micah 3:6

Therefore night [shall be] unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

Exodus 12:13

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.

Lamentations 2:9

Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes [are] among the Gentiles: the law [is] no [more]; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

Exodus 13:9

And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.