TRV
Translation
King James Version
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
Complete Jewish Bible
Why should the nations ask, "Where is their God?" Let the vengeance taken on your servants' shed blood be known among the nations before our eyes.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
American Standard Version
Wherefore should the nations say, Where is their God? Let the avenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed Be known among the nations in our sight.
World English Bible Messianic
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let it be known among the nations, before our eyes, that vengeance for your servants’ blood is being poured out.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be knowen among the heathen in our sight by the vengeance of the blood of thy seruants that is shed.
Young's Literal Translation
Why do the nations say, `Where is their God?' Let be known among the nations before our eyes, The vengeance of the blood of Thy servants that is shed.
In the KJVVerse 15,196 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 79 verses 6–13
6 ¶ Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
10 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
11 Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
The petitions here put up to God are very suitable to the present distresses of the church, and they have pleas to enforce them, interwoven with them, taken mostly from God's honour.
I. They pray that God would so turn away his anger from them as to turn it upon those that persecuted and abused them (Psa 79:6): "Pour out thy wrath, the full vials of it, upon the heathen; let them wring out the dregs of it, and drink them." This prayer is in effect a prophecy, in which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Observe here, 1. The character of those he prays against; they are such as have not known God, nor called upon his name. The reason why men do not call upon God is because they do not know him, how able and willing he is to help them. Those that persist in ignorance of God, and neglect of prayer, are the ungodly, who live without God in the world. There are kingdoms that know not God and obey not the gospel, but neither their multitude nor their force united will secure them from his just judgments. 2. Their crime: They have devoured Jacob, Psa 79:7. That is crime enough in the account of him who reckons that those who touch his people touch the apple of his eye. They have not only disturbed, but devoured, Jacob, not only encroached upon his dwelling place, the land of Canaan, but laid it waste by plundering and depopulating it. (3.) Their condemnation: "Pour out thy wrath upon them; do not only restrain them from doing further mischief, but reckon with them for the mischief they have done."
II. They pray for the pardon of sin, which they own to be the procuring cause of all their calamities. How unrighteous soever men were, God was righteous in permitting them to do what they did. They pray, 1. That God would not remember against them their former iniquities (Psa 79:8), either their own former iniquities, that now, when they were old, they might not be made to possess the iniquities of their youth, or the former iniquities of their people, the sins of their ancestors. In the captivity of Babylon former iniquities were brought to account; but God promises not again to do so (Jer 31:29, Jer 31:30), and so they pray, "Remember not against us our first sins," which some make to look as far back as the golden calf, because God said, In the day when I visit I will visit for this sin of theirs upon them, Exo 32:34. If the children by repentance and reformation cut off the entail of the parents' sin, they may in faith pray that God will not remember them against them. When God pardons sin he blots it out and remembers it no more. 2. That he would purge away the sins they had been lately guilty of, by the guilt of which their minds and consciences had been defiled: Deliver us, and purge away our sins, Psa 79:9. Then deliverances from trouble are granted in love, and are mercies indeed, when they are grounded upon the pardon of sin and flow from that; we should therefore be more earnest with God in prayer for the removal of our sins than for the removal of our afflictions, and the pardon of them is the foundation and sweetness of our deliverances.
III. They pray that God would work deliverance for them, and bring their troubles to a good end and that speedily: Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, Psa 79:8. They had no hopes but from God's mercies, his tender mercies; their case was so deplorable that they looked upon themselves as the proper objects of divine compassion, and so near to desperate that, unless divine mercy did speedily interpose to prevent their ruin, they were undone. This whets their importunity: "Lord, help us; Lord, deliver us; help us under our troubles, that we may bear them well; help us out of our troubles, that the spirit may not fail. Deliver us from sin, from sinking." Three things they plead: - 1. The great distress they were reduced to: "We are brought very low, and, being low, shall be lost if thou help us not." The lower we are brought the more need we have of help from heaven and the more will divine power be magnified in raising us up. 2. Their dependence upon him: "Thou art the God of our salvation, who alone canst help. Salvation belongs to the Lord, from whom we expect help; for in the Lord alone is the salvation of his people." Those who make God the God of their salvation shall find him so. 3. The interest of his own honour in their case. They plead no merit of theirs; they pretend to none; but, "Help us for the glory of thy name; pardon us for thy name's sake." The best encouragements in prayer are those that are taken from God only, and those things whereby he has made himself known. Two things are insinuated in this plea: - (1.) That God's name and honour would be greatly injured if he did not deliver them; for those that derided them blasphemed God, as if he were weak and could not help them, or had withdrawn and would not; therefore they plead (Psa 79:10), "Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? He has forsaken them, and forgotten them; and this they get by worshipping a God whom they cannot see." (Nil praeter nubes et coeli numen adorant. Juv. - They adore no other divinity than the clouds and the sky.) That which was their praise (that they served a God that is every where) was now turned to their reproach and his too, as if they served a God that is nowhere. "Lord," say they, "Make it to appear that thou art by making it to appear that thou art with us and for us, that when we are asked, Where is your God? we may be able to say, He is nigh unto us in all that which we call upon him for, and you see he is so by what he does for us." (2.) That God's name and honour would be greatly advanced if he did deliver them; his mercy would be glorified in delivering those that were so miserable and helpless. By making bare his everlasting arm on their behalf he would make unto himself an everlasting name; and their deliverance would be a type and figure of the great salvation, which in the fulness of time Messiah the Prince would work out, to the glory of God's name.
IV. They pray that God would avenge them on their adversaries, 1. For their cruelty and barbarity (Psa 79:10): "Let the avenging of our blood" (according to the ancient law, Gen 9:6) "be known among the heathen; let them be made sensible that what judgments are brought upon them are punishments of the wrong they have done to us; let this be in our sight, and by this means let God be known among the heathen as the God to whom vengeance belongs (Psa 94:1) and the God that espouses his people's cause." Those that have intoxicated themselves with the blood of the saints shall have blood given them to drink, for they are worthy. 2. For their insolence and scorn (Psa 79:12): "Render to them their reproach. The indignities which by word and deed they have done to the people of God himself and his name let them be repaid to them with interest." The reproach wherewith men have reproached us only we must leave it to God whether he will render to them or no, and must pray that he would forgive them; but the reproach wherewith they have blasphemed God himself we may in faith pray that God would render seven-fold into their bosoms, so as to strike at their hearts, to humble them, and bring them to repentance. This prayer is a prophecy, of the same import with that of Enoch, that God will convince sinners of all their hard speeches which they have spoken against him (Jde 1:15) and will return them into their own bosoms by everlasting terrors at the remembrance of them.
V. They pray that God would find out a way for the rescue of his poor prisoners, especially the condemned prisoners, Psa 79:11. The case of their brethren who had fallen into the hands of the enemy was very sad; they were kept close prisoners, and, because they durst not be heard to bemoan themselves, they vented their griefs in deep and silent sighs. All their breathing was sighing, and so was their praying. They were appointed to die, as sheep for the slaughter, and had received the sentence of death within themselves. This deplorable case the psalmist recommends, 1. To the divine pity: "Let their sighs come up before thee, and be thou pleased to take cognizance of their moans." 2. To the divine power: "According to the greatness of thy arm, which no creature can contest with, preserve thou those that are appointed to die from the death to which they are appointed." Man's extremity is God's opportunity to appear for his people. See Co2 1:8-10.
Lastly, They promise the returns of praise for the answers of prayer (Psa 79:13): So we will give thee thanks for ever. Observe, 1. How they please themselves with their relation to God. "Though we are oppressed and brought low, yet we are the sheep of thy pasture, not disowned and cast off by thee for all this: We are thine; save us." 2. How they promise themselves an opportunity of praising God for their deliverance, which they therefore desired, and would bid welcome, because it would furnish them with matter for thanksgiving and put their hearts in tune for that excellent work, the work of heaven. 3. How they oblige themselves not only to give God thanks at present, but to show forth his praise unto all generations, that is, to do all they could both to perpetuate the remembrance of God's favours to them and to engage their posterity to keep up the work of praise. 4. How they plead this with God: "Lord, appear for us against our enemies; for, if they get the better, they will blaspheme thee (Psa 79:12); but, if we be delivered, we will praise thee. Lord, we are that people of thine which thou hast formed for thyself, to show forth thy praise; if we be cut off, whence shall that rent, that tribute, be raised?" Note, Those lives that are entirely devoted to God's praise are assuredly taken under his protection.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–13. Public domain.
Copy as
Gregory of NazianzusAD 390
ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 5[31].22
Some things mentioned in the Bible are not factual; some factual things are not mentioned; some nonfactual things receive no mention there; some things are both factual and mentioned. Do you ask for my proofs here? I am ready to offer them. In the Bible, God “sleeps,” “wakes up,” “is angered,” “walks” and has a “throne of cherubim.” Yet when has God ever been subject to emotion? When do you ever hear that God is a bodily being? This is a nonfactual, mental picture. We have used names derived from human experience and applied them so far as we could, to aspects of God. His retirement from us, for reason known to himself into an almost unconcerned inactivity, is his “sleeping.” Human sleeping, after all, has the character of restful inaction. When he alters and suddenly benefits us, that is his “waking up.” Waking up puts an end to sleep, just as looking at somebody puts an end to turning away from him. We have made his punishing us, his “being angered”; for with us, punishment is born of anger. His acting in different places, we call “walking,” for walking is a transition from one place to another. His resting among the heavenly powers, making them almost his haunt, we call his “sitting” and “being enthroned”; this too is human language. The divine, in fact, rests nowhere as he rests in the saints. God’s swift motion we call “flight;” his watching over us is his “face”;12 his giving and receiving is his “hand.” In short every faculty or activity of God has given us a corresponding picture in terms of some thing bodily.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 79
But that which he adds, "lest at any time they should say among the Gentiles, Where is their God?" [Psalm 79:10] must be taken as rather for the Gentiles themselves. For to a bad end they come that have despaired of the true God, thinking that either He is not, or does not help His own, and is not merciful to them. But this which follows, "and that there may be known among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of Your servants which has been shed:" is either to be understood as of the time, when they believe in the true God that used to persecute His inheritance; because even that is vengeance, whereby is slain the fierce iniquity of them by the sword of the Word of God, concerning which has been said, "Gird Your sword:" or when obstinate enemies at the last are punished. For the corporal ills which they suffer in this world, they may have in common with good men. There is also another kind of vengeance; that wherein the Church's enlargement and fruitfulness in this world after so great persecutions, wherein they supposed she would utterly perish, the sinner and unbeliever and enemy sees, and is angry; "with his teeth he shall gnash, and shall pine away." For who would dare to deny that even this is a most heavy punishment? But I know not whether that which he says, "before our eyes," is taken with sufficient elegance, if by this sort of punishment we understand that which is done in the inmost recesses of the heart, and does torment even those who blandly smile at us, while by us there cannot be seen what they suffer in the inner man. But the fact, that whether in them believing their iniquity is slain, or whether the last punishment is rendered to them persevering in their naughtiness, without difficulty of doubtfulness is understood in the saying, "that there may be known before our eyes vengeance among the nations."
Augustine of HippoAD 430
City of God 1.29
As for those who insult over them in their trials, and when ills befall them say, "Where is thy God?" we may ask them where their gods are when they suffer the very calamities for the sake of avoiding which they worship their gods, or maintain they ought to be worshipped; for the family of Christ is furnished with its reply: our God is everywhere present, wholly everywhere; not confined to any place. He can be present unperceived, and be absent without moving; when he exposes us to adversities, it is either to prove our perfections or correct our imperfections; and in return for our patient endurance of the sufferings of time, he reserves for us an everlasting reward. But who are you, that we should deign to speak with you even about your own gods, much less about our God, who is "to be feared above all gods? For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the Lord made the heavens."
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Psalms 79:10 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Psalms 79:10 is a poignant communal lament, expressing the profound anguish of a people devastated by national catastrophe, most likely the destruction of Jerusalem and its sacred Temple. The psalmist fervently appeals to God not merely for the relief of Israel's suffering, but primarily for the public vindication of His own honor and reputation among the surrounding nations who mockingly question His power and presence. It is a desperate plea for divine justice to be visibly enacted in response to the innocent blood of God's servants that has been shed, thereby demonstrating His sovereignty and unwavering faithfulness to the entire world.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 79:10 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent and theological message. The opening phrase, a Rhetorical Question ("Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] their God?"), powerfully expresses the psalmist's profound anguish and challenges God's apparent inaction, highlighting the deep theological crisis. This question is not seeking information but functions as a lament and an impassioned appeal, designed to provoke a divine response by emphasizing the profound dishonor brought upon God's holy name. The entire verse functions as a fervent Plea or Supplication, a direct and desperate address to God, begging for His decisive intervention. There is also an element of Anthropomorphism in the desire for God to "be known" and to "revenge," attributing human-like actions and motivations (such as concern for reputation and righteous anger) to God, thereby making His divine attributes more relatable and the plea more immediate and compelling. Finally, the vivid and stark imagery of "the blood of thy servants [which is] shed" serves as a powerful Metonymy for the innocent lives violently taken and the profound injustice committed, underscoring the extreme gravity of the situation and forming the righteous basis for the urgent call for divine retribution.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 79:10 powerfully articulates a core biblical tension: the apparent silence or inaction of God in the face of immense suffering and injustice, contrasted with His unwavering commitment to His own glory and righteous justice. The psalmist profoundly understands that God's reputation is intrinsically linked to His people's fate and His actions in the world. Therefore, a public display of divine justice is paramount not only for Israel's deliverance but, more importantly, for God's name to be honored and vindicated among the nations. This fervent plea for God to "be known" through His righteous judgment anticipates the broader biblical narrative where God acts decisively in history to demonstrate His power and faithfulness, often in ways that confound human expectations. It serves as a potent reminder that while human suffering is real and grievous, God's ultimate concern is the vindication of His holy name and the establishment of His righteous reign.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world still profoundly marked by pervasive injustice, senseless violence, and the suffering of the innocent, Psalms 79:10 provides a powerful model for prayer and a deep theological anchor. When we witness or experience atrocities, it is a natural human response to feel a deep ache, profound grief, and even to question God's presence or action, much like the "heathen" in the psalm. This verse powerfully teaches us to channel that anguish into a fervent and specific plea for God's justice, not merely for personal relief, but primarily for the vindication of His holy name before a skeptical and often mocking world. It profoundly reminds us that our suffering is never divorced from God's glory; in fact, God often chooses to display His power, His righteousness, and His faithfulness precisely in the midst of human weakness, despair, and seemingly insurmountable odds. Our ultimate hope is not to be placed in fallible human systems of justice, which often fail or are corrupted, but in the sovereign God who sees every injustice, hears every cry, and will, in His perfect timing and perfect way, bring about righteous judgment and make His glory known to all peoples. This psalm calls us to maintain unwavering trust in God's character even when circumstances seem to contradict it, and to pray boldly and persistently for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is the call for "revenging of the blood" in Psalms 79:10 compatible with the New Testament emphasis on love and forgiveness?
Answer: The call for "revenging of the blood" in Psalms 79:10 is a fervent plea for divine justice, not human vengeance. In the Old Testament, the shedding of innocent blood was considered a grave offense against God and humanity, demanding a divine response, as seen in foundational passages like Genesis 9:5-6. This psalmist's request is for God, the ultimate and righteous Judge, to uphold His holy character and repay the oppressors for their atrocities. The New Testament, while indeed emphasizing love for enemies and personal forgiveness (e.g., Matthew 5:44), does not in any way negate God's inherent role as the righteous Judge of all the earth. In fact, it explicitly affirms that "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19), thereby reserving ultimate retribution for God alone. The psalmist's prayer is for God to act according to His just nature, a deep desire for cosmic righteousness that ultimately finds its perfect fulfillment in Christ's final judgment and the establishment of His perfect kingdom, where all wrongs will finally be made right and justice will reign supreme.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 79:10, with its passionate plea for God to vindicate His holy name and avenge the blood of His servants, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The psalmist's cry for God to "be known among the heathen in our sight" through a powerful display of justice foreshadows the cross, where God's seemingly contradictory attributes of perfect justice and boundless mercy converged in a singular, cosmic event. The "shed blood of thy servants" points forward to the ultimate innocent blood shed: that of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. While the psalmist desires immediate, visible earthly retribution, Christ's first coming inaugurated a fundamentally different kind of divine intervention, one where God's righteous wrath against sin was poured out not on the oppressors, but on His own Son (Romans 3:25-26). This seemingly paradoxical act, though perceived as a defeat by the world, was God's supreme demonstration of His power, His justice, and His unfathomable love, making His name known to all peoples not through immediate earthly vengeance, but through the atoning sacrifice that definitively conquers sin, death, and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). The full "revenging of the blood" and the ultimate silencing of the "heathen's" taunts will finally occur at Christ's glorious second coming, when He returns as the righteous Judge to establish His eternal kingdom, bringing perfect justice to the earth and ensuring that "every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). Thus, the psalmist's desperate plea is comprehensively answered and perfectly fulfilled in the person and redemptive work of Christ, who perfectly upholds God's justice and glorifies His name among all nations for eternity.