Psalms 89:38

KJV

¶ But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

KJV (with Strong's)

But thou hast cast off {H2186}{H8804)} and abhorred {H3988}{H8799)}, thou hast been wroth {H5674}{H8694)} with thine anointed {H4899}.

Complete Jewish Bible

But you spurned your anointed one, rejected and vented your rage on him.

Berean Standard Bible

Now, however, You have spurned and rejected him; You are enraged by Your anointed one.

American Standard Version

But thou hast cast off and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
This verse marks a dramatic and poignant turning point in Psalm 89, abruptly shifting from an extensive celebration of God's steadfast love and covenant faithfulness to King David into a deep lament. It expresses the psalmist's profound distress and theological confusion, as the current reality of the Davidic king's suffering and apparent abandonment by God seems to contradict the eternal and unconditional promises made to David's lineage. It captures the raw anguish of a believer grappling with seemingly broken divine promises and the experience of God's perceived wrath against His chosen one, setting the stage for the psalm's desperate plea for divine intervention.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 89 is uniquely structured, beginning with an expansive hymn (verses 1-37) extolling God's faithfulness, omnipotence, and particularly His unbreakable covenant with David, promising an eternal dynasty and an enduring throne. Verses 3-4 and 19-37 meticulously elaborate on this divine commitment, highlighting its unconditional nature. However, with verse 38, the psalm abruptly transitions into a stark lament, expressing deep anguish and confusion. The psalmist catalogues a series of perceived divine rejections and defeats experienced by the Davidic king and his kingdom (verses 38-45), directly questioning God's faithfulness in light of the current national crisis. This stark juxtaposition of unwavering divine promise and devastating present reality creates the profound theological tension that defines the latter half of the psalm, culminating in a fervent plea for God to remember His promises (verses 46-51) and ultimately restore His favor, despite the current despair.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The "anointed" in this verse refers to the reigning Davidic king, who was consecrated for his royal office through anointing with oil, symbolizing divine election, empowerment, and a special relationship with God. The Davidic Covenant, established in [2 Samuel 7](/2_samuel/7 "2 Samuel 7 - The Davidic Covenant"), was foundational to Israelite theology and national identity, assuring them of God's perpetual favor on David's line, an everlasting throne, and a secure kingdom. The dramatic shift to lament in Psalm 89 strongly suggests a period of severe national crisis, likely a military defeat, invasion, or even the devastating Babylonian Exile, where the Davidic monarchy suffered profound humiliation, defeat, and the apparent loss of the throne. Such catastrophic events would have profoundly challenged the people's understanding of God's covenant faithfulness and their national identity, leading to the kind of questioning, distress, and lament expressed by the psalmist.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several major themes within Psalm 89 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **divine displeasure and wrath**, as God is depicted as "wroth" and having "cast off" His chosen king, reflecting a profound sense of divine judgment or discipline. Secondly, it grapples intensely with the **perceived covenant failure**, where the psalmist struggles to reconcile God's unconditional promises with the dire circumstances facing the Davidic line. This creates intense **theological tension** regarding God's immutability and faithfulness, a tension often explored in the wisdom literature and prophetic books. Thirdly, it underscores the **suffering of the anointed king**, emphasizing the vulnerability of even divinely appointed leaders when divine favor seems withdrawn, foreshadowing the ultimate suffering of the true Anointed One. Finally, the verse is a powerful example of **lament and questioning**, demonstrating the biblical precedent for believers to express their deepest doubts, confusion, and pain directly to God when circumstances contradict their understanding of His character and promises, a theme prevalent throughout the [book of Psalms](/psalms "The Book of Psalms").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Cast off (Hebrew, _zânach'_):** This primitive root signifies a strong, deliberate act of rejection, abandonment, or repudiation. It conveys the idea of pushing something aside, throwing it away, or discarding it as worthless. In the context of God's relationship with His anointed king, it implies a profound and active divine withdrawal of favor and support, suggesting a perceived breach in the relationship from God's side, at least from the psalmist's perspective of the current crisis.
* **Abhorred (Hebrew, _mâʼaç'_):** This primitive root means to spurn, despise, disdain, or loathe. It is a powerful verb indicating intense dislike or disgust, going beyond mere rejection to imply a deep-seated aversion. When applied to God's action towards His anointed, it suggests an even more severe form of disfavor than merely casting off, implying that the king (and by extension, his kingdom) has become an object of divine detestation, intensifying the psalmist's theological bewilderment.
* **Anointed (Hebrew, _mâshîyach'_):** Derived from the verb "to anoint," this term refers to a consecrated person, typically a king or priest, who has been set apart for a special office through ritual anointing with oil. In this Old Testament context, it specifically designates the Davidic king, God's chosen representative and the embodiment of the Davidic covenant. The psalmist's distress is magnified exponentially because the object of God's perceived wrath and rejection is not just any individual, but "thine anointed"—God's own consecrated and chosen leader, the very one through whom the eternal covenant promises were to be realized. This term is critically important as it sets the stage for its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But thou hast cast off and abhorred":** The verse opens with a stark "But," creating an immediate and jarring contrast to the preceding verses that celebrated God's unwavering faithfulness. The psalmist directly addresses God, accusing Him of two powerful and deliberate actions: "casting off" (rejecting, abandoning) and "abhorring" (detesting, loathing). These verbs convey a sense of complete and utter repudiation, indicating that God's previous favor and covenant commitment have, from the psalmist's viewpoint, been replaced by profound disinterest, active withdrawal, or even disgust towards the Davidic king and his line.
* **"thou hast been wroth":** This clause further intensifies the accusation, adding the dimension of divine anger and furious displeasure. It implies not merely a passive abandonment but an active, punitive element, suggesting that the suffering and humiliation of the king are a direct result of God's wrath. The psalmist grapples with the incomprehensible idea that the very God who promised an eternal dynasty is now actively hostile towards His chosen and consecrated representative.
* **"with thine anointed":** The object of God's wrath, rejection, and abhorrence is explicitly identified as "thine anointed," the Davidic king. This phrase encapsulates the core of the psalmist's theological dilemma. How can the God who made an unconditional covenant with David, promising an everlasting throne to his descendants, now be so vehemently against the very king He consecrated? This highlights the perceived contradiction between God's immutable promises and the current, devastating reality of the Davidic monarchy's plight, forming the heart of the lament and raising profound questions about divine faithfulness.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 89:38 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound lament and theological tension. The most prominent is **Juxtaposition**, as this verse dramatically contrasts with the preceding 37 verses of effusive praise and celebration of God's unwavering covenant faithfulness. This abrupt shift from exaltation to accusation creates a jarring effect, mirroring the psalmist's own internal struggle and the perceived seismic shift in God's disposition. **Anthropomorphism** is also clearly evident, as God is described with human emotions and actions: He "casts off," "abhors," and is "wroth." These human-like attributes are used to express the psalmist's deeply personal and painful perception of God's active disfavor. Furthermore, the verse is a prime example of **Lament**, a common genre in the Psalms where the speaker expresses deep sorrow, distress, and often questions God's actions or apparent inaction in the face of suffering. The intensity of the language, utilizing strong verbs like "cast off" and "abhorred," also borders on **Hyperbole**, reflecting the psalmist's overwhelming sense of abandonment and despair, perhaps exaggerating the divine rejection to emphasize the depth of the crisis and the urgency of the plea.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 89:38 presents a profound theological challenge, grappling with the tension between God's immutable promises and the painful reality of suffering and apparent divine abandonment. It forces a confrontation with the nature of God's faithfulness when circumstances seem to contradict His revealed word. The psalmist's lament acknowledges the raw human experience of doubt, confusion, and despair in the face of adversity, yet it is expressed within the context of an ongoing relationship with God, demonstrating that honest questioning and passionate complaint are permissible and even encouraged within biblical faith. Ultimately, the psalm, despite its profound despair, concludes with a declaration of God's enduring praise, suggesting that even in the deepest valleys of doubt, faith can cling to the hope of divine restoration and ultimate faithfulness. This verse also implicitly raises critical questions about the nature of the Davidic covenant and its ultimate fulfillment, pointing forward to a greater "anointed one" who would perfectly embody God's promises and endure ultimate rejection for the sake of His people.

* [2 Samuel 7:12-16](/2_samuel/7-12-16 "2 Samuel 7:12-16 - The Davidic Covenant")
* [Lamentations 2:7](/lamentations/2-7 "Lamentations 2:7 - God's Rejection of His Sanctuary")
* [Psalm 44:9](/psalms/44-9 "Psalm 44:9 - God's Apparent Rejection of His People")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 89:38 offers a profound invitation to honest engagement with God, even in our deepest pain and confusion. It validates the human experience of lament, reminding us that it is not a sign of weak faith to question God's ways when life's circumstances seem to contradict His promises. Instead, it is an act of profound trust to bring our raw, unvarnished emotions and theological struggles directly to Him, believing that He is sovereign enough to hear and compassionate enough to care. This verse encourages us to sit with the tension between divine sovereignty and human suffering, acknowledging that God's ways are often higher and more mysterious than our own finite understanding. It challenges us to hold fast to the unchanging character of God—His love, justice, and faithfulness—even when His actions seem inscrutable or His presence feels distant. The psalmist's willingness to voice such a bold accusation ultimately serves as a testament to an underlying faith that believes God is still listening and capable of answering, even if His answer is not immediately apparent. It encourages us to persist in prayer, even when our prayers are cries of anguish and confusion.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **When have you felt that God has "cast you off" or been "wroth" with you, even if you intellectually knew otherwise about His character?**
* **How do you reconcile God's unchanging promises with difficult or contradictory circumstances in your own life or in the world around you?**
* **What does this verse teach us about the acceptable nature of lament and honest questioning in our personal prayer life and communal worship?**
* **How does understanding the ultimate "Anointed One" (Jesus Christ) provide comfort or resolution to the profound tension expressed in this psalm?**

### FAQ

**Does Psalms 89:38 mean God broke His covenant with David?**

Answer: No, Psalms 89:38 does not mean God broke His covenant with David. Rather, it reflects the psalmist's *perception* and *experience* of God's actions during a time of severe national crisis and the apparent downfall of the Davidic monarchy. The Davidic Covenant, as established in [2 Samuel 7](/2_samuel/7 "2 Samuel 7 - The Davidic Covenant"), was unconditional in its promise of an eternal dynasty and an enduring throne for David's line. However, it also included provisions for divine discipline if David's descendants sinned (see [2 Samuel 7:14](/2_samuel/7-14 "2 Samuel 7:14 - Discipline for David's Offspring")). The psalmist, witnessing the humiliation, defeat, and apparent abandonment of the Davidic king, interprets this as God's wrath and rejection—a severe form of discipline that *feels* like a breach of covenant. The psalm itself, despite the depth of its lament, ultimately reaffirms God's enduring faithfulness (e.g., [Psalm 89:52](/psalms/89-52 "Psalm 89:52 - Blessing the Lord Forever")), ending with a doxology. The tension between God's promises and the reality of suffering is a recurring theme in Scripture, often resolved by understanding God's discipline as an act of loving correction (as seen in [Hebrews 12:6](/hebrews/12-6 "Hebrews 12:6 - God Disciplines Those He Loves")) and by the ultimate, perfect fulfillment of the covenant in Jesus Christ.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 89:38, with its poignant lament over the perceived rejection of "thine anointed," finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the ultimate "Anointed One" (Messiah). While the earthly Davidic kings often failed and experienced divine discipline for their sins, Jesus, the perfect Son of David, uniquely and perfectly experienced the true "casting off" and "wrath" of God, not for His own sin, but as the sin-bearer for all humanity. On the cross, Jesus cried out, "[My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")" echoing the psalmist's sense of abandonment, yet perfectly bearing the divine wrath that we deserved ([Isaiah 53:5-6](/isaiah/53-5-6 "Isaiah 53:5-6 - Christ's Suffering for Our Sins")). Through His ultimate sacrifice, Jesus fully satisfied the demands of God's justice and perfectly fulfilled the Davidic covenant, establishing an eternal spiritual kingdom that will never be cast off or come to an end ([Luke 1:32-33](/luke/1-32-33 "Luke 1:32-33 - Jesus' Eternal Kingdom")). Thus, the psalmist's lament, born from the temporary failures of an earthly king, ultimately foreshadows the perfect suffering and rejection of the true King, whose willing sacrifice ensures that all who believe in Him will never be truly cast off from God's love and eternal presence ([John 6:37](/john/6-37 "John 6:37 - All Who Come to Jesus Will Not Be Cast Out")).

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

Deuteronomy 32:19

¶ And when the LORD saw [it], he abhorred [them], because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.

1 Chronicles 28:9

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Psalms 106:40

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

Psalms 89:51

Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

2 Chronicles 12:1

¶ And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

2 Chronicles 12:12

And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy [him] altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

Lamentations 2:7

The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.