Psalms 89:40

KJV

Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

KJV (with Strong's)

Thou hast broken down {H6555}{H8804)} all his hedges {H1448}; thou hast brought {H7760}{H8804)} his strong holds {H4013} to ruin {H4288}.

Complete Jewish Bible

You broke through all his defenses and left his strongholds in ruins.

Berean Standard Bible

You have broken down all his walls; You have reduced his strongholds to rubble.

American Standard Version

Thou hast broken down all his hedges; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 89:40 is a poignant lament from Ethan the Ezrahite, expressing the psalmist's profound distress and confusion over the apparent dismantling of God's promised protection for the Davidic king and his kingdom. The verse vividly depicts a state of utter vulnerability and ruin, attributing the destruction of "hedges" and "strong holds" directly to God's action. It encapsulates the deep tension between God's unwavering covenant faithfulness, so extensively celebrated earlier in the psalm, and the harsh, contradictory reality of national humiliation and defeat.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 89 stands as a powerful and complex lament within the Psalter, particularly marking the end of Book III. It begins with an expansive and joyful celebration of God's steadfast love (_hesed_) and faithfulness, especially as demonstrated in His eternal covenant with David, as recorded in [2 Samuel 7](/2_samuel/7 "2 Samuel 7 - The Davidic Covenant"). The first 37 verses meticulously recount God's promises of an enduring dynasty, an everlasting throne, and divine protection for David's descendants. However, a dramatic and jarring shift occurs from verse 38 onward, plunging the psalm into a deep lament. The psalmist confronts a stark reality: the Davidic monarchy is in ruins, experiencing defeat, humiliation, or even exile, which seems to directly contradict God's earlier, unconditional assurances. Verse 40 specifically details the devastating consequences of this perceived divine withdrawal, describing the complete collapse of previously established defenses and fortifications, setting the stage for the raw questioning that follows.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** While the precise historical setting for Psalm 89 is debated, many scholars suggest it reflects a period of severe national crisis for Judah, likely after the division of the kingdom, perhaps during the Babylonian exile or a significant military defeat that brought the Davidic monarchy to its knees. The imagery of "hedges" and "strong holds" would have resonated deeply with an ancient Near Eastern audience. Hedges (_gader_) were common protective barriers for vineyards and fields, safeguarding against intruders or wild animals, as seen in [Isaiah 5:5](/isaiah/5-5 "Isaiah 5:5 - The Parable of the Vineyard"). "Strong holds" (_mivtzar_) refer to fortified cities or strategic fortresses, the primary means of defense for a kingdom. The destruction of these elements signified not just military defeat but a profound theological crisis, as it implied the removal of divine favor and protection, which was believed to be the ultimate source of national security. The psalmist's lament reflects the cultural understanding that a king's strength and a nation's prosperity were directly tied to God's blessing.

* **Key Themes:** Psalms 89:40 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the psalm and broader biblical theology. It powerfully underscores the theme of **Divine Sovereignty in Adversity**, acknowledging that even in moments of national disaster and apparent abandonment, God remains ultimately in control. The psalmist attributes the destruction directly to God's action, not merely to human enemies, highlighting God's ultimate authority over all circumstances. This verse also encapsulates the **Problem of Suffering and Disillusionment**, voicing the profound struggle of faith when present circumstances seem to directly contradict God's past promises. It is a raw expression of the pain of feeling abandoned by the very One who pledged eternal faithfulness, a tension common in many [lament psalms](/psalms/13 "Psalms 13 - A Lament of Despair and Hope"). Furthermore, it intensely tests the theme of **Covenant Faithfulness**, particularly the Davidic Covenant. If God is faithful, why has He allowed such ruin to befall His anointed king and people? This rhetorical questioning is a characteristic feature of biblical laments, allowing for honest, unvarnished human emotion to be expressed before God.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Broken down (Hebrew, _pârats'_):** This verb (H6555) signifies a forceful breaking through, a bursting forth, or a breaching. It implies a violent and decisive act of dismantling. When applied to defenses, it suggests a complete and utter collapse, not merely a weakening. The psalmist uses this active verb to emphasize that the destruction is not accidental or merely a result of enemy strength, but a direct, intentional action attributed to God Himself.
* **Hedges (Hebrew, _gᵉdêrâh'_):** Literally a wall, fence, or enclosure (H1448), often made of stone or thorns, used to protect vineyards, fields, or property from intruders, animals, or even the elements. Metaphorically, it represents a protective barrier, a boundary of security, or divine safeguarding. In this context, the "hedges" symbolize the divine protection and defensive boundaries God had established around the Davidic king and his kingdom. Their "breaking down" signifies the removal of this protection, leaving the kingdom vulnerable and exposed.
* **Strong holds (Hebrew, _mibtsâr'_):** This noun (H4013) refers to fortified places, fortresses, or defensive strongholds—cities or positions designed for military defense. These were the ultimate physical safeguards of a kingdom. To bring them "to ruin" (from H4288, _mᵉchittâh_, meaning dissolution or ruin) signifies their complete demolition and collapse. This imagery reinforces the idea of utter defeat and vulnerability, where even the most formidable physical defenses are rendered useless.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Thou hast broken down all his hedges":** This clause directly attributes the destruction to God ("Thou hast"). The "hedges" represent the protective barriers and divine safeguards that God had previously established around the Davidic king and his kingdom. The act of "breaking down" signifies the removal of this protection, leaving the king and his people exposed and vulnerable to their enemies. It implies a deliberate act of withdrawing favor and security, which is deeply perplexing to the psalmist given God's covenant promises.
* **"thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin":** This parallel clause reinforces the first, using different but complementary imagery. "Strong holds" are fortified cities or fortresses, representing the ultimate physical defenses. To "bring them to ruin" means their complete destruction and collapse. This further emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the devastation and the psalmist's conviction that God Himself is the agent behind this catastrophic reversal of fortune, dismantling what He had previously built and protected. The repetition underscores the totality of the perceived divine abandonment.

#### Literary Devices
Psalm 89:40 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey the psalmist's profound distress. The most prominent is **Metaphor**, where "hedges" and "strong holds" are not merely literal physical structures but powerful symbols of divine protection, security, and the covenantal blessings God had bestowed upon the Davidic kingdom. Their destruction, therefore, symbolizes the perceived withdrawal of God's favor and the collapse of the kingdom's divinely-granted security. The psalmist also uses **Anthropomorphism**, attributing human-like actions of "breaking down" and "bringing to ruin" directly to God. This emphasizes God's active involvement in the unfolding tragedy, making the lament all the more poignant as it questions God's own actions rather than just the power of enemies. The verse is also a powerful example of **Lament**, a common biblical genre that expresses sorrow, complaint, and questioning in the face of suffering or perceived divine injustice. The direct address "Thou hast" functions almost as an implied **Rhetorical Question**, challenging God's apparent contradiction of His own promises.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 89:40 is a crucial verse for understanding the tension between God's unwavering faithfulness and the often-contradictory realities of human experience. It forces the reader to grapple with the profound theological problem of suffering, particularly when it befalls those who are under God's covenant. The psalmist's attribution of the destruction directly to God underscores the biblical theme of divine sovereignty—God's ultimate control even over calamity—but it does so in a way that expresses deep pain and confusion. This verse challenges a simplistic view of covenant as an automatic shield against all adversity, forcing a deeper reflection on God's mysterious ways and the purpose of trials. It validates the human experience of lament, demonstrating that it is permissible, even necessary, to voice one's deepest doubts and disappointments to God, even when those feelings seem to contradict His character.

* [Job 1:10](/job/1-10 "Job 1:10 - God's Hedge of Protection")
* [Lamentations 2:2](/lamentations/2-2 "Lamentations 2:2 - God's Destruction of Zion's Strongholds")
* [Isaiah 5:5](/isaiah/5-5 "Isaiah 5:5 - God Removing the Hedge from His Vineyard")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 89:40 offers a profound validation for the human experience of spiritual struggle and disillusionment. For believers today, it serves as a powerful reminder that faith is not always a smooth, unwavering ascent, but often involves wrestling with difficult realities that seem to contradict God's promises or character. There will be seasons when our "hedges"—our perceived protections, our sense of security, our understanding of God's favor—appear to be broken down, and our "strong holds"—our sources of strength, our plans, our very foundations—seem to be brought to ruin. This verse encourages us to bring our honest, raw emotions, our questions, and our pain directly to God, just as the psalmist did. It teaches us that lament is a legitimate and even necessary form of worship, allowing us to express our deepest confusion without abandoning our faith. Ultimately, while the immediate circumstances may be dire, the psalm's larger trajectory, and indeed the whole of Scripture, points to God's enduring faithfulness, even when His methods are beyond our comprehension. Our call is to persist in seeking His face, trusting that His ultimate purposes are good, even when the path is shrouded in darkness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "hedges" or "strongholds" in your life have felt broken down or brought to ruin, leading you to question God's protection or promises?**
* **How does the psalmist's direct accusation of God in this verse challenge or comfort your own approach to expressing pain and doubt to God?**
* **In what ways can acknowledging God's sovereignty, even in adversity, strengthen your faith rather than diminish it?**
* **How might remembering God's ultimate faithfulness, despite present difficulties, shape your perspective on current struggles?**

### FAQ
**Does Psalms 89:40 mean God actively causes suffering or destroys His people's defenses?**

Answer: Psalms 89:40 expresses the psalmist's perspective and raw lament, attributing the destruction directly to God ("Thou hast"). In ancient Israelite theology, God was understood to be sovereign over all events, including disaster, famine, and defeat, whether directly causing them or permitting them as a consequence of covenant unfaithfulness or for purposes beyond human understanding. This verse reflects the psalmist's deep conviction that the current national humiliation could not have occurred without God's ultimate permission or direct action. It's not necessarily a statement of God's inherent desire for destruction, but an expression of the psalmist's profound theological struggle with how God's actions (or perceived inaction) align with His covenant promises. Other scriptures, like [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses"), lay out the consequences of obedience and disobedience, where God's withdrawal of protection is a severe judgment.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 89:40, with its lament over the broken "hedges" and ruined "strong holds" of the Davidic king, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in Jesus Christ. While the psalmist grapples with the apparent failure of God's covenant with David in the face of earthly defeat, the New Testament reveals that God's promises were not nullified but transcended and perfectly fulfilled in a new and eternal way through Jesus. He is the true and eternal Davidic King, whose kingdom is not of this world and therefore cannot be brought to ruin by earthly powers or perceived divine abandonment ([John 18:36](/john/18-36 "John 18:36 - Jesus' Kingdom Not of This World")). The ultimate "breaking down of hedges" was experienced by Christ Himself on the cross, where He was seemingly abandoned by God ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")). Yet, this apparent ruin was precisely the means by which God established an unbreakable covenant and an eternal kingdom, demonstrating His faithfulness not by preventing suffering, but by transforming it into ultimate victory. Through Christ's sacrifice, the "hedges" of sin and death were definitively broken for believers, and a new, spiritual "stronghold" in Him was established, one that can never be overthrown ([Hebrews 12:28](/hebrews/12-28 "Hebrews 12:28 - An Unshakable Kingdom")). Thus, the lament of Psalms 89:40 is answered not by a restoration of an earthly kingdom, but by the inauguration of a heavenly one in Christ, whose reign is truly everlasting and whose victory ensures that all who are in Him are eternally secure.

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

Psalms 80:12

Why hast thou [then] broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

Lamentations 2:2

The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought [them] down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.

Lamentations 2:5

The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

Job 1:10

Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

2 Chronicles 15:5

And in those times [there was] no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations [were] upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

2 Chronicles 12:2

And it came to pass, [that] in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

2 Chronicles 12:5

Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and [to] the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.