| Psalms 44 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, FOR THE SONS OF KORACH. MASCHIL. This psalm was designed to be played with accompaniment from the Korach section of the Levites. [Psalms 44:1] WE HAVE HEARD WITH OUR EARS, O GOD, OUR FATHERS HAVE TOLD US, WHAT WORK THOU DIDST IN THEIR DAYS, IN THE TIMES OF OLD. [Psalms 44:2] HOW THOU DIDST DRIVE OUT THE HEATHEN WITH THY HAND, AND PLANTEDST THEM; HOW THOU DIDST AFFLICT THE PEOPLE, AND CAST THEM OUT. In the past God drove out the heathen from the Land of Israel. It is true that the Israelites themselves in the time of Joshua and the Judges and King Saul battled the heathen and beat them and expelled them from the Land. These battles however when conducted by righteous leaders and the people of Israel being given over to the Almighty were accompanied by great miracles. It was in effect the Almighty who afflicted the heathen and drove them away. Even when the victories came about more through military prowess than by obvious miracles it was still the Power of the Almighty that enable Israel to fight as needed. [Psalms 44:3] FOR THEY GOT NOT THE LAND IN POSSESSION BY THEIR OWN SWORD, NEITHER DID THEIR OWN ARM SAVE THEM: BUT THY RIGHT HAND, AND THINE ARM, AND THE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE, BECAUSE THOU HADST A FAVOUR UNTO THEM. [Psalms 44:4] THOU ART MY KING, O GOD: COMMAND DELIVERANCES FOR JACOB. We beseech God as a king to grant us victories for "Jacob" HIS people. We do not ask on the basis of our own merit but rather that the Almighty be generous to us and freely demonstrate that HE rules over us. We are HIS subjects despite being unworthy. [Psalms 44:5] THROUGH THEE WILL WE PUSH DOWN OUR ENEMIES: THROUGH THY NAME WILL WE TREAD THEM UNDER THAT RISE UP AGAINST US. In the Name of God we will conquer. [Psalms 44:6] FOR I WILL NOT TRUST IN MY BOW, NEITHER SHALL MY SWORD SAVE ME. We must not trust in weapons but often weapons must be used. Our weapons are tools by which the ALMIGHTY will show to all that He rules over us and we are His emissaries. [Psalms 44:7] BUT THOU HAST SAVED US FROM OUR ENEMIES, AND HAST PUT THEM TO SHAME THAT HATED US. People hate Israelites for nothing. There really is a God however and HE has a people of His own. The people of God are the People of Israel. Israel will be victorious and those who hate Israel will be ashamed. [Psalms 44:8] IN GOD WE BOAST ALL THE DAY LONG, AND PRAISE THY NAME FOR EVER. SELAH. The Psalm leads off by calling upon God to save us as in the days of old. The Psalm then transfers itself to a reality in which God fought for Israel as if in the present. Then the Psalm moves onward to a time when Israel is in the doldrums on the world scene and Judah is gone into Exile. [Psalms 44:9] BUT THOU HAST CAST OFF, AND PUT US TO SHAME; AND GOEST NOT FORTH WITH OUR ARMIES. When God departs from us we can loose. [Psalms 44:10] THOU MAKEST US TO TURN BACK FROM THE ENEMY: AND THEY WHICH HATE US SPOIL FOR THEMSELVES. [Psalms 44:11] THOU HAST GIVEN US LIKE SHEEP APPOINTED FOR MEAT; AND HAST SCATTERED US AMONG THE HEATHEN. This refers mainly to Judah in Exile. [Psalms 44:12] THOU SELLEST THY PEOPLE FOR NOUGHT, AND DOST NOT INCREASE THY WEALTH BY THEIR PRICE. The Jews in Exile were often treated like or actually legally considered the property of others. In Western Europe Jews were once the property of the King and in Poland that of the local noble. [Psalms 44:13] THOU MAKEST US A REPROACH TO OUR NEIGHBOURS, A SCORN AND A DERISION TO THEM THAT ARE ROUND ABOUT US. The name "Jew" became a byword. The Jews were treated with contempt in much of Europe. Jews were treated even worse in Arab Muslim lands than in Christian ones though some intellectuals (usually of European origin) pretend today that such was not the case. [Psalms 44:14] THOU MAKEST US A BYWORD AMONG THE HEATHEN, A SHAKING OF THE HEAD AMONG THE PEOPLE. [Psalms 44:15] MY CONFUSION IS CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME, AND THE SHAME OF MY FACE HATH COVERED ME, [Psalms 44:16] FOR THE VOICE OF HIM THAT REPROACHETH AND BLASPHEMETH; BY REASON OF THE ENEMY AND AVENGER. [Psalms 44:17] ALL THIS IS COME UPON US; YET HAVE WE NOT FORGOTTEN THEE, NEITHER HAVE WE DEALT FALSELY IN THY COVENANT. We were ashamed because of what we were. Judah was ashamed before the heathen of being a Jew. All this however was because of a basic loyalty to God. The ultimate cause may have been sin in the past or even in the present but the botom line was loyalty to the pact with God. Judah kept his part of the bargain. God will keep His. [Psalms 44:18] OUR HEART IS NOT TURNED BACK, NEITHER HAVE OUR STEPS DECLINED FROM THY WAY; [Psalms 44:19] THOUGH THOU HAST SORE BROKEN US IN THE PLACE OF DRAGONS, AND COVERED US WITH THE SHADOW OF DEATH. [Psalms 44:20] IF WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THE NAME OF OUR GOD, OR STRETCHED OUT OUR HANDS TO A STRANGE GOD; [Psalms 44:21] SHALL NOT GOD SEARCH THIS OUT? FOR HE KNOWETH THE SECRETS OF THE HEART. Judah is human and does as well as he understands he must. If this is insufficient then God can decide for Himself. [Psalms 44:22] YEA, FOR THY SAKE ARE WE KILLED ALL THE DAY LONG; WE ARE COUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER. God makes a bargain with the Israelite people. Judah keeps the covenant as he understands it should be kept and as indeed the simple literal meaning of this pact requires. Judah was persecuted and killed frequently in history. The Holocaust was only the culmination of a long experience of persecution, massacre, and periodic attempts to effect a complete elimination of the name of "Israel" that Judah bore. Judah suffered on behalf of himself and on behalf of all Israel and all of humanity. [Psalms 44:23] AWAKE, WHY SLEEPEST THOU, O LORD? ARISE, CAST US NOT OFF FOR EVER. [Psalms 44:24] WHEREFORE HIDEST THOU THY FACE, AND FORGETTEST OUR AFFLICTION AND OUR OPPRESSION? [Psalms 44:25] FOR OUR SOUL IS BOWED DOWN TO THE DUST: OUR BELLY CLEAVETH UNTO THE EARTH. [Psalms 44:26] ARISE FOR OUR HELP, AND REDEEM US FOR THY MERCIES' SAKE. We pray to the Almighty God to help us and He will do so. God will keep His part of the covenant-pact. Psalms Index Home |