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Psalm Seventy-nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT
A
Psalm of Asaph.
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 79
A Psalm of Asaph. This psalm was not written by one Asaph
who is supposed to live after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans
or
according to some
even after the times of Antiochus
of whom there is no
account
nor any certainty that there ever was such a man in those times; but
by Asaph
the seer and prophet
that lived in the time of David
who
under a
prophetic spirit
foresaw and foretold things that should come to pass
spoken
of in this psalm: nor is it any objection that what is here said is delivered
as an history of facts
since many prophecies are delivered in this way
especially those of the prophet Isaiah. The Targum is
"a
song by the hands of Asaph
concerning the destruction of the house of the
sanctuary (or temple)
which he said by a spirit of prophecy.'
The
title of the Syriac versions
"said
by Asaph concerning the destruction of Jerusalem.'
The
argument of the psalm is of the same kind with the Seventy Fourth. Some refer
it to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes; so Theodoret; but though the temple was
then defiled
Jerusalem was not utterly destroyed; and others to the
destruction of the city and temple by Nebuchadnezzar; and why may it not refer
to both
and even to the after destruction of both by Titus Vespasian? and may
include the affliction and troubles of the Christians under Rome Pagan and
Papal
and especially the latter; for Jerusalem and the temple may be
understood in a mystical and spiritual sense; at least the troubles of the
Jews
in the times referred to
were typical of what should befall the people
of God under the New Testament
and in antichristian times.
Psalm 79:1 O
God
the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have
defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
YLT
1O God
nations have come
into Thy inheritance
They have defiled Thy holy temple
They made Jerusalem
become heaps
O God
the Heathen are come into thine inheritance
.... The land
of Canaan
divided among the children of Israel by lot and line for an
inheritance
out of which the Heathen were cast
to make room for them; but now
would come into it again; see Psalm 89:35
and this is called the Lord's
inheritance
because he gave it as such to the people of Israel
and dwelt in
it himself; and the rather this is observed as something marvellous
that he
should suffer Heathens to possess his own inheritance; or the city of
Jerusalem
which was the place the Lord chose to put his name in; or the
temple
where he had his residence
called the mountain of his inheritance
Exodus 15:17
and into which it was always
accounted a profanation for Heathens to enter; see Acts 21:28
into each of these places the
Heathen came; the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar; the Syrians under Antiochus
as in the Apocrypha:
"Insomuch
that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the city was
made an habitation of strangers
and became strange to those that were born in
her; and her own children left her.' (1 Maccabees 1:38)
"Now
Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness
there was none of her children that went in
or out: the sanctuary also was trodden down
and aliens kept the strong hold;
the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob
and the pipe with the harp ceased.' (1 Maccabees 3:45)
the
Romans under Pompey
Vespasian
and Titus; and the Papists have since entered
among the people of God
who are his heritage or inheritance
and have lorded
it over them
and made havoc of them
and who are called Heathens and Gentiles
Psalm 10:16
thy holy temple have they defiled: this was done in the
times of Antiochus
by entering into it
taking away the holy vessels out of
it
shedding innocent blood in it
and setting up the abomination of desolation
on the altar
and sacrificing to it
as in the Apocrypha:
"Every
bridegroom took up lamentation
and she that sat in the marriage chamber was in
heaviness
' (1 Maccabees 1:27)
"Thus
they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary
and defiled it:' (1 Maccabees 1:37)
"And
pollute the sanctuary and holy people:' (1 Maccabees 1:46)
"And
whosoever was found with any the book of the testament
or if any committed to
the law
the king's commandment was
that they should put him to death.' (1 Maccabees 1:57)
"For
thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned
and thy priests are in heaviness
and brought low.' (1 Maccabees 3:51)
"And
they called upon the Lord
that he would look upon the people that was trodden
down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men;' (2 Maccabees 8:2)
and
by burning it in the times of Nebuchadnezzar and Titus; see Psalm 74:7
and the church
which is the
holy temple of God
has been defiled by antichrist sitting in it
and showing
himself there as if he was God
by his dreadful blasphemies
idolatrous
worship
and false doctrines
2 Thessalonians 2:4
they have laid Jerusalem on heaps; the walls and buildings
being pulled down
and made a heap of stones and rubbish: in the times of
Antiochus and of the Maccabees
it was set on fire
and the houses and the
walls pulled down on every side
and was greatly defaced
and threatened to be
laid level with the ground
as in the Apocrypha:
"And
when he had taken the spoils of the city
he set it on fire
and pulled down
the houses and walls thereof on every side.' (1 Maccabees 1:31)
"And
that he would have compassion upon the city
sore defaced
and ready to be made
even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto him
' (2 Maccabees 8:3)
"That
the holy city (to the which he was going in haste to lay it even with the
ground
and to make it a common buryingplace
) he would set at liberty:' (2 Maccabees 9:14)
and
this was thoroughly done in the times of Nebuchadnezzar and Titus
when the
city was broke up and burnt with fire
and laid utterly desolate; so the Targum
renders the word for "desolation"; it sometimes signifies a grave;
see Job 30:24
and the sense may be here
that
the city of Jerusalem was made graves to many; and multitudes were buried under
the ruins of it. Aben Ezra interprets it
low places which were dug to find
hidden things; the Septuagint translate it "a watch"
or cottage
"for apple orchards"
and so the versions that follow it; signifying
to what a low condition the city was reduced. Jarchi and Kimchi interpret the
word as we do
"heaps": this
as it is true of Jerusalem
which has
been trodden under foot by the Gentiles
and remains so to this day
Luke 21:24
so likewise of mystical
Jerusalem
the holy city
given to the Gentiles or Papists
to be trodden down
for the space of forty and two months
the exact time of the reign of
antichrist
Revelation 11:2.
Psalm 79:2 2 The dead bodies of Your
servants They have given as food for the birds of the heavens
The flesh
of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
YLT
2They gave the dead bodies
of Thy servants Food for the fowls of the heavens
The flesh of Thy saints For
the wild beast of the earth.
The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto
the fowls of the heaven
.... For such there were
both at the time of the Babylonish
captivity
and in the times of Antiochus
who were good men
and served the
Lord
and yet suffered in the common calamity. Nicanor
a general of Demetrius
in the time of the Maccabees
seems to have been guilty of such a fact as this
since
when he was slain
his tongue was given in pieces to the fowls
and the
reward of his madness was hung up before the temple
as in the Apocrypha:
"And
when he had cut out the tongue of that ungodly Nicanor
he commanded that they
should give it by pieces unto the fowls
and hang up the reward of his madness
before the temple.' (2 Maccabees 15:33)
the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth; this clause
and the following verse are applied to a case in the times of the Maccabees
when sixty men of the Assideans were slain
religious
devout
and holy men
so
called from the very word here translated "saints";
"Now
the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of
them:' (1 Maccabees 7:13)
"The
flesh of thy saints have they cast out
and their blood have they shed round
about Jerusalem
and there was none to bury them.' (1 Maccabees 7:17)
Psalm 79:3 3 Their blood they have shed
like water all around Jerusalem
And there was no one to bury them.
YLT
3They have shed their blood
As water round about Jerusalem
And there is none burying.
Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem
.... Without
any concern of mind
or remorse of conscience; without any fear of God or man;
as if it had been so much water only; and this they shed in great abundance:
from the Apocrypha:
"And
when he had taken all away
he went into his own land
having made a great
massacre
and spoken very proudly.' (1 Maccabees 1:24)
"And
spake peaceable words unto them
but all was deceit: for when they had given
him credence
he fell suddenly upon the city
and smote it very sore
and
destroyed much people of Israel.' (1 Maccabees 1:30)
"Thus
they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary
and defiled it:' (1 Maccabees 1:37)
"So
they rose up against them in battle on the sabbath
and they slew them
with
their wives and children and their cattle
to the number of a thousand people.'
(1 Maccabees 2:38)
in
like manner the blood of the saints has been shed by the antichristian beast of
Rome
for which he and his followers will be righteously retaliated
Revelation 17:6.
and there was none to bury them: either the number of the
slain was so great
that there were not left enough to bury the dead
or they
that did remain were not suffered to do it; this will be the case of the two
witnesses
when slain
Revelation 11:7.
Psalm 79:4 4 We have become a reproach
to our neighbors
A scorn and derision to those who are around us.
YLT
4We have been a reproach to
our neighbours
A scorn and a derision to our surrounders.
We are become a reproach to our neighbours
.... That is
those that remained; so the Jews were to the Edomites
especially at the time
of the Babylonish captivity
Psalm 137:7
a scorn and derision to them that are round about us; as the
Christians in all ages have been to the men of the world
and especially will
be insulted and triumphed over when the witnesses are slain
Revelation 11:10.
Psalm 79:5 5 How long
Lord? Will You be angry
forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
YLT
5Till when
O Jehovah? art
Thou angry for ever? Thy jealousy doth burn as fire.
How long
Lord
wilt thou be angry? for ever?.... That is
how long wilt thou be angry? shall it be for ever? see Psalm 85:4
for though what was done
or to
be done
as before related
was or will be done by the enemies of the Lord's
people
yet by his permission
and as a token of his anger and displeasure
against them: at least it might be so understood
both by them and by their
enemies; and hence this expostulation
shall thy jealousy burn like fire? so jealousy does; its
coals are coals of fire
Song of Solomon 8:6
there were
at the
times referred to
such among the people
who did evil things
and provoked the
Lord to jealousy and wrath: see the Apocrypha:
"And
there was very great wrath upon Israel.' (1 Maccabees 1:64)
"When
this was done
and they had made a common supplication
they besought the
merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.' (2 Maccabees 8:29)
Psalm 79:6 6 Pour out Your wrath on the
nations that do not know You
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your
name.
YLT
6Pour Thy fury on the
nations who have not known Thee
And on kingdoms that have not called in Thy
name.
Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that have not known thee
.... Who had
poured out the blood of the saints like water
and therefore it was a righteous
thing with God to pour out the cup of wrath in his hands
and cause them to
drink the dregs of it: these words
though they are in the form of an
imprecation
yet regard not private revenge
but public justice
and the honour
of God; and
besides
may be considered as a prophecy of what would be
and
particularly of God's pouring out the vials of his wrath on the antichristian
states; who
though they profess Christianity
are no other than Heathens
and
have no spiritual and serious knowledge of Christ:
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name; but upon
their idols of gold
silver
brass
and stone
on the Virgin Mary
angels
and
saints departed; for these
besides the kingdoms of Babylon
Syria
and Rome
Pagan
are the kingdoms of the ten kings
that gave their kingdoms to the
beast
and committed fornication
i.e. idolatry
with the whore of Rome; see Revelation 17:2
these words are referred
to in Jeremiah 10:25 and also the following.
Psalm 79:7 7 For they have devoured
Jacob
And laid waste his dwelling place.
YLT
7For [one] hath devoured
Jacob
And his habitation they have made desolate.
For they have devoured Jacob
.... The posterity of
Jacob
the people of the Jews
typical of the church of God
made havoc of by
the Romish antichrist: and laid waste his dwelling place; both Jerusalem and
the temple
which was done both by the Chaldeans and the Romans
and also in
the times of Antiochus; see the Apocrypha:
"38
Insomuch that the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon the
city was made an habitation of strangers
and became strange to those that were
born in her; and her own children left her. 39 Her sanctuary was laid waste
like a wilderness
her feasts were turned into mourning
her sabbaths into
reproach her honour into contempt.' (1 Maccabees 1)
"4In
his acts he was like a lion
and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey. 5
For He pursued the wicked
and sought them out
and burnt up those that vexed
his people.' (1 Maccabees 3)
which
were types of the Gospel church made desolate by the Papists: the wordF4נוהו "caulam ejus"
Michaelis. used signifies a
sheepcote
the dwelling place of those sheep that are troubled by the beast of
Rome.
Psalm 79:8 8 Oh
do not remember former
iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us
For we
have been brought very low.
YLT
8Remember not for us the
iniquities of forefathers
Haste
let Thy mercies go before us
For we have
been very weak.
O remember not against us former iniquities
.... Or
"our ancient iniquities"
as the Septuagint; the most ancient sin of
all is that of our first parents
in which we are involved
and by which we are
made sinners; and for which judgment comes upon all men; and from thence flows
the corruption of nature
or that original sin of our nature in which we are
all conceived and born
and so are transgressors from the womb; or iniquities
of former times
of our youth
as Kimchi
sins done of old
committed long ago
in the youthful age
see Psalm 25:7
or the sins of former persons
of our fathers
as Aben Ezra
which the Lord visits sometimes upon the
children: some think reference is had to the sin of their forefathers in making
and worshipping the golden calf; the JewsF5T Hieros. Taanioth
fol.
68. 3. have a saying
that there is no punishment happens to Israel
but there
is an ounce in it for the sin of the calf; their meaning is
that this is
always remembered and visited
according to Exodus 32:34
the phrase may take in all
the sins of former persons
their ancestors
and of former times
from age to
age
they had continued in
which had brought ruin upon them; and all their own
sins
of nature and of youth
all past ones
to the present time: and it is
desired that God would not "remember these against them"; that is
that he would not chastise or punish them for them
but that he would pardon
them; for forgiveness of sin is sometimes expressed by a non-remembrance of it
Isaiah 43:25
or that he would not
"remember unto"F6אל תזכר לנו "ne memineris
nobis"
Montanus
Michaelis; so Cocceius. them; that is
put them in mind
of them
lay them home and heavy upon their consciences
charge them with the
guilt of them
and demand satisfaction for them; which is causing them to possess
the sins of their youth
or former ones
Job 13:26
let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us; the mercy of
God is rich
plenteous
and abundant; many are the acts
and manifold the
instances of it; and there is a heart of compassion
and a tenderness expressed
in it; and which is free
and comes before the merits of men
goes before them
and is not caused by them; and the phrase denotes the early and timely application
of it
the case being desperate
and requiring haste
and the danger such that
nothing but mercy could prevent; and indeed it is mercy that prevents both our
temporal and eternal ruin. The reason given for this request is
for we are brought very low; sin brings men into a
low estate
and only the grace and mercy of God can raise them up
and that
exalts to an high estate; or are become very "weak"F7דלונו "attenuati"
Pagninus
Montanus
Tigurine
version
Vatablus
Musculus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. and helpless;
sin strips men of their strength
leaves them without any
and incapable of
helping themselves out of that estate into which it has brought them: or are
quite "exhausted"F8"Exhausti"
Gejerus
Michaelis. and dried up
no good thing in them
no comfort left them; but are
poor
and wretched
and miserable.
Psalm 79:9 9 Help us
O God of our
salvation
For the glory of Your name; And deliver us
and provide atonement
for our sins
For Your name’s sake!
YLT
9Help us
O God of our
salvation
Because of the honour of Thy name
And deliver us
and cover over
our sins
For Thy name's sake.
Help us
O God of our salvation
for the glory of thy name
.... Help us
out of the troubles in which we are; enable us to bear them with patience
and
without murmuring
while it is thy pleasure to continue them; assist us against
our powerful enemies
and strengthen us to do our duty; afford us more grace
and fresh supplies of it in our time of need: the arguments enforcing these
petitions are
because God is "the God of salvation"
to whom it
belongs
of whom it is
and of him only to be expected; he is the sole author
and giver of it; and because to help and save is for the glory of his name
which is great in the salvation of his people:
and deliver us; out of the hands of all our enemies
and
out of all our afflictions
and out of this low estate in which we are:
and purge away our sins for thy name's sake; which were
the cause of all calamities and distress
and which can only be purged away by
the blood and sacrifice of Christ
Hebrews 1:3
the word signifies to
"expiate"F9כפר "expiationem
fac"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Michaelis. sin
or atone for it;
which was the work and business of Christ our High Priest
who has made
reconciliation for sin
finished
made an end of it
and put it away by the
oblation of himself
for the sake of which God is propitious; and so the words
may be rendered
"be propitious to our sins"F11"Propitiare"
Pagninus
Montanus; "propitius esto"
V. L. Musculus; so Tigurine
version. : or merciful to our unrighteousnesses
for the sake of Christ the
great propitiation; or through the propitiatory sacrifice to be offered up by
him; or
in other words
"cover our sins"F12כפר metaph. "texit"
Amama. ; which is also the
sense of the phrase
that they may be seen no more; pardon and forgive them for
Christ's sake; see Psalm 32:1.
Psalm 79:10 10 Why should the nations
say
“Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our
sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
YLT
10Why 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.
Wherefore should the Heathen say
where is their God?.... They
boast of
and put their confidence in
and expect salvation from? he does not
appear for them
he is not with them; he has forsaken them
and will not help
them; than which nothing can be more afflicting and distressing to the Lord's
people; see Psalm 42:3
let him be known among the Heathen in our sight; in his
holiness and justice
as a God of power
and to whom vengeance belongs; let him
be known by his judgments executed upon the Heathen
openly and publicly in our
sight
and in the view of the whole world; see Psalm 9:16
so it follows
by the revenging of the blood of thy servants
which is shed; as in Psalm 79:3
which blood God will revenge
according to the request of his people
and give them blood to drink by way of
retaliation; by which means his vindictive justice will be known
and it will
be seen where the God of his people is
that he is with them
and maintains
their cause; see Revelation 6:9. The words may be rendered
in connection with the preceding clause thus; "let it be known among the
Heathen in our sight
even the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is
shed"; though Kimchi supplies the words as we do
"by a
revenging"
&c.
Psalm 79:11 11 Let the groaning of the
prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve
those who are appointed to die;
YLT
11Let the groaning of the
prisoner come in before Thee
According to the greatness of Thine arm
Leave
Thou the sons of death.
Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee
.... Such as
were so in a literal or spiritual sense; and the sighs and groans of such are
not hid from the Lord; they come up into his ears as did the sighing and
groaning of the children of Israel when in Egypt
Exodus 2:23
according to the greatness of thy power
preserve thou those that
are appointed to die; not by the Lord
as all men are
but by men; who are under a
sentence of condemnation
who are ready to die
being appointed to destruction
Proverbs 31:6
or are in danger of death
as Jarchi observes; the phrase is used in Talmudic writings; whose lives are
exposed to danger
who are killed all the day long
and are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter
Psalm 44:22
these it is desired the Lord
would keep from dying
or cause them to remain in life; or not suffer their
lives to be taken away from them
which he was able to do through "the
greatness of his power"; though these words according to the accents
belong to the preceding clause. The Targum
and so Jarchi
and other Jewish
writers
render the words
"loose thou those"
&c. mention being
made before of prisoners
or of persons bound.
Psalm 79:12 12 And return to our
neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach with which they have
reproached You
O Lord.
YLT
12And turn Thou back to our
neighbours
Sevenfold unto their bosom
their reproach
Wherewith they
reproached Thee
O Lord.
And render unto our neighbours seven fold into their bosom
Not seven
fold for one
as the Targum paraphrases it
or a seven fold punishment for one
sin; but that he would recompense their sins
or punish for them
and take
vengeance on them
largely
abundantly
though not beyond measure
or exceeding
the rules of justice; see Genesis 4:15
the reproach with which they have reproached thee
O Lord; by denying
his being
or calling in question his perfections of power
truth
and
goodness
to help his people; speaking ill of his providence
despising his
word and ordinances
and even reproaching his people in reproaching him
Psalm 89:50
and this is what a righteous
recompence is desired for; see Lamentations 3:64.
Psalm 79:13 13 So we
Your people and
sheep of Your pasture
Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your
praise to all generations.
YLT
13And we
Thy people
and the
flock of Thy pasture
We give thanks to Thee to the age
To all generations we
recount Thy praise!
So we thy people
and sheep of thy pasture
.... Who were
the people of God
not by creation and providence only
as all men are
being
his creatures
and provided for by him; but by special choice
and by covenant
grace: and "the sheep of his pasture"; whom he feeds as a shepherd
does his flock
provides good pasture for them
and leads them into it:
will give thee thanks for ever
we will show forth thy praise to
all generations: the above petitions being answered and fulfilled; the work of
praise is acceptable unto God
what he is well pleased with
being glorified
thereby; and is what becomes his people to do
and which they are formed for
and that for evermore
as long as they live in this world
and to all eternity
in another; and who will and do take care that the wonders of divine grace and
providence be transmitted and told to their posterity in succeeding ages
that
so thanks may be given him
and his praise shown forth in one generation after
another.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》