Psalm 73-83
New Catholic Bible
Book III—Psalms 73–89[a]
Psalm 73[b]
False Happiness of the Wicked
1 A psalm of Asaph.[c]
God is truly good to the upright,[d]
to those who are pure in heart.
2 [e]But as for me, I nearly lost my balance;[f]
I was almost at the point of stumbling.
3 For I was filled with envy of the arrogant
when I perceived how the wicked prosper.
4 [g]They endure no painful suffering;
their bodies are healthy and well fed.
5 They are not plagued with burdens common to all;
the troubles of life do not afflict them.
6 So they wear arrogance like a necklace
and don violence like a robe.
7 Their callous hearts overflow with malice,
and their minds are completely taken up with evil plans.
8 They mock and pour forth their malevolence;
in their haughtiness they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths rage against the heavens
while their tongues are never stilled on the earth.
10 [h]So the people blindly follow them
and find nothing offensive in their words.[i]
11 They say: “How does God know?
Does the Most High notice anything?”
12 Such are the wicked,
as they pile up wealth, without any concerns.
13 [j]Is it in vain that I have kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence?
14 For I am stricken day after day
and punished every morning.
15 If I had decided, “I will speak like them,”
I would not have been true to your children.[k]
16 [l]When I tried to understand all this,
I found it too difficult for me,
17 until I entered the sanctuary of God[m]
and realized what their final end would be.
18 [n]Indeed, you set them on a slippery slope
and cast them headlong into utter ruin.
19 How suddenly they are destroyed,
completely wiped out by terrors!
20 When you arise, O Lord,
you will dismiss them
as one discards a dream on awakening.
21 [o]When my heart was embittered
and my soul was deeply tormented,
22 I was stupid and unable to comprehend—
like a brute beast in your presence.
23 [p]Yet I am always with you;
you grasp me by the right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me into glory.[q]
25 Whom do I have in heaven except you?
And besides you there is nothing else I desire on earth.
26 Even should my heart and my flesh[r] fail,
God is the rock of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 [s]But all those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy those who are unfaithful to you.
28 As for me, my happiness is to be near God,
and I have made the Lord God my refuge;
I will proclaim all your works[t]
at the gates of the Daughter of Zion.
Psalm 74[u]
Prayer in Time of Calamity
1 A maskil[v] of Asaph.
Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?
Why[w] does your anger blaze forth
against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the people that you purchased long ago,
the tribe that you redeemed as your own possession,[x]
and Mount Zion that you chose as your dwelling.
3 Direct now your steps[y] to the endless ruins,
toward the sanctuary destroyed by the enemy.
4 Your foes exulted triumphantly in the place of your assembly
and set up their memorial emblems.
5 They set upon it with their axes
as if it were a thicket of trees.
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers,
they bludgeoned all the carved work.
7 They set your sanctuary ablaze;
they razed and defiled the dwelling place of your name.[z]
8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly crush them,”
and they burned every shrine of God in the land.[aa]
9 Now we see no signs,
there are no longer any prophets,
and none of us knows how long this will last.[ab]
10 How long, O God, will the foe mock you?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?[ac]
11 Why do you hold back your right hand?
Take it out from your robe and destroy them.[ad]
12 Yet you, O God, are my King from of old,
working deeds of salvation throughout the earth.
13 [ae]By your power you split the sea in two
and shattered the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave him as food for the wild beasts.
15 You opened up springs and torrents
and turned flowing rivers into dry land.[af]
16 [ag]Yours is the day, and yours also is the night,
for you set in place both sun and moon.
17 You fixed all the boundaries of the earth
and created both summer and winter.
18 [ah]Remember, O Lord, how the enemy has mocked you,
how a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
19 Do not surrender the soul of your dove[ai] to wild beasts;
do not forget forever the life of your poor.
20 Have regard for your covenant!
For the land is filled with darkness,
and the pastures are haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the oppressed turn back in shame;
let the poor and needy[aj] bless your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the outbursts of your enemies,
the unceasing tumult of your foes.
Psalm 75[ak]
God Is Judge of the World
1 For the director.[al] According to “Do not destroy!” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
2 We give thanks[am] to you, O God,
we give thanks to you.
For your wondrous deeds
declare that your name is near.
3 [an]You say, “When I receive the assembly,
I will judge with equity.
4 When the earth quakes, with all its inhabitants,
it is I who will hold its pillars firm.[ao] Selah
5 [ap]“I say to the arrogant,[aq] ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
6 Do not rebel against heaven
or speak with arrogance against the Rock.’ ”[ar]
7 [as]For judgment does not come from east or west,
nor from the wilderness or the mountains.[at]
8 Rather, it is God who judges rightly,
humbling one and exalting another.[au]
9 The Lord holds in his hand a cup
filled with foaming wine and richly spiced.
When he pours it out,
all the wicked[av] of the earth must drink;
they will drain it down to the dregs.
10 As for me, I will proclaim this forever;
I will sing praises[aw] to the God of Jacob.
11 “I will cut off all the horns of the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous[ax] will be exalted.”
Psalm 76[ay]
God, Defender of Zion
1 For the director.[az] With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
2 [ba]God is renowned in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.
3 His tent has been established in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.
4 There he shattered the flashing arrows,
shields and swords and weapons of war. Selah
5 [bb]You are awesome and resplendent,
more majestic than the everlasting mountains.
6 The bold warriors lie plundered
and sleeping their last sleep.[bc]
And not one of the men of war
can lift up his hands.
7 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both chariots and horses lie prostrate.
8 You indeed are awesome;
who can stand in your presence when your anger is aroused?
9 You thundered your verdicts from the heavens;
the earth in its terror was silent
10 when you arose, O God, to judge,
to rescue all the afflicted of the land.[bd] Selah
11 Human wrath only serves to praise you;[be]
those who survive your anger will cling to you.
12 [bf]Make vows to the Lord, your God, and keep them;
let all the lands nearby
bring gifts to the Awesome One,
13 who breaks the spirit of rulers
and inspires fear in the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77[bg]
Lament and Consolation in Distress
1 For the director.[bh] For Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.
2 [bi]I cry aloud to God,
for when I cry out to God, he hears me.[bj]
3 In the time of my distress I seek the Lord;
at night I stretch out my hands unceasingly,
and my soul refuses to be consoled.
4 [bk]I groan as I think of God;
my spirit grows faint as I meditate on him. Selah
5 You keep my eyes from closing in sleep;
I am much too distraught to speak.
6 I reflect on the days of old
and recall the years long past.
7 At night I meditate in my heart,[bl]
and as I reflect, my spirit questions:
8 [bm]“Will the Lord cast us off forever
and never again show us his favor?
9 Has his kindness[bn] vanished forever?
Has his promise ceased for all time?
10 Has God forgotten how to be merciful?
Has he shut up his compassion in anger?” Selah
11 [bo]And I say: “This is my grief—
that the right hand[bp] of the Most High has changed.”
12 I will remember the works of the Lord;
I will call to mind your wonders in the past.
13 I will reflect on all your deeds
and ponder your wondrous works.[bq]
14 O God, your way is holy.[br]
What god is as great as our God?
15 You are the God who works wonders;
you have displayed your might to the nations.
16 With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.[bs] Selah
17 [bt]When the waters[bu] beheld you, O God,
when the waters beheld you, they writhed;
the very depths trembled.
18 The clouds poured forth their water,
the skies thundered,
your arrows[bv] flashed back and forth.
19 The crash of your thunder resounded in the heavens;
your flashes of lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.[bw]
20 Your path led through the sea,
your way, through the mighty waters,
though none could trace your footsteps.[bx]
21 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.[by]
Psalm 78[bz]
God’s Goodness in the Face of Ingratitude
1 A maskil[ca] of Asaph.
[cb]Give ear, my people, to my teaching;
pay attention to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables[cc]
and expound the mysteries of the past.
3 [cd]These things we have heard and know,
for our ancestors have related them to us.
4 We will not conceal them from our children;
we will relate them to the next generation,
the glorious and powerful deeds of the Lord
and the wonders he has performed.
5 He instituted a decree in Jacob
and established a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to make known to their descendants,
6 so that they would be known to future generations,
to children yet to be born.
In turn they were to tell their children,
7 so that they would place their trust in God,
and never forget his works
but keep his commandments.
8 Nor were they to imitate their ancestors,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart[ce] was not steadfast
and whose spirit was unfaithful to God.
9 [cf]The Ephraimites, who were skilled archers,
fled in terror on the day of battle.[cg]
10 They failed to keep God’s covenant
and refused to live in accord with his law.
11 They forgot the works he had done,
the wonders he had performed for them.
12 He worked marvels in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt, in the Plain of Zoan.[ch]
13 He divided the sea so that they could pass,
heaping up the waters as a mound.
14 He led them with a cloud by day,
and with the light of a fire by night.
15 He split open rocks in the wilderness
and gave them water to drink from limitless depths.
16 He brought forth streams from a rocky crag
and caused water to flow down in torrents.
17 [ci]But they still sinned[cj] against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
18 They tested God’s patience
by demanding the food they craved.[ck]
19 They railed against God, saying:
“Can God provide a banquet in the wilderness?
20 Certainly when he struck the rock,
water gushed forth and the streams overflowed.
But can he also give us bread
or provide meat for his people?”[cl]
21 When the Lord heard this, he was filled with anger;
his fire blazed forth against Jacob,
and his wrath mounted against Israel,
22 because they had no faith in God
and put no trust in his saving might.
23 Yet he issued a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens.
24 He rained down manna for them to eat,
giving them the grain of heaven.
25 Mere mortals ate the bread of angels;[cm]
he sent them an abundance of provisions.
26 He made the east wind blow in the heavens
and brought forth the south wind in force.
27 He rained down meat upon them like dust,
winged birds like the sands on the seashore.
28 He let them fall within the camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate and were completely satisfied,
for he had given them what they desired.
30 But when they did not curb their cravings,
even while the food was in their mouths,
31 the anger of God blazed up against them;
he slew their strongest warriors
and laid low the chosen of Israel.
32 [cn]Despite this, they continued to sin;
they put no faith in his wonders.
33 So he brought their days to an abrupt end
and cut off their years with sudden terror.[co]
34 When death afflicted them,
they sought him;
they searched eagerly for God.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,[cp]
that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36 However, while they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
37 their hearts[cq] were not right with him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
38 Even so, he was compassionate toward them;
he forgave their guilt
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he held back his anger,
unwilling to stir up his rage.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh,
like a breath of wind that does not return.
40 [cr]How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and pained him in the wasteland.
41 Again and again they tested God’s patience,
provoking the Holy One of Israel.[cs]
42 They did not keep in mind his power
or the day when he delivered them from their oppressor,
43 when he manifested his wonders in Egypt
and his portents in the Plain of Zoan.
44 [ct]He turned their rivers into blood;
they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them
and frogs that devastated them.
46 He assigned their harvest to the caterpillars
and their produce to the locusts.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He exposed their cattle to hailstones
and their flocks to bolts of lightning.
49 He sent upon them his blazing anger,
wrath, fury, and hostility,
a band of destroying angels.[cu]
50 He gave his anger free rein;
he did not spare them from death
but delivered their lives to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their manhood in the tents of Ham.[cv]
52 Then he led forth his people like sheep
and guided them through the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them in safety, and they were not afraid,
while the sea engulfed their enemies.
54 He brought them to his holy land,
to the mountain his right hand had purchased.
55 He drove out the nations before them,
apportioning a heritage for each of them
and settling the tribes of Israel in their tents.[cw]
56 [cx]Even so, they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High,
refusing to observe his decrees.
57 They turned away and were disloyal like their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a faulty bow.
58 They angered him with their high places[cy]
and made him jealous with their idols.
59 When God saw this, he became enraged
and rejected Israel totally.[cz]
60 He forsook his dwelling in Shiloh,[da]
the tent where he dwelt among mortals.
61 He surrendered his might into captivity
and his glory[db] into the hands of the enemy.
62 He abandoned his people to the sword
and vented his wrath on his own heritage.
63 Fire devoured their young men,
and their maidens had no wedding song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows sang no lamentation.
65 [dc]Then the Lord awakened as from sleep,
like a warrior flushed from the effects of wine.
66 He struck his enemies and routed them,
inflicting perpetual shame on them.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph
and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 Rather, he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion,[dd] which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
and like the earth[de] that he founded forever.
70 He chose David[df] to be his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds.
71 From tending sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of Israel, his heritage.
72 He shepherded them with an unblemished heart
and guided them with a knowing hand.[dg]
Psalm 79[dh]
Prayer for Restoration
1 A psalm of Asaph.[di]
[dj]O God, the nations have invaded your heritage;
they have profaned your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of the air,
the flesh of your saints
to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and no one is left to bury them.[dk]
4 We have become the scorn of our neighbors,
mocked and derided by those around us.[dl]
5 [dm]How long, O Lord?[dn] Will you be angry forever?
How long will your rage continue to blaze like a fire?
6 [do]Pour out your wrath on the nations
that refuse to acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms
that fail to call on your name.[dp]
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and ravaged his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of our ancestors;
let your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate straits.[dq]
9 [dr]Help us, O God, our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and wipe away our sins
for your name’s sake.[ds]
10 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes make it clearly known among those nations
that you avenge[dt] the blood of your servants.
11 Let the groans of the captives come before you;
through your great power
save those who have been sentenced to death.[du]
12 Repay our neighbors sevenfold[dv] in their breasts, O Lord,
for the insults with which they taunted you.
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will offer thanks to you[dw] forever;
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
Psalm 80[dx]
Prayer for the Persecuted People
1 For the director.[dy] According to “Lilies.” Eduth. A psalm of Asaph.
2 [dz]Listen to us, O shepherd of Israel,[ea]
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
As you sit enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
3 over Ephraim,[eb] Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Stir up your power
and come to save us.
4 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine[ec] upon us,
and we will be saved.
5 O Lord of hosts,[ed]
how long will you be angry
at your people’s prayers?
6 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and made them drink tears beyond measure.
7 You have made us an object of contention to our neighbors,
a source of mockery to our enemies.
8 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine upon us,
and we will be saved.
9 [ee]You brought a vine[ef] out of Egypt;
you dispersed the nations and planted it.
10 You prepared the ground for it;
then it took root and filled the land.
11 The mountains were covered with its shade
and the cedars of God[eg] with its shoots.
12 It sent out its boughs as far as the Sea,[eh]
its shoots as far as the river.
13 [ei]Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pluck its grapes?[ej]
14 The boars from the forest ravage it,
and wild beasts of the field feed on it.
15 Turn once again to us, O Lord of hosts;[ek]
look down from heaven and see;
take care of this vine,
16 this shoot[el] that your right hand has planted,
the son that you yourself made strong.
17 Let those who would burn it or cut it down
perish when confronted by your rebuke.
18 Let your hand rest upon the man at your right,[em]
the son of man that you yourself made strong.
19 Then we will never again turn away from you;
give us life and we will call upon your name.[en]
20 Restore us, O Lord of hosts;
let your face shine upon us,
and we will be saved.
Psalm 81[eo]
Exhortation To Worship Worthily
1 For the director.[ep] “Upon the gittith.” Of Asaph.
2 Sing out your joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob.[eq]
3 Raise the chant and sound the tambourine;
play the pleasant harp and the lyre.
4 Sound the trumpet at the new moon,
and also at the full moon on the day of our Feast.[er]
5 For this is a law in Israel,
a decree of the God of Jacob.
6 He imposed this testimony on Joseph[es]
when he departed from the land of Egypt.
I now hear an unfamiliar voice:
7 “I lifted the burden from their shoulders;
their hands put aside the laborer’s basket.[et]
8 When you cried out to me in distress, I rescued you;[eu]
from the thunderclouds I answered you;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah: Selah
9 “ ‘Listen to me, O my people, while I warn you.
O Israel, if only you would listen to me!
10 You must not accept a foreign god in your presence;
you must not bow down to an alien deity.
11 I am the Lord, your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
open your mouth[ev] wide so that I may fill it.’
12 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel refused to obey me.[ew]
13 So I abandoned them to their stubborn hearts[ex]
and let them follow their own devices.
14 [ey]“If only my people would listen to me,
if only Israel would walk in my ways,[ez]
15 I would quickly subdue their enemies
and raise my hand[fa] against their foes.
16 “Then those who hate the Lord[fb] would tremble before him,
for their doom would last forever.
17 But Israel he would feed with the finest of wheat[fc]
and fill them with honey from the rock.”
Psalm 82[fd]
Judgment on Abuse of Authority
1 A psalm of Asaph.[fe]
God takes his place in the divine council;[ff]
in the midst of the gods he pronounces judgment:
2 “How long will you issue unfair judgments
and rule in favor of those who are wicked?[fg] Selah
3 [fh]“Grant justice to the weak and the orphan;
defend the rights of the lowly and the poor.
4 Rescue the wretched and the needy;
free them from the hand of the wicked.
5 “They neither know nor understand;
they wander around in darkness
while all the foundations of the earth[fi] are crumbling.
6 [fj]I declare, ‘Although you are gods,
all of you sons of the Most High,
7 you will die as all men do;
like any ruler you will fall.’ ”[fk]
8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,
for all the nations belong to you.[fl]
Psalm 83[fm]
Against a Hostile Alliance
1 A song. A psalm of Asaph.[fn]
2 O God, do not remain silent;[fo]
do not be quiet and inactive, O God.
3 [fp]Note how your enemies rage about,
how your foes increase in arrogance.[fq]
4 They formulate shrewd plans against your people,
conspiring against those you love.
5 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be totally forgotten.”
6 They conspire with a single mind,
forming an alliance[fr] against you:
7 [fs]the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
8 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,
Philistia, and the inhabitants of Tyre;
9 Assyria has also joined them as an ally,
offering aid to the descendants of Lot. Selah
10 [ft]Deal with them as you did with Midian,[fu]
and with Sisera and Jabin at the brook of Kishon,[fv]
11 who were destroyed at Endor
and became manure for the ground.
12 [fw]Make their chieftains like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
13 who boasted, “Let us seize for ourselves
the pastures of God.”
14 [fx]O my God, treat them like tumbleweed,
like chaff blown before the wind.
15 As a fire rages through a forest,
as a flame sets mountains ablaze,
16 so hound them with your tempests
and terrify them with your stormwinds.[fy]
17 Fill their faces with shame
so that they will seek your name,[fz] O Lord.
18 [ga]Let them be humiliated and terrified forever;
let them be disgraced and perish.
19 Let them know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:1 This third Book of the Psalter combines the collections of psalms of Asaph (probably a choral leader in the Jerusalem temple; see 1 Chr 25:2-6; 2 Chr 29:30) with the end of the Psalter of the Sons of Korah, which began in the second Book (Pss 42–49). The prayers are varied in accord with the experience of believers; we pass from the lament of the innocent to the exultation after victory. We read, by turns, canticles of Zion, chants of joy and hope, and historical retrospectives that often take the tone of great national lamentations. Each prayer expresses in a new way the longing for God and his salvation.
- Psalm 73:1 The psalmist is taken back by the prosperity of the wicked and the sufferings of the righteous (see Job; Eccl 7:15; Jer 12:1; Mal 3:15). Those who make sport of God seem to succeed in life much more than believers, and their example becomes a scandal for the righteous and the wise: what is the good of remaining faithful? Still he knows that no one should deny God. Tempted by doubt, the faithful psalmist reflects and seeks light in God’s presence; in such a meditation, his faith deepens and a conviction imposes itself on him with new force: human glory has no tomorrow, but the friendship of God remains forever precious; it cannot end or deceive. The psalmist-sage who expresses himself here begins to suspect that the joy of being with the Lord could become eternal happiness (v. 24).
In times of trouble, at moments when people grow weary of being faithful, this psalm brings the grace of refreshment to the interior life. - Psalm 73:1 Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 73:1 The upright: literally, “Israel,” i.e., the group of the “poor” (see v. 15; Pss 72:2ff; 149:4; 1 Mac 1:53; Isa 49:3, 13). Pure in heart: see note on Ps 24:4. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 73:2 Like many of the godly, the psalmist envied the prosperity of the wicked and their arrogance. Everything seemed to go well for them. They experienced “prosperity,” i.e., well-being, full family life, and success in business. Hence, the psalmist was miserable, filled with self-pity and discontent with God’s justice. But, although he almost lost his foothold on the “way” of the Lord, he righted himself with the help of the Lord, who sustains his saints (see Ps 37:23ff).
- Psalm 73:2 I nearly lost my balance: see note on Ps 37:30-31.
- Psalm 73:4 The psalmist describes the reasons that led the godly to envy the wicked. Evildoers seem to be carefree and unconcerned for the future. They have wealth and power and enjoy freedom of movement and speech. They appear untouched by life’s frustrations: frailty, adversities, diseases, and hard labor. They disregard God and his laws with apparent impunity. They decree what can be done on earth and even what God can do in heaven. In short, it seems that God lets the wicked get away with their wickedness. Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 73:10 From the mistaken viewpoint of an afflicted person, the wicked enjoy power, glory, and prosperity without end.
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is unclear. Another translation is: “So the people turn to them / and find no fault in them.”
- Psalm 73:13 The psalmist begins to have doubts about his effort to keep himself holy (see Pss 24:4; 119:9). He questions himself about the troubles and sufferings that he experiences while the wicked seem to have no such problems.
- Psalm 73:15 If he had expressed in public what he had been thinking, the psalmist would have denied the ancestral traditions and beliefs (see note on Ps 139:19-24) and betrayed the “poor.” For the Lord is a father to Israel (Ex 4:22; Isa 63:16; Hos 11:1).
- Psalm 73:16 Understanding did not come to the psalmist until he entered into the sanctuary of God. There he regained his perspective in the light of God’s greatness, glory, and majesty. He realized once again that the Lord is just and will judge the wicked in accord with their evil deeds.
- Psalm 73:17 Sanctuary of God: literally, “the divine sanctuaries.” Rather than the temple (see Jer 51:51) where he would have been enlightened by God, or the divine mysteries (see Wis 2:22) in which he would have received revelation, this expression indicates the teaching contained in the Scriptures, the abode of wisdom (see Ps 119:130; Prov 9:1ff; Sir 39:1).
- Psalm 73:18 In reality, God makes the state of the wicked so precarious that they will not be stable but will vanish like the figures of a dream. The assurance of Scripture is that the wicked will incur sudden and complete judgment. They will be assailed by all kinds of terrors and death itself.
- Psalm 73:21 The psalmist stresses his former embittered state once again. In his grief he was irrational (see Ps 94:8) and not ruled by wisdom; he was like the fools who are compared to brute beasts (see Ps 49:13, 21; Isa 1:2f). He was assailed by doubt and mired in self-pity—but God used this experience to make him a better person and bring him closer to himself. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 73:23 The psalmist’s experience of anguish is transformed into the joy of God’s presence and his greatness. God protects him by holding his right hand (v. 23; see Ps 63:8; Isa 41:10, 13; 42:6; Jer 31:32), by strengthening his resolve (rock, v. 26; see Ps 18:3), and by taking care of all his needs (portion, v. 26; see Ps 16:5). God gives his servant wisdom and insight (counsel) as he journeys toward everlasting glory (v. 24; see Ps 32:8).
- Psalm 73:24 Receive me into glory: is it a question here of heavenly glory? The text does not make this clear. It states that God will preserve the righteous from a brutal and premature death and rehabilitate them (see Job 19:9; 29:18; 42:7), while he despises the wicked who will suddenly disappear (v. 18f). Nothing obliges us to give the verb “receive” a stronger meaning than in Pss 18:17 (“snatched me up”) and 49:16 (“take”—see also note there) based on the assumption into heaven of Enoch (Gen 5:24; Sir 44:16) and Elijah (2 Ki 2:3; Sir 48:9). However, as in Ps 16:9f, the psalmist’s fervor and the demands of his love for God lead him to long never to be separated from him; it constitutes a stage in the explicit belief in the resurrection, attested in Dan 12:2.
- Psalm 73:26 My heart and my flesh: the whole being (see Ps 84:3). Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Portion: as a Levite, the psalmist has the Lord for his portion (or inheritance) of the Promised Land, i.e., he lives off the tithes that the people present to the Lord (see Num 18:21-24; Deut 10:9; 18:1-8).
- Psalm 73:27 The psalmist now understands that all who are unfaithful to God must perish. Their judgment is a consequence not only of their failure to profess faith in God but also of their immoral and unjust practices.
- Psalm 73:28 I will proclaim all your works: the psalmist expresses the vow to praise the Lord’s mercies (see note on Ps 7:18). At the gates of the Daughter of Zion: this phrase is added to the final line of the Septuagint. It is taken from Ps 9:15, which may be a liturgical adaptation.
- Psalm 74:1 This lamentation expresses the soul of a stricken people who feel abandoned even by God. The deportees who have returned from the Exile (538–529 B.C.), or else the Jews persecuted by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (167–164 B.C.), mourn over their sanctuary, which the pagans have profaned (see 2 Ki 25:9-12; Isa 64:10 for the former and 1 Mac 4:38; 2 Mac 1:8 for the latter). Has the Lord forgotten the covenant and the wonders he once accomplished to free his people (Ps 74:13-14), to sustain them in the journey through the wilderness, and to open the Promised Land for them (v. 15)?
Rightly, the past prevents the psalmist from despairing and enables him to believe in a better future. Israel has now lost all pretense of power; it is the community of the poor (vv. 19-21), conscious of its weakness; it is like the timid dove that God cannot abandon to the ferocity of the beasts (v. 19).
Prolonging Christ’s presence and even identifying mysteriously with him, the Church is now God’s people on earth (see 1 Pet 2:9f). She is also the earthly, visible temple of God, his city and the spiritual capital of the world (see 1 Cor 3:16; 1 Pet 2:4-6). Hence, her members can pray this psalm in trials when Christ seems to have delivered them over to persecution without end. - Psalm 74:1 Maskil: see note on Ps 32:1a. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 74:1 Why . . . ? Why . . . ?: see note on Ps 6:4. Forever: figuratively speaking; it seemed like forever. Sheep of your pasture: see note on Ps 23.
- Psalm 74:2 In this time of great calamity, the psalmist begs God to recall his exploits at the Exodus, the Conquest, and the establishment of the temple. You redeemed as your own possession: see Deut 9:29.
- Psalm 74:3 The psalmist begs the Lord to hasten (direct . . . steps) to restore the sanctuary that the pagans have destroyed.
- Psalm 74:7 Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 74:8 Every shrine of God in the land: i.e., shrines, whether legitimate or not (see 1 Ki 3:2; 2 Ki 18:4).
- Psalm 74:9 The people were used to asking the Prophets how long a divine punishment would last (see 2 Sam 24:13). In this case, they have had no miraculous signs of any kind, and the voice of the Prophets is absent as it has been for some time (see Ps 77:9; 1 Mac 4:46; 9:27; 14:41; Lam 2:9; Ezek 7:26).
- Psalm 74:10 Jeremiah had announced that there would be 70 years of exile (see Jer 25:11; 29:10), a round figure symbolizing a very long time (see Pss 6:4; 89:47).
- Psalm 74:11 To do battle, the warrior bared his arm from his garment (see Isa 52:10).
- Psalm 74:13 Allusion to the crossing of the Red Sea (see Ex 14:30) and the defeat of the Egyptians (see Isa 27:1; Ezek 29:3; 32:4). Leviathan: a mythological multi-headed monster of chaos; here it seems to stand especially for Egypt (for Egypt’s crocodiles, see Job 40:25f).
- Psalm 74:15 Allusion to the miracles of the Exodus (see Ex 17:6; Num 20:11) and the crossing of the Jordan (see Jos 3:15f) where God’s creative power is exercised (see Ps 89:11).
- Psalm 74:16 The psalmist indicates that God—in addition to having accomplished the Redemption of his people from Egypt (vv. 13-14)—is also the Creator who established the world. Thus, the clear implication is that God can establish his kingdom on earth in spite of all opposition.
- Psalm 74:18 The godly beg God to remember (see v. 2) the evil conduct of their oppressors (v. 19) who blaspheme his name and afflict his people. The Lord’s name is sacred to them for it ensures that he will fulfill his covenant promises (see Ex 6:6-8). They ask him to come to their aid so that they will have reason to bless his name.
- Psalm 74:19 Your dove: a term of endearment for Israel (see Ps 68:14; Song 2:14; 5:2; 6:9; Hos 7:11; 11:11).
- Psalm 74:21 Poor and needy: see note on Ps 34:7. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 75:1 This psalm has parallels to the song of Hannah (see 1 Sam 2:1-10). Freed from the Exile but always dependent on and pestered by those who had taken their place in the land, the People of God give thanks to the Lord. They know that in the end God will make right triumph on earth; the righteous will obtain glory, and the wicked will receive the chastisement they deserve. These oracles proclaim once again the reversal worked by true justice: the proud will be abased, and the humble will be lifted up.
We can pray this psalm with the same sentiments of the psalmist and apply the role of Judge to the risen Christ, to whom the Father has given it. We can proclaim the wondrous deeds of our Savior, who will come to save the righteous and punish the wicked on the last day. - Psalm 75:1 For the director: thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. According to “Do not destroy!”: see note on Ps 57:1. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 75:2 Give thanks: this is given in the form of praise (see Pss 7:18; 28:7; 30:13; 35:18). Wondrous deeds: see note on Ps 9:2. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 75:3 This is a reassuring word from God, possibly through prophetic words already uttered by the Prophets (e.g., Isaiah in 2 Ki 19:21-34). When I receive the assembly: another possible translation is: “I choose the appointed time.”
- Psalm 75:4 God is the Master of the moral order as well as the physical universe, and he keeps them stable (see Pss 93:1f; 96:10; 1 Sam 2:8) or makes them quake (see Ps 18:8; Job 26:11); no cataclysm escapes his will (see Pss 46:3f; 60:4), and he alone establishes the hour of the judgment (see Hab 2:3).
- Psalm 75:5 This passage recalls Ps 94:4; 1 Sam 2:3; Job 15:25f. The wicked are fools (see Pss 14:1; 94:7). The horn is the symbol of arrogant and aggressive force (see Pss 89:18; 92:11; Deut 33:17; 1 Ki 22:11); it will be broken (see Jer 48:25; Zec 2:1-4).
- Psalm 75:5 The Lord speaks to those who incite chaos and immorality: the arrogant and the wicked who live without God and his laws (see Pss 52:3; 73:3ff).
- Psalm 75:6 The wicked even dare to place themselves in direct opposition to God by rebel[ling], i.e., raising their horns against heaven and speaking with arrogance, i.e., with outstretched neck—a common gesture of opposition.
- Psalm 75:7 Concerning these first two verses of the response from earth (vv. 7-8), possibly by a Levite, see 1 Sam 2:7; Dan 2:21. The oracles against the nations envisaged such and such a power, in the north (see Zep 2:13), in the south (see Isa 30:6), or in the wilderness (Isa 21:1); other oracles were directed against the mountains of Israel (see Ezek 6:2; 36:1), or the forests of the south (see Ezek 21:2f). Here, the wilderness represents the south, and the mountains (Lebanon) stand for the north (see note on v. 7, below). As in Zec 1:16, the accent is placed on the universality of the divine judgment (see v. 9) on the day of the Lord (see Mt 24:23ff).
- Psalm 75:7 For judgment does not come . . . the mountains: another possible translation is: “No one from the east or the west / or from the wilderness can exalt a man.” In other words, search where we may, there is no other arbiter but God; therefore, no earthly honor is anything but provisional. Furthermore, no one can escape God’s judgment (see Ps 139); God will bring down anyone who exalts himself.
- Psalm 75:8 Indeed, judgment belongs to God alone, for he is sovereign in judgment and in redemption.
- Psalm 75:9 All the wicked will be vanquished by God. The image of the cup full of foaming and dizzying wine is taken from the Prophets (see Isa 51:17; Jer 25:15; 49:12; Lam 4:21; Ezek 23:31; Hab 2:15); it has already appeared in Ps 60:5 (see Job 21:20) and will reappear in Rev 14:10. See also note on Ps 16:5.
- Psalm 75:10 It is unclear who is speaking in this verse. It may be the Levite in his own name or as a representative of his people. Sing praises: see note on Ps 7:18. Jacob: i.e., Israel (see Gen 32:28).
- Psalm 75:11 This verse appears to be another word from the Lord to go with verses 2-5, above. He indicates that even if godlessness now triumphs and justice is subverted, at the end of time the Messiah will come to judge the nations in fulfillment of the promise about the victory of the righteous.
- Psalm 76:1 In 701 B.C., the mighty army of Sennacherib had camped beneath the walls of Jerusalem. One night the attacker suddenly lifted the siege. What mysterious terror did the Lord employ to put to rout the forces of that haughty ruler? It is the victory of God at Jerusalem; and in the holy city, God reveals himself through his triumphs (see 2 Ki 19:35). The memory of this event remained engraved in the minds of the people (see 2 Mac 8:19; Sir 48:21) and became the symbol for the salvation awaited by the poor, the remnant of God.
Like Ps 46, this hymn to the glory of Zion is doubtless inspired by that event; it restores the courage and hope of the exiles returning from Babylon after 538 B.C. The fearsome God prostrates the powerful of the world and saves the lowly. This confidence of the poor will continuously rise from the heart of humankind in protest against haughty dominators as an announcement of the judgment of God.
It is by the glorious Christ that God the Father dwells in and protects his new people, the Church. With this psalm, we can rightly celebrate our Savior, who is terrible for his enemies: the devil, sin, and death. - Psalm 76:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 76:2 The Lord has chosen Salem (ancient name for Jerusalem; see Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-3) as his royal city so that both the southern kingdom (Judah) and the northern kingdom (Israel) may gain reassurance that God is in their midst (see Ps 46).
- Psalm 76:5 Praise of God’s mighty deed against the Assyrians and his judgment of evildoers.
- Psalm 76:6 Last sleep: allusion to the night of which 2 Ki 19:35 speaks (see Ps 13:5; Jer 51:39, 57; Nah 3:18).
- Psalm 76:10 Rescue all the afflicted of the land: the psalmist widens his perspectives to include not only the inhabitants of Zion, but also all the lowly who will be saved by God’s defeat of the rulers and war leaders.
- Psalm 76:11 Praise you: everyone must give honor to the Most High—even those who rebel against the Lord and his kingdom must proclaim his honor and glory. When wrath leads men to do evil, it also leads to God’s praise when he defeats them. The same theme is found in an alternative translation: “your wrath against men brings you praise”; in his wrath, he brings down the wicked and obtains praise from those he has thus rescued. Furthermore, God’s wrath against evil is never exhausted. This should gain him the praise and fear of all peoples.
- Psalm 76:12 All people must respond wisely to the Lord. His covenant people must keep their vows to him. The Gentiles must offer homage to this Awesome One who rules over everyone, including kings.
- Psalm 77:1 During a difficult period that the people of Israel are experiencing after the return from the Exile, more than one fervent Israelite can think that God has abandoned his own. But the Lord does not act after the fashion of human beings: has he not from Egypt to Canaan, by means of the wonders of the Exodus (vv. 14-20), transformed a motley group of slaves into a people of his own?
The striking evocation of the passage through the Red Sea and the coming of God at Sinai enables the psalmist to rediscover the great certitude that God still guides his people. Such a certitude is present even when one must realize that God’s ways are mysterious. Hope is reborn, purified by adversity and more unshakable than ever.
This psalm is a reminder of the Father’s faithfulness toward Christ and calls us to remain faithful ourselves in times of distress and spiritual dryness. “Let us remain firm in the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy” (Heb 10:23). We must imitate the ancients and, even more, Christ, by remaining faithful even in the darkest of times, for “we are not among those who draw back and are lost. Rather, we are among those who have faith and are saved” (Heb 10:39). - Psalm 77:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Jeduthun: see note on Ps 39:1. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 77:2 To the psalmist, God seems to have deserted his people; he no longer responds to appeals for help in time of distress and intense prayer.
- Psalm 77:2 The psalmist looked to God as the sole comforter of his distressed soul (see Gen 37:35; Jer 31:15). He cried out ceaselessly in prayer with hands outstretched—but remained uncomforted. Soul: see note on Ps 6:4.
- Psalm 77:4 Sleeplessness and dryness in prayer lead the psalmist’s faith to be shaken, but he puts his mind on the origins of his people as God’s people and attempts to rediscover hope (see Ps 119:52; Deut 32:7ff).
- Psalm 77:7 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 77:8 These verses follow the style of laments (see Pss 74:1; 89:47ff; Isa 63:15; Lam 3:21-24, 31ff). The prophetic word had ceased (see Ps 74:9); still God remained faithful to his promises, inscribed in the ancient writings on which the psalmist meditated endlessly (see Pss 1:2; 105:3ff) to convince himself that God had not changed in his love for his people (see Isa 49:14ff; Mal 3:6).
- Psalm 77:9 Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
- Psalm 77:11 The psalmist takes up the Book of History, so to speak, and meditates upon the great deeds of the Lord, the miracles he wrought in the past. He is so captivated by the reading that, in meditating on the glorious deeds that the Lord did for Israel in former times, he obtains peace of mind and forgets his present distress.
- Psalm 77:11 The psalmist remembers the years when God—by means of his right hand—provided strong guidance and protection for his people (see Pss 17:7; 18:35; Isa 41:10). And, he laments the loss of this protection once accorded them by their God.
- Psalm 77:13 The psalmist reflects on the Lord’s works in their great variety—in creation, redemption, judgment, and salvation. See also note on Ps 9:2.
- Psalm 77:14 Your way is holy: see Ps 18:31; Deut 32:4. Another translation is: “your ways are seen in the sanctuary” (see Ps 63:3).
- Psalm 77:16 Descendants of Jacob and Joseph: those who emigrated to Egypt (Jacob) and those who were born there (Joseph’s sons) (see Ps 81:5ff; Gen 46:26f; 48:5).
- Psalm 77:17 The miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea is presented in a cosmic perspective, possibly to heighten the description of God’s majesty in bringing his people from slavery to freedom, which led to the Passover. For Christians, the culminating miracle was God’s deed in bringing Jesus from death to life after the crucifixion (see Mt 28:2; Eph 1:18-22), which led to the Christian Passover, Easter.
- Psalm 77:17 The waters are at the mercy of the Creator (see Pss 89:10; 93:3f; 104:7; 106:9; 114:3; Job 7:12; 38:10; Nah 1:4; Hab 3:10).
- Psalm 77:18 This verse is inspired by Hab 3:11. See also Pss 18:16; 68:9; 144:6. Arrows: i.e., lightning bolts.
- Psalm 77:19 This verse evokes the theophany at Sinai (see Ps 97:4; Ex 19:18).
- Psalm 77:20 See Neh 9:11; Wis 14:3; Isa 43:16; 51:10. God’s action reveals his invisible presence as Shepherd and Savior (see Ps 78:52; Isa 63:11ff; Mic 6:4).
- Psalm 77:21 The conclusion to the thought expressed in verse 16: God led his people through the wilderness under the care of Moses and Aaron.
- Psalm 78:1 This lengthy sermon is given us as a lesson in wisdom: if the People of God wish to understand their destiny, they must reflect on their origins and meditate on the Exodus, which is a history of divine grace and human infidelity. In effect, their ancestors never responded with anything but ingratitude to the miracles that God multiplied for them. He rolls back the sea and brings water from a rock; the people already clamor for another prodigy (vv. 12-20). Filled with the manna and the quail, the people still murmur (vv. 23-30)! Then the Lord becomes angry and metes out punishment, but he soon grants pardon to them out of pity for their human weakness (vv. 31-39). On their behalf, he had also brought about the plagues (vv. 43-51), and guided them through the wilderness and into the Promised Land (vv. 52-56). Still, offenses multiplied; so he also resorted anew to chastisement. But ultimately, he reserved for his people the privileged holy place, Zion, and the shepherd after his own heart, David (vv. 59-72).
Thus, the psalm emphasizes the infidelity of Ephraim (the ancestor of the Samaritans), the choice of Judah, and the call of David. Its lesson is that in spite of the successive about-faces of the people, God accomplished his design.
Is this not also our history? To acknowledge God’s love does not keep us from infidelities; at such times, the word of God challenges us but also brings pardon, and the Eucharist is given to sustain our steps. In Jesus, the new David and Good Shepherd, the People of God find a model and perfect guide to the new Promised Land, the heavenly Jerusalem, where the Father waits. - Psalm 78:1 Maskil: see note on Ps 32:1a. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 78:1 Remembrance of the great deeds of the Lord should serve to strengthen the people’s faith in his power and fidelity. Thus, they will not forget what the Lord has done for their ancestors, which was a blessing for their descendants, and what God has demanded from his covenant people.
- Psalm 78:2 Parables in Hebrew means comparisons, or any sayings with deeper meaning, which are to be understood via the hidden comparison; in this case, the parable is the whole psalm. This passage is used by Mt 13:35 as a foreshadowing of Christ’s teaching in parables (see also Ps 49:5; Ezek 17:2; 24:3).
- Psalm 78:3 Israel is the people of tradition (see Deut 4:9; 32:7; Job 8:8; 15:18; Isa 38:19; Joel 1:3); what its people hand down is, above all, the remembrance of the Exodus (see Ex 10:2; 13:14) and the covenant statutes (Deut 4:9-14; 6:20-25).
- Psalm 78:8 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 78:9 The psalmist stresses that the northern kingdom, in which Ephraim had the lead, has been unfaithful to the covenant (a theme of the prophets Amos and Hosea). It constitutes the last in a series of infidelities committed by Israel.
- Psalm 78:9 There is no record of flight from battle on the part of the Ephraimites; it may be a metaphor for Ephraim’s failure to keep the covenant.
- Psalm 78:12 Zoan: a city in the Nile delta, capital of Egypt at the time of the Exodus.
- Psalm 78:17 The psalmist indicates that the Israelites rebelled against the Lord in the wilderness despite all kinds of marvels that he worked on their behalf. This led to the Lord’s anger against them.
- Psalm 78:17 Still sinned: the psalmist has mentioned no sin, but because of the theme of water in verse 16, he is reminded of the people’s murmuring over the lack of water at Marah (see Ex 15:24).
- Psalm 78:18 See Ex 16:2f.
- Psalm 78:20 See Ex 16:2f; Num 11:4.
- Psalm 78:25 Bread of angels: literally, “bread of mighty ones,” which clearly refers to angels (see Ps 103:20; Wis 16:20; see also Jn 6:32, 50; 1 Cor 10:3). Psalm 105:40 speaks of “bread from heaven” (see Deut 8:3).
- Psalm 78:32 The people’s infidelity to the Lord continued unabated throughout the entire sojourn in the wilderness (see Isa 26:16; 29:13; Hos 5:15; 8:1). However, the Lord tempered his punishment, for he knew they shared the inherent weakness of human beings (see Pss 65:4; 85:4; 103:13f; Ex 32:14; Num 14:20; 21:7ff; Isa 48:9; Ezek 20:22).
- Psalm 78:33 Nonetheless, the Lord decreed that the faithless generation of the Exodus would never set foot on the Promised Land (see Num 14:22f, 28-35).
- Psalm 78:35 Rock: see note on Ps 18:3.
- Psalm 78:37 Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 78:40 The Israelites continued to rebel against God in the wilderness. They failed to recall how he had delivered them from Egypt by such wonders as the plagues and the passage through the Red Sea. Nonetheless, the Lord went on to lead them to the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land.
- Psalm 78:41 Holy One of Israel: see note on Ps 71:22.
- Psalm 78:44 The psalmist is not concerned about a complete, chronological, and exact narrative of the plagues. He gives them in a different order and enumeration, while also omitting the third, fifth, sixth, and ninth (see Ex 7–12).
- Psalm 78:49 Destroying angels: the psalmist here generalizes the theme of the “destroyer” of the firstborn (see Ex 12:23), personifying the Lord’s wrath, fury, and hostility as agents of his anger (see Ex 9:14; Deut 32:24; Job 20:23).
- Psalm 78:51 Tents of Ham: usually linked with Egypt (see Pss 105:23, 27; 106:21f; Gen 10:6).
- Psalm 78:55 The psalmist here summarizes the story of the Conquest told in Joshua.
- Psalm 78:56 This part, like its predecessors, begins with the remembrance of Israel’s sins and evokes the time of Samuel and Saul in the Book of Judges. Because of the people’s infidelity, God rejected Israel (see Jer 7:12ff).
- Psalm 78:58 High places: the Canaanites were accustomed to building altars to their gods on hills (high places), a custom followed by the Israelites who built altars to Yahweh on hills. However, this led to the adoption of pagan practices and idols by God’s people. Jealous: see Ex 20:5 (“I . . . am . . . a jealous God.”).
- Psalm 78:59 The psalmist is not speaking here of a permanent abandonment of Israel by God.
- Psalm 78:60 Shiloh: a shrine located in Ephraim (see Jdg 21:19) that was the center of Israelite worship from the time of Joshua (see Jos 18:1, 8; 21:1f; Jdg 18:31; 1 Sam 1:3; Jer 7:12; 26:6). It was destroyed by the Philistines when the Ark of the Covenant was captured (see 1 Sam 4:1-11).
- Psalm 78:61 His might . . . his glory: the divine attributes of which the Ark of the Covenant was the symbol (see Ps 132:17; 1 Sam 4:19ff; 2 Chr 6:41).
- Psalm 78:65 After the Israelites had been cleansed by the divine chastisement, the Lord had mercy on them and fought by their side once more in vanquishing their enemies. But afterward, God chose Judah instead of Ephraim as the leading tribe, Mount Zion instead of Shiloh as the royal seat (the place of his sanctuary), and David instead of Saul as his king and regent. David is the ideal shepherd (see Ezek 34:23; 37:24), the Lord’s anointed (see Ps 89:21), and the type of the Messiah to come (see Ps 110). What the Lord did for the people in the wilderness, David did in his name for the people of Judah.
- Psalm 78:68 He chose . . . Mount Zion: see Ps 132:11, 17.
- Psalm 78:69 High heavens . . . earth: the Lord built his sanctuary to last like the heavens and the earth (see note on Ps 24:2) and to reflect his glory as they do (see Pss 19:2; 29:9; 97:6).
- Psalm 78:70 He chose David: see Ps 132.
- Psalm 78:72 The Prophets regarded Israel, led by David, as the hope of God’s people (see Ezek 34:23; 37:24; Mic 5:2)—fulfilled in Jesus (see Mt 2:6; Jn 10:11; Rev 7:17).
- Psalm 79:1 In this poem the psalmist is speaking of the darkest days of Israel’s history: in 587 B.C., the Chaldeans captured and sacked Jerusalem; the neighboring Moabites and Edomites then attacked them as they were in their death-throes. Israel is aware now that it deserved to be punished for its infidelities, and it appeals to God’s mercy. In this lamentation, the distress of the oppressed calls upon the Lord for redress. The pagans dishonor the divine name; this is tantamount to a defeat for the Lord. In avenging his own, God must first save his honor in the eyes of the world, and his people will be grateful to him. Such is the theme of this national lamentation.
Must vengeance be paid back seven times (i.e., in full measure) upon one’s neighbors? Christ has told us to pardon seventy times seven (Mt 18:22)—so we cannot take this psalm literally. Still it remains a poignant appeal to God’s mercy, an act of faith in the Lord when everything seems to be collapsing around us. We do not demand the total destruction of our enemies but a salutary punishment, in keeping with the divine justice, which brings evildoers low in order to pardon and save them. - Psalm 79:1 Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 79:1 God’s city and temple have been desecrated and so have his worshipers, whose dead bodies have been left unburied. Saints: see note on Ps 16:3.
- Psalm 79:3 They have given . . . the flesh . . . to bury them: these verses are cited freely in 1 Mac 7:17 in application to the massacre of sixty pious Jews in Jerusalem during the Maccabean wars.
- Psalm 79:4 A secular hostility opposed Israel to its neighbors, as is shown by the oracles of the Prophets against the nations (see Lam 3:45; Zep 2:8).
- Psalm 79:5 The divine justice cannot remain inactive in the case of such wickedness, which calls out for retribution.
- Psalm 79:5 How long . . . ?: see note on Ps 6:4. Rage: i.e., a jealous rage (see Ps 119:139; Nah 1:2). Blaze like a fire: see Deut 4:24; 6:15; Zep 1:18; 3:8.
- Psalm 79:6 Cited in Jer 10:25. Concerning the call for redress, see note on Ps 5:11.
- Psalm 79:6 See notes on Pss 5:11; 35.
- Psalm 79:8 The exiles beg God to show mercy on them and not hold the sins of their ancestors against them (see 2 Ki 17:7-23; 23:26f; 24:3f; Dan 9:4-14).
- Psalm 79:9 The psalmist beseeches God to pardon Israel for his name’s sake so that the Most High may no longer be dishonored and blasphemed by the nations. Then the People of God will praise him from generation to generation.
- Psalm 79:9 The divine pardon is always gratuitous; it is the effect of his mercy and love (see Ps 78:38; Ezek 20:44; 36:22; see also note on Ps 65:4).
- Psalm 79:10 You avenge: God is the avenger of blood in Israel (see Pss 18:48; 19:15; 58:11f; 94:1; 149:7; Deut 32:43).
- Psalm 79:11 Captives . . . those who have been sentenced to death: literally, “the sons of death,” i.e., the exiles in Babylonia (see Ps 102:21) who are under threat of death if they seek to escape.
- Psalm 79:12 Sevenfold: a symbolic phrase meaning fullness or superabundance (see Ps 12:7; Gen 4:24; Lev 26:21).
- Psalm 79:13 Offer thanks to you: see note on Ps 7:18.
- Psalm 80:1 At the time of this psalmist, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah have disappeared in turn (721 and 587 B.C.). For the time being, Israel will be nothing but a scattered flock, a ruined vineyard. Whence can restoration come if not from God?
This psalm is well adapted to our prayer during Advent: so deep is our wretchedness that we await the coming of God; he alone can turn us to himself by his presence and lead us to conversion. - Psalm 80:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. According to “Lilies.” Eduth: nothing is known about this phrase. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 80:2 God is the Shepherd of Israel (see Isa 40:11; Jer 31:10; Ezek 34:31), and Jesus will call himself the Good Shepherd (see Jn 10). This image evokes profound links between Israel and God—affectionate solicitude on one side and confident belonging on the other. Hence, those who are in distress do not address an unknown and distant God.
- Psalm 80:2 Shepherd of Israel: see Pss 74:1; 77:21; 78:52, 71f; 79:13. Joseph: see note on Ps 77:16. Cherubim: see note on Ps 18:11.
- Psalm 80:3 Ephraim and Manasseh were the two principal tribes of the northern kingdom, with which Benjamin was at times associated (see Num 2:18f). It was also in front of these three tribes that the Ark of the Covenant advanced during the sojourn from Sinai to the Promised Land (see Num 10:21-24).
- Psalm 80:4 Let your face shine: see notes on Pss 4:7; 13:2.
- Psalm 80:5 Lord of hosts: see note on Ps 59:6. How long . . . ?: see note on Ps 6:4.
- Psalm 80:9 Israel is God’s magnificent garden whose ideal limits extend as far as the Euphrates (“river” of v. 12). God is like the vinedresser who cherishes his vine/vineyard and takes pleasure in it. How could he not be saddened to see it devastated (see Isa 5:1-7; 27:2-5; Jer 2:21; 12:10)? This image will pass into the New Testament (see Mt 20:1; 21:33-41; Jn 15:1-5).
- Psalm 80:9 Vine: a familiar allegory in the Prophets (see Isa 5:1; 27:2; Jer 2:21; 12:10; Ezek 17:6-8; 19:10-14; Hos 10:1; 14:7; Mic 7:1), as is that of the shepherd (see Ps 23:1; Gen 48:15; Ezek 34:11). See also Mt 20:1; Jn 15:1.
- Psalm 80:11 Cedars of God: cedars that were so huge, they were regarded as being planted by God.
- Psalm 80:12 Sea: i.e., Mediterranean; River: i.e., Euphrates.
- Psalm 80:13 The psalmist begs God to attend once again to his wasted vine then, the people will once again praise their savior.
- Psalm 80:13 Why . . . ?: see note on Ps 6:4.
- Psalm 80:15 Lord of hosts: see note on Ps 59:6.
- Psalm 80:16 Shoot: i.e., Israel. Son: i.e., Israel. The word may also be translated as “branch.” Some versions omit verse 16b.
- Psalm 80:18 Man at your right: probably a reference to Israel, beloved son of the Lord (see Ex 4:22) or to the Davidic king who will lead the army in battle. Other suggestions put forth by scholars are Zerubbabel and Ezra, who presided over the restoration. Son of man: another word for “man” in the first half of this verse.
- Psalm 80:19 A vow to offer praise to God (see note on Ps 7:18).
- Psalm 81:1 The blasts of the trumpet call Israel to an assembly. The time is the full moon of September, the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (see Num 10:10; Lev 23:34, 39-43). The covenant is renewed. At such a time, it is also important to rediscover the demands of fidelity. The psalmist, who is completely pervaded by the spirit of Deuteronomy, makes everyone aware of them. Let the people be on guard not to close their hearts to God. Today (v. 14), as yesterday (vv. 8, 12-13), the fidelity of God is checkmated by the infidelity of human beings.
In the last verse (v. 17) of this psalm, Christians cannot fail to be reminded of the blessings of the Eucharist in which we are filled with the “finest of wheat” (words found in the Mass texts of the Holy Thursday Evening Mass and the Easter Season), with bread that has become the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each Eucharist is a renewal of the New Covenant, enabling us to relive the saving events of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection. And in each Eucharist, we pledge ourselves to Christ by hearing and keeping his word proclaimed and by receiving his Body and Blood. - Psalm 81:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Upon the gittith: see note on Ps 8:1. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 81:2 Jacob: i.e., Israel (see Gen 32:28-29). Concerning the ritual “shout,” see Ps 33:3.
- Psalm 81:4 The first day of the lunar month (new moon) was for a long time celebrated as a feast (see 2 Ki 4:23; Isa 1:13; Hos 2:11; Am 8:5). Here it is a question of the beginning of the seventh month, long considered as the new year (see Lev 23:24; Num 29:1); on the following full moon (on the fifteenth of the month), the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated (see Lev 23:34; Num 29:12), five days after the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16:29). It concluded the cycle of feasts that began with the Passover and Unleavened Bread six months before (see Ex 23:14-17; Lev 23; Deut 16:13-15). Every seventh year the covenant law was to be read to all the people (see Deut 31:9-13; Neh 8:2-15).
The purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles was to proclaim aloud the mighty deeds of the Lord in the history of salvation. During the feast, the assembly recalled God’s wondrous works in Egypt. - Psalm 81:6 Joseph: see note on Ps 77:16. I now hear an unfamiliar voice: the “voice” is the “thunder” of God’s judgment against Egypt (v. 8). Some translate: “We heard a language we did not understand,” and regard it as referring to the fact that the people were aliens in a foreign land (see Ps 114:1; Deut 28:49; 33:19). Some also regard this as a reference to inspiration.
- Psalm 81:7 Burden . . . basket: allusion to the forced labor that the Israelites had to endure in Egypt (see Ex 1:11-14).
- Psalm 81:8 When you cried out . . . I rescued you: see Ex 3:7-10; see also Ps 106:9; Ex 14:21, 24; 15:8, 10. From the thunderclouds: allusion to the theophany at Sinai (see Ex 19:16ff). I tested you . . . Meribah: see Ps 95:8; Ex 17:1-7.
- Psalm 81:11 The Lord challenges Israel to obey the first commandment of fidelity to God after the proclamation of the Exodus (see Ps 78:23-29; Deut 11:13-15; 28:1-4). Open your mouth wide: i.e., trust in the Lord alone for every need. So that I may fill it: as he did in the wilderness (see v. 17; Ps 78:23-29; see also Ps 37:3-4; Deut 11:13-15; 28:1-4).
- Psalm 81:12 Instead of remaining loyal to the Lord out of gratitude for their redemption and his promise of the future, the people continued to rebel against him—a characteristic typical of their history beginning with the generation in the wilderness (see Pss 78; 95; 106).
- Psalm 81:13 God gives the people over to their sins (see Ps 78:29; Isa 6:9f; 29:10; 63:17; see also Rom 1:24, 26, 28) because of their stubborn hearts; but he always reserves the right to “circumcise” their hearts and bring them back to him (see Deut 30:6; 1 Ki 8:58; Jer 31:33; Ezek 11:19; 36:26). Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 81:14 An allusion to the covenant blessings; the era of wars and persecutions will cease (see Lk 21:24), their enemies will be vanquished, and the people will enjoy the best of everything.
- Psalm 81:14 The Lord cannot abandon his people completely. He calls them to return to him and follow his ways, i.e., his commandments (see Pss 27:11; 86:11; 128:1; 143:8). For if they listen to God’s word, they will respond by faith and repentance, and carry out his will rather than their own.
- Psalm 81:15 If his people return to him, the Lord will quickly come to their aid with his hand pressing hard against their enemies.
- Psalm 81:16 If his people return to him, the Lord will mete out to their enemies—those who hate the Lord—their just deserts, inflicting on them an everlasting punishment.
- Psalm 81:17 Finest of wheat: a staple of life. For Christians, of course, wheat is associated with the Eucharist, and this phrase has given rise to one of the finest modern Eucharistic hymns, Gift of Finest Wheat, composed for the 1976 Eucharistic Congress that took place in the United States. Honey from the rock: the purest of honey, since it came from places usually not attainable (from a cleft of rock in which bees in Canaan sometimes built their hives). The phrase is reminiscent of God’s promise to Moses of a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8).
- Psalm 82:1 The psalmist sets forth a word about just and unjust judges (somewhat similar to Ps 58). He reminds rulers and magistrates that they are earthly members of God’s tribunal, associated in the government of the world, and in this respect “gods” (v. 6). Why then does the cause of the poor find such little regard among them? By establishing injustice rather than justice, these powerful people disturb the very order of the world (v. 5). They themselves will therefore be judged by the great King (see Ps 47) and Judge of all the earth (see Ps 94:2; Gen 18:25; 1 Sam 2:10) who “loves justice” (Ps 99:4) and judges the nations in righteousness (see Pss 9:9; 96:13; 98:9). Furthermore, God’s justice turns human judgments topsy-turvy; the kingdom of God and his justice will overcome the evildoers and the powers of oppression (see Isa 24:21f).
Even in nations that are not concerned with God or openly deny him, rulers and judges receive their powers from God and are bound to exercise them for justice in accord with his will: “[Civil authorities] are . . . God’s representatives for your welfare . . . [and] God’s servants to mete out punishment to wrongdoers” (Rom 13:4). This same truth is proclaimed by 1 Pet 2:13f. See also Ps 2:6-11; Isa 44:28; Jer 27:6; Dan 2:21; 4:14, 28f; 5:18; Jn 19:11; Rom 13:1. - Psalm 82:1 Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 82:1 Divine council: the psalmist pictures a kind of heavenly assembly (see Ps 89:6; 1 Ki 22:19; Job 1:6; 2:1; Isa 6:1-4) in the Hall of Justice, patterned after the Solomonic one (see 1 Ki 7:7), in which God is dispensing justice. Gods: a word applied to rulers and judges who are “godlike” in their function of establishing justice on the earth (see note on Ps 45:7).
- Psalm 82:2 Like other authors of the Old Testament, the psalmist reproaches those in power with the sin of administering justice inequitably and showing partiality toward the wicked (see Ex 23:6; Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17; 2 Chr 19:7; Prov 18:5; Mic 3:1-12).
- Psalm 82:3 Rulers and judges are exhorted to protect the powerless against exploiters and oppressors (see Ps 72:2, 4, 12-14; Job 29:11f; Prov 31:8f; Isa 11:4; Jer 22:3, 16; Ezek 22:27, 29; Zec 7:9f). Indeed, to see to it that the weak do not fall into the hands of unscrupulous exploiters is one of the most important functions of government. Poor: see note on Ps 34:7.
- Psalm 82:5 When those in authority, instead of sharing in God’s wisdom (see 1 Ki 3:9; Prov 8:14-16; Isa 11:2), have no understanding of their most important duty or of the divine norm and standard and do not walk in the light of the revealed will of the eternal Judge (see Job 21:22), then all the supports upon which a well-ordered State rests will crumble (see Pss 11:3; 75:4). Foundations of the earth: a metaphor for God’s rule on earth (see Pss 11:3; 75:4; 96:10). The Lord has established some order, even in pagan nations, and he condemns the ungodly for undermining that order for their own ends.
- Psalm 82:6 These verses can be interpreted to apply to judges or rulers but also to pagan gods. The Lord pronounces sentence and dethrones such gods. Indeed, his judgment is pronounced upon all manifestations of evil, both in the human world and in the angelic world (see Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10, 14f; 21:8). Gods: see note on verse 1b. This passage is applied by Christ, in an entirely different context, to Jews instructed by the word of God (see Jn 10:34; see also Acts 17:28; 2 Cor 6:18).
- Psalm 82:7 These corrupt rulers will see death like all other human beings and be judged in the same way. Like any ruler you will fall: another possible translation is: “as one man, rulers, you will fall.” God will humble the great of the world as he annihilated the false gods likened to personages of the ancient mythology (see Isa 14:12; Ezek 28:11ff).
- Psalm 82:8 The psalmist prays that God’s just judgment (see Pss 9:21; 10:12-15; 76:10) will come soon. Whenever we encounter injustice, we can fittingly say our Lord’s prayer: “Your kingdom come” (Mt 6:10). This verse can be fittingly applied to Christ, to whom all judgment has been entrusted by the Father (see Jn 5:22).
- Psalm 83:1 After the deportation in 587 B.C., Israel ceased to exist as a political entity. The community that has been reestablished in Jerusalem after the return is subjected to the tutelage of great powers and the vexation of their neighbors. The communities that had been scattered among foreign peoples have already experienced more than one persecution. In their struggles with pagan religions and cultures, believers feel threatened in their faith. It seems that all forces have formed a coalition to destroy Israel because it wishes to remain faithful to its vocation as the People of God. As a result, the psalmist directs the following challenge to the Lord: May he let himself be known by crushing the pride of the nations; indeed, may the latter meet the cruel fate of the petty kings who wanted to destroy Israel at the time of the Judges (see notes on Pss 5:11; 35).
Obviously, this is a prayer of vengeance, but even more of salvation. It wishes to provoke Heaven: how could a polytheistic and idolatrous world come to worship the one and all-powerful God if he abandons his people? The chosen people could never resign themselves to such a collapse; that would be tantamount to the defeat of the Lord himself.
Although as Christians we are constantly under threat from the godless, we can ceaselessly implore God the Father (by this psalm) to grant his new People a complete victory over our enemies. We do not desire the eternal death of our foes but ask that God will bring them low and lead them to himself as God and Father. - Psalm 83:1 Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
- Psalm 83:2 Do not remain silent: i.e., spring into action (see Pss 35:22; 109:1).
- Psalm 83:3 The words, Come, let us, are the very ones used by the leaders of the rebels at the tower of Babel when humanity attempted to usurp the power of the Lord (see Gen 11:3f). They obviously identify the enemies of God and of his people who cunningly plot to show their independence from the Lord and to exterminate Israel as a nation. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 83:3 Increase in arrogance: literally, “rear their heads.”
- Psalm 83:6 Alliance: there is no record of such a vast alliance of nations ever arrayed against Israel at one time. It may be that only some of them were attacking at the moment while passively being supported by the others. Some point to the time when Moab, Ammon, and Edom were invading Judah during the reign of King Jehoshaphat (see 2 Chr 20). Against you: the invaders acknowledge openly that the war is intended not only against the people but also against their God.
- Psalm 83:7 The members of the hostile alliance are all well-known foes of Israel. The psalmist alludes to the Edomites, descendants of Esau, the son of the patriarch Isaac (see Gen 36), and the Ishmaelites, who descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar (see Gen 16:15f); he also mentions the Moabites (see 2 Chr 20:1) and Ammonites, descendants of Lot, the nephew of Abraham (see Gen 19:38); next, he includes the Hagrites, an Arabian Bedouin tribe that was encamped on the border of the Syro-Arabian Desert (see 1 Chr 5:10, 19f). Other members were the inhabitants of Gebal, in the territory of the Edomites south of the Dead Sea (see Jos 13:5), and the Amalekites (see Gen 14:7). The Philistines, Israel’s foes along the Mediterranean coast of Palestine (see Ex 15:14), were also part of the alliance, as were the inhabitants of Tyre (see Isa 23:3). Assyria (see Gen 10:11) is mentioned as rendering assistance to the alliance; hence, it must not have become a major power in that area.
- Psalm 83:10 These verses are part of the so-called imprecatory (or cursing) psalms that call upon God to mete out justice to enemies (see notes on Pss 5:11; 35). In their thirst for justice, the authors of these psalms use hyperbole (or overstatement) in order to move others to oppose sin and evil.
- Psalm 83:10 The psalmist takes heart by recalling two great victories won with God’s help against superior forces during the time of the Judges: the victory of Gideon over the Midianites (see Jdg 7) and the defeat of King Jabin (see Jdg 4). He knows that in order for God’s kingdom of righteousness and peace to come, his foes must be defeated (see note on Ps 5:11).
- Psalm 83:10 Midian: it was at Midian (see Ex 2:15) that Gideon defeated the Midianites and slew the leaders named in verse 12 (see Jdg 7:24-25; 8:5). Sisera and Jabin: commander and king, respectively, of the army defeated by Deborah and Barak in the Plain of Esdraelon near Endor at the foot of Mount Tabor (see Jdg 4–5).
- Psalm 83:12 The Midianites had despoiled the croplands (v. 13: Let us seize for ourselves the pastures of God) and driven fear into the hearts of the Israelites. In their defeat at the hands of the Lord through Gideon, their leaders Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna were captured and put to death (see Jdg 7:25; 8:21).
- Psalm 83:14 The psalmist likens the fate of the enemies to that of tumbleweed and chaff carried away by the wind and a forest or mountains destroyed by fire (common figures of destruction at the hand of the Lord: see Pss 1:4; 35:5; Isa 5:24; 10:17; 17:13; 29:5; Jer 13:24).
- Psalm 83:16 Tempests . . . stormwinds: for God in the thunderstorm, see Pss 18:8-16; 68:34; 77:18f; Ex 15:7-10; Jos 10:11; Jdg 5:4, 20f; 1 Sam 2:10; 7:10; Isa 29:5f; 33:3. See also note on Ps 68:5.
- Psalm 83:17 They will seek your name: the psalmist prays that God will humiliate the enemies and lead men to seek his name, i.e., realize and accept that the Lord alone is God (see v. 19).
- Psalm 83:18 The Chronicler (2 Chr 20:22-29) records the defeat of the alliance and mentions that all the nations were terrified when they learned that the Lord fought on the side of the Israelites. This is precisely what the psalmist asks so that his people will be saved and the Lord will be praised by the whole world.
