44 1 The faithful remember the great mercy of God toward his people. 9 After they complain, because they feel it no more. 17 Also they allege the covenant made with Abraham, for the keeping whereof they show what grievous things they suffered. 23 Finally, they pray unto God not to contemn their affliction, seeing the same redoundeth to the contempt of his honor.

To him that excelleth. A Psalm to give instruction, committed to the sons of Korah.

We have heard with our [a]ears, O God: our fathers have told us the works that thou hast done in their days, in the old time:

How thou hast driven out the [b]heathen with thine hand, and planted [c]them: how thou hast destroyed the [d]people, and caused [e]them to grow.

For they inherited not the land by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou didst [f]favor them.

Thou art my king, O God: send help unto [g]Jacob.

[h]Through thee have we thrust back our adversaries: by thy Name have we trodden down them that rose up against us.

For I do not trust in my bow, neither can my sword save me.

But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and hast put them to confusion that hate us.

Therefore will we praise God continually, and will confess thy Name forever. Selah.

But now thou art far off, and puttest us to [i]confusion, and goest not forth with our armies.

10 Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary, and they which hate us, spoil [j]for themselves.

11 (A)Thou givest us [k]as sheep to be eaten, and dost scatter us among the nations.

12 Thou sellest thy people [l]without gain, and dost not increase their price.

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a jest and laughing stock to them that are round about us.

14 Thou makest us a proverb among the nations, and a nodding of the head among the people.

15 My [m]confusion is daily before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

16 For the voice of the slanderer and rebuker, for the enemy and [n]avenger.

17 All this is come upon us, yet do we not [o]forget thee, neither deal we falsely concerning thy covenant.

18 Our heart is not turned back: neither our steps gone out of thy paths,

19 Albeit thou hast smitten us down into the place of [p]dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we have forgotten the Name of our God, and held up our hands to a [q]strange god,

21 Shall not God [r]search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

22 Surely for thy sake [s]are we slain continually, and are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Up, why sleepest thou, O Lord? awake, be not far off forever.

24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face? and forgettest our misery and our affliction?

25 For our soul is [t]beaten down unto the dust: our belly cleaveth to the ground.

26 Rise up for our succor, and redeem us for thy [u]mercy’s sake.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:1 This psalm seemeth to have been made by some excellent Prophet for the use of the people, when the Church was in extreme misery, either at their return from Babylon, or under Antiochus, or in such like affliction.
  2. Psalm 44:2 That is, the Canaanites.
  3. Psalm 44:2 To wit, our fathers.
  4. Psalm 44:2 Of Canaan.
  5. Psalm 44:2 That is, our fathers.
  6. Psalm 44:3 God’s free mercy and love is the only fountain and beginning of the Church, Deut. 4:37.
  7. Psalm 44:4 Because thou art our king, therefore deliver thy people from their misery.
  8. Psalm 44:5 Because they and their forefathers made both one Church, they apply that to themselves which before they did attribute to their fathers.
  9. Psalm 44:9 As they confessed before that their strength came of God, so now they acknowledge that this affliction came by his just judgment.
  10. Psalm 44:10 Or, at their pleasure.
  11. Psalm 44:11 Knowing God to be author of this calamity, they murmur not, but seek remedy at his hands, who wounded them.
  12. Psalm 44:12 As slaves which are sold for a low price, neither lookest thou for him that offereth most, but takest the first chapman.
  13. Psalm 44:15 I dare not lift up my head for shame.
  14. Psalm 44:16 Meaning, the proud and cruel tyrant.
  15. Psalm 44:17 They boast not of their virtues, but declare that they rest upon God in the midst of their afflictions: who punished not now their sins, but by hard afflictions called them to the consideration of the heavenly joys.
  16. Psalm 44:19 Or, whales: meaning, the bottomless seas of tentations: here we see the power of faith, which can be overcome by no perils.
  17. Psalm 44:20 They show that they honored God aright, because they trusted in him alone.
  18. Psalm 44:21 They take God to witness that they were upright to himward.
  19. Psalm 44:22 The faithful make this their comfort, that the wicked punish them not for their sins, but for God’s cause, Matt. 5:10; 1 Pet. 4:14.
  20. Psalm 44:25 There is no hope of recovery, except thou put to thine hand and raise us up.
  21. Psalm 44:26 Which is the only sufficient ransom to deliver both body and soul from all kinds of slavery and misery.

Psalm 44[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b]

We have heard it with our ears,(A) O God;
    our ancestors have told us(B)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.(C)
With your hand you drove out(D) the nations
    and planted(E) our ancestors;
you crushed(F) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.(G)
It was not by their sword(H) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(I) your arm,(J)
    and the light(K) of your face, for you loved(L) them.

You are my King(M) and my God,(N)
    who decrees[c] victories(O) for Jacob.
Through you we push back(P) our enemies;
    through your name we trample(Q) our foes.
I put no trust in my bow,(R)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory(S) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.(T)
In God we make our boast(U) all day long,(V)
    and we will praise your name forever.[d](W)

But now you have rejected(X) and humbled us;(Y)
    you no longer go out with our armies.(Z)
10 You made us retreat(AA) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered(AB) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(AC)
    and have scattered us among the nations.(AD)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(AE)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach(AF) to our neighbors,(AG)
    the scorn(AH) and derision(AI) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(AJ) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads(AK) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(AL) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame(AM)
16 at the taunts(AN) of those who reproach and revile(AO) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(AP)

17 All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten(AQ) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(AR) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(AS) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(AT)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.(AU)

20 If we had forgotten(AV) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(AW)
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?(AX)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep(AY) to be slaughtered.(AZ)

23 Awake,(BA) Lord! Why do you sleep?(BB)
    Rouse yourself!(BC) Do not reject us forever.(BD)
24 Why do you hide your face(BE)
    and forget(BF) our misery and oppression?(BG)

25 We are brought down to the dust;(BH)
    our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(BI) and help us;
    rescue(BJ) us because of your unfailing love.(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
  2. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
  4. Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.