I ntroduction: Originally, I was going to place this psalm at the end of Lev. 26, when Israel had not yet entered into the land. However, God, in that chapter, tells Israel what her future would be in the land. He lays down the warnings of what Israel could expect if the Jews transgressed His laws. In Psalm 44, written hundreds of years later, the psalmist recognizes that Israel is at a low point, spiritually speaking, and he reminisces of the time that God displaced the nations who occupied the Land of Promise and gave this land to Israel. He complains that it appears as though God has completely forsaken Israel. However, after reading Barnes’ argument for where this psalm belongs in history, not only did he completely convince me, but logically placing the psalm at the end of 2Kings 23:30 seemed to be the only reasonable thing to do.

It appears as though this psalm was written during the dispersion by an advanced believer who was captured and enslaved by several other mature believers. What is confusing is why would such a psalm be dedicated to the choir director (we don’t even know if such an office would have existed during the time of the dispersion. Famous exegetes have expressed similar views: Calvin, Venema, Dathe,

and Rosenmüller all saw this as occurring during the time that Antiochus Epiphanes, who made a bloody attack upon Jerusalem. However, the time frame for the attack of Antiochus Epiphanes was 67 b.c., which is not the proper time frame for Old Testament Scripture. Keil and Delitzsch place this psalm during the time of David, being written prior to Israel’s overthrow of Edom. Their primary reason was that this was the only time in Israel’s history when Israel was free of foreign religious influence.

DeWette places this prior to the Babylonian exile, either during the reign of Jehoiakim or Jehoiachin, both of whom were rulers when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Palestine. Tholuck places this during the time of Jehoiachin or Zedekiah, when Israel was invaded by Babylon, or when the captivity began.

Keil and Delitzsch mention that there is a tradition which places this psalm during the time of the Maccabees, which is the intertestamental period, which is not a time when Scripture was written. Personally, I believe that it appears from this psalm as though Israel is either occupied by enemies, recently defeated by enemies, or pushed out of the land altogether. The latter appears to be the most likely, as the psalmist speaks of Israel being scattered throughout the surrounding nations (v. 11).

One of the things which makes me very humble is, after I exegete a chapter of the Bible, as soon as I turn to someone like Barnes, he completely opens my eyes to several important considerations which did not occur to me as I exegeting the chapter. He both organizes and places this psalm, and then offers enough reason for me to change my placement of the psalm. I know that, apart from Barnes, and hundreds of others who have gone before, I would not do a tenth of the job necessary to exegete a verse. What Barnes very aptly explains is the occasion of the psalm without, at first, being particularly dogmatic about its exact time period. (1) ...it was a season of defeat and disaster, when the armies of Israel were discomfited (vv. 9–10); (2) ...their armies and people were scattered among the heathen, and that the people were "sold" among them (vv. 11–12); (3) ...they were made a reproach and a by-word among surrounding nations (vv. 13–14); (4) ...this discomfiture and disgrace had befallen them in some place which might be called "the place of the jackal" (v. 19); and (5) ...this had occurred at some time when the author of the psalm, speaking in the name of the people, could say that it was not on account of prevailing idolatry, or because, as a people, they had stretch out their hands to a strange god" (vv. 17–18, 20).

Barnes suggests that, given these facts, this might best be placed at the end of the reign of Josiah. Josiah instituted several reforms which temporarily removed idolatry from the land (2Kings 23:24), but this was not enough to placate Jehovah Elohim, Who was still angry with Jerusalem (2Kings 23:25). So that you understand what the deal is—external worship is not the key, but the heart of man. Certainly, demon worship could have been outlawed, but demon worship began because men in Israel were unbelievers. Removing demon worship did not suddenly change them into believers. King Josiah will soon be removed from Israel in a battle against Pharaoh Neco (2Kings 23:29). Barnes makes a compelling case for this time period, as this time period was immediately prior to the Babylonian captivity and that time period was filled with calamities that befell Israel.

Now, another option is that we take this to refer to the time of the exile of Judah. Then it is possible that the psalmist, in observing those around him, that they were not idolaters; however, this does not mean that was true of all Israel (we will discuss this later).

Barnes: The psalm is an earnest appeal to God to interpose amid the calamities of the nation, and to arise for their defence and deliverance. Then Barnes divides this psalm up into its component parts: I. In the past, God had played a significant part in the life of nation Israel. He had shown Himself to be a powerful God, able to carve a small nation out of a territory held by fierce heathen warriors. The psalmist mentioned this by way of argument—if this is how God treated Israel, then the psalmist invokes God to return to Israel and to bless her. Vv. 1–8. II. Then the psalmist gives the present condition of Israel, which was in a state of national disaster. Israel had become a laughingstock among the Gentile nations. Their armies were turned back and plundered. Some people found themselves sold into slavery and Gentiles did not take Israel seriously as a country ruled by God. Vv. 9–16. III. The psalmist then asks why has God chosen to treat Israel in this way? Israel is not a nation of idolaters. Israel is not serving some foreign god. However, God appears to be treating Israel as if that were the case. Vv. 17–22. IV. Finally, the psalmist appeals to God one last time for His gracious interference.

I had mentioned my appreciation for those who have gone before me earlier. As I write this, I have just finished the second wave of exegesis (I first translate the psalm, giving a bare-bones interpretation; then I go through the psalm again, examining all the related verses, and examine the commentaries of Barnes and the NIV Study Bible. Finally, I pick up a few miscellaneous books (about 30–40 of them) and scan them for additional information. In finishing this psalm, I had two problems (1) when was it actually written (and I am comfortable with the answer); and, (2) if I was correct as to the time it was written, why did God allow Israel to endure this suffering when much of Israel was born-again? And then J. Vernon McGee, in one sentence, explains it: [This psalm has a] prophetic interpretation. This will be the final experience of the faithful remnant of Israel before their Messiah returns to deliver them.

This psalm describes in detail the intimate feelings of the faithful during the final seven years of human history.

With regards to style, the writer of this psalm has a reasonably easy vocabulary, and most of this psalm is going to be fairly easy to translate and straightforward in its interpretation. In fact, it is so easy, that of the twenty or so English translations that I consult, none of them varied from another in vv. 20–21.

Slavishly literal:

Moderately literal:

To the end [or, choirmaster]—

to sons of Korah,

a maskil [or, an instruction].

Psalm

44 inscription

To the director [of music],

a instructive psalm of the sons of Korah.

To the director of music

an instructive psalm by the sons of Korah.

Young's Literal Translation To the Overseer.—By sons of Korah. An Instruction.

This verse begins with the lâmed preposition, the definite article and the Piel participle of nâtsach (ח ַצ ָנ) [pronounced naw-TZAHKH], a word which means pre-eminent, enduring. It can refer to a person in a supervisory position (1Chron. 23:4 2Chron. 2:2, 18 34:13). Often, this position is related to music (1Chron. 15:21 Psalm 4:intro 5:intro 6:intro etc.). This is why we have such varied renderings as overseer (Young), the music leader (CEV), choir director (NASB, NLT), choirmaster (Owens), leader (NRSV, NEB, NAB) and chief musician (Rotherham). Strong’s #5329 BDB #663. This could read: To [or, for] the enduring [or, choir director]. In case you are wondering, enduring may theoretically refer to someone with a long-term position.

The Greek takes this first line altogether differently. First of all, the preposition is eis (εἰς) [pronounced ICE], which means into, to, toward. Eis can also be used for an intention, purpose, aim or end, and therefore could be rendered unto, in order to, for, for the purpose of, for the sake of, on account of. Strong’s #1519. We will take this to simply mean to, keeping the other meanings in the back of our mind. Then we have to telos (τὸ τέλος) [pronounced TOH-TEHL-oss],which means limit, conclusion, result, end. Strong’s #5056. Arndt and Gingrich render this in the end, finally, to the end, until the end. In other words, the Greek does not have that this psalm is set apart for someone in particular, although I don’t know if I have a clear fix on what the translators believed the Hebrew to read (my thinking is that they simply gave this a word-for-word translation). In other words, the Greek really does not help us at this point, except, perhaps, to lead us away from the idea that this is to the choir director, but it does not give us a clear understanding of what the alternative understanding really is (i.e., what does it really mean to say, to the end?). The NIV Study Bible avoids all this talk about the end and states that this was probably a liturgical notation, indicating either that the psalm was to be added to the collection of works to be used by the director of music in Israel’s worship services or that it was to be sung or spoken by the leader of the Levitical choir or the choir itself.

The second line is: To [or, for] sons of Korah. This is how it reads in both the Greek and the Hebrew. In Num. 16, Korah will lead a communistic revolt against Moses. His revolt will be so horrific that God Himself will intervene with a great work (not necessarily a miracle). There will be a tremendous earthquake and the ground will open up and Korah and his minions will fall into the earth. In fact, their households will fall into the earth with them, but it is apparent by the genealogies in 1Chron. 5 that not each and every member of their families were involved. That is, members of the family of Korah survived. You are not responsible for the misdeed and actions of your family members (although there is certainly some limited responsibility when it comes to your children). But what your cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, etc. do is not your responsibility per se. Korah led a full scale rebellion against Moses, enough that God required of him his life, along with the lives of his followers and their families. However, there were some members of their families who were not involved in this rebellion. These lines will be more fully fleshed out in Ex. 6 and 1Chron. 6:22–24, however, what is important is the aspect of grace here. From the seed of the man who led a full-scale rebellion against Moses comes a family closely related to the psalms and the music of Israel, and who are mentioned throughout Scripture as the sons of Korah. The Doctrine of the Sons of Korah was covered in Num. 16:33. We do not know if the sons of Korah were the recipients, the recipients along with the choir director, or whether they wrote the psalm. Although this may have been clear to the early readers of Hebrew, it is not clear to us today. It appears that the psalm was written for or to the choir director by one or more of the sons of Korah (and, in the Hebrew, this could be translated to the choir director, for the sons of Korah). In other words, we know little about this author. We cannot even unequivocally say that he is named in the inscription of the psalm.

One more thing to consider: what about this sons? Are we dealing with dual (or more) authorship? Do we have one person writing the psalm and another the music for the psalm? Do we have a trio involved in lyrics, music and arrangement? Or do we have an author who is of the sons of Korah, and prefers to be only known that way? And finally, is sons of Korah even a reference to the author(s) of this psalm? These, again, are all questions that I do not have satisfactory answers to. Happily, we can understand the psalm without knowing who the author was.

In the third line, we have the Hebrew word mas^ekîyl (לי.ל-מ) [pronounced mahs^e-KEEL], which means (according to BDB) contemplative poem, and is found in several of the psalm titles (32, 42, 44, 45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Psalm 47:8.* It comes from the verb sâkal (ל ַכ ָ) [pronounced shaw-KAHL], which means to be prudent, to be wise. We may better render this [A psalm of] wisdom [or, instruction]. Strong’s #4905 BDB #968. The Greek reads eis sunesin psalmos (εἰς σύνεσιν ψαλμός), which means for [the purpose of] a wisdom psalm. Therefore, our rendering is apt.

This gives us: To the enduring [or, choirmaster], to [or, for] sons of Korah, an instruction [or, maskil]. Now, recall, in the psalms for or to (the lâmed preposition) does not always indicate to whom the psalm is written but who is the author of the psalm. I lean towards the interpretation of the NASB or the NIV, to render this: To the director of music, a instructive psalm of the sons of Korah. Fortunately, our understanding or lack thereof of this title will not affect our grasp of the psalm itself.

The inscription of Psalm 42 reads: For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. The similarity between the two inscriptions does not mean that they were composed at the same time or by the same person. The themes are not altogether dissimilar, however.

O Elohim, with our [two] ears, we have heard;

Our fathers have recounted to us a deed You have done in their days,

days of antiquity.

Psalm

44:1

O God, we have heard with our ears;

Our fathers have recounted to us the work You have worked in their days,

[in] days of old.

O God, we have heard ourselves what our fathers have recounted to us—

the works which you have done in their days, in the days of antiquity.

At one point, I was terribly concerned about the verse number. In the Hebrew, this is verse 2. In most English translations, it is v. 1, the previous verse being the inscription and not a part of the psalm itself. I will mention that here, but not number the psalm as some have done [Psalm 44:1 (2)]. Now, for the translations of this verse:

Keil and Delitzsch (updated) Elohim, with our own ears have we heard, Our fathers have declared to us: A work You have done in their days, in the days of old.

NASB O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us, The work that Thou didst in their days, In the days of old.

The Septuagint O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, the work which You did in their days, in the days of old.

TEV With our own ears we have heard it, O God— our ancestors have told us about it, about the great things you did in their time, in the days of long ago.

Young's Literal Translation O God, with our ears we have heard, Our fathers have recounted to us, The work Thou didst work in their days, In the days of old.

This verse appears to be fairly simple to translate and to understand. The psalmist opens the verse with the vocative ělôhîym

(מי ̣הֹל ֱא) [pronounced el-o-HEEM], which means gods or God. When this word is used, either the Trinity is being referred to or one member of the Trinity when the essence of deity is being emphasized. Strong's #430 BDB #43. Then we have in [or, with] our [two] ears. This is followed by the 1^st person plural, Qal perfect of to hear, to listen. This gives us: O Elohim, with our ears, we have heard.

Then we have our fathers followed by the 3^rd person plural, Piel perfect of çâphar (ר ַפ ָס) [pronounced saw-FAHR], which means, in the Piel, to recount, to enumerate, to tell with praise, to celebrate, to recall, to declare, to narrate, to tell or declare something from memory, to declare the facts or particulars of, to tell in a specific order. This word properly means to engrave, to cut into a stone, which, therefore means to write. It has come to mean to recount. Strong’s #5608 BDB #707. Then we have to us. Our fathers have recounted to us... We have a similar phrase in Psalm 78:3, which is a Maskil [or, an instructive psalm] of Asaph (who is a descendant of Korah).

Then we have the masculine singular noun pô׳al (ל-עֹ) [pronounced POH-ahl or POH-gahl], which means work, deed, doing. Strong’s #6467 BDB #821. The singular noun indicates that what God did on behalf of Israel was taken as one complete act or purpose. This is followed by its verbal cognate, the 2^nd person masculine singular, Qal perfect of pâ׳al (ל ַע ָ) [pronounced paw-AHL], which is the poetical equivalent of ׳âsâh (see Strong’s# 6213 BDB# 793), and it means to do, to make, to construct, to fabricate, to prepare. Strong’s #6466 BDB #821. Then we have a phrase which helps us to determine the exact meaning of this verse—in their days. This is followed by in days of followed by the masculine singular noun qedem (ם ∵ד ∵ק) [pronounced KEH-dem] and it means eastward, east, ancient, antiquity, front, aforetime. Strong’s #6924 BDB #869. This gives us: Our fathers have recounted to us a deed You have done in their days, days of old.

We are about to hear what God did during the time that He carved out the nation Israel for the Jews. Those who wrote this psalm did not hear this information directly from those who were there at that time. This information was recorded by Moses, who was there at that time, and then it was taught throughout the many subsequent generations to Israel. They have heard these doctrines taught for many years, and this portion of the psalm celebrates the work of God in preparing the Land of Promise for the Jew, and then delivering on that promise.

We ignorantly point to the Old Testament as a time of many and great miracles, when, in fact, there were relatively few, given the time period that the Old Testament covered. In fact, there was one relatively short period of time, the exodus from Egypt into the Land of Promise during which God’s great works were showcased, and Israel was forever told to looks back upon those days and recall what God had done (Ex. 12:26–27 Deut. 6:20 32:7 Judges 6:13 Psalm 77:5 78:3, 12 Isa. 51:9 63:9). The first several verses of this psalm also look back to that time and celebrates it; and then the psalmist asks God, but where are You today?

The purpose of this psalmist looking backward in time is twofold: (1) he recognizes God’s power to save; and, (2) he recognizes God’s willingness to deliver Israel. What he is asking for is within the character of God. What will appear to be the case is that God does not deliver Israel in this case, which is a point of strong confusion to the psalmist, as well as to me—until McGee explained it in one sentence.

You, Your hand, nations You caused to dispossess;

and so You planted them;

You caused evil [to] peoples

and so You sent them [i.e., Gentiles] out

[or, and so You sent them (Israelites) forth].

Psalm

44:2

You, [by] Your hand, You have caused to dispossess the Gentiles;

then You planted them [Israel].

You caused evil [to befall Gentile] peoples;

then you sent them [the Israelites] forth.

You, by Your own hand, You have driven out the Gentile nations

and then You planted Israel in their place

You brought evil against the Gentiles but caused Israel to spread forth in the Land.

The interpretation of this verse seems to be able to go in two basic directions: (1) the 3^rd person plural here can refer to the Gentiles in the Land of Promise; or, (2) we see an alternating between the Gentiles who are thrown out of the land and the Israelites who are planted in the land. Let’s first see what others have done with this verse:

JPS (Tanakh) With Your hand You planted them, displacing nations; You brought misfortune on peoples, and drove them out.

NASB Thou with Thine own hand didst drive out the nations; Then Thou dist plant them; Thou didst afflict the peoples, Then Thou didst spread them abroad.

NIV With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.

NLT You drove out the pagan nations and gave all the land to our ancestors; you crushed their enemies, setting our ancestors free.

The Septuagint Your hand completely destroyed the heathen and You planted them; You afflicted the nations, and You cast them out.

TEV How you yourself drove out the heathen and established your people in their land; how you punished the other nations and caused your own to prosper.

Young's Literal Translation Thou, with Thy hand, nations hast dispossessed. And Thou dost plant them. Thou afflictest peoples, and sendest them away.

We begin this verse with the 2^nd person masculine singular personal pronoun (You) followed by Your hand followed by the masculine plural noun gôwyîm (ם̣י) [pronounced goh-YEEM], which is used to mean [Gentile] nations, Gentiles. Strong’s #1471 BDB #156. Then we have the main verb of this first line, which is the 2^nd person masculine singular, Hiphil perfect of yârash (ש ַר ָי) [pronounced yaw-RAHSH], which means to possess, to take possession of. In the Hiphil, it means to cause to possess, to cause to inherit, to cause to dispossess. Strong’s #3423 BDB #439. This gives us: You, [by] Your hand, You have caused to dispossess [the] [Gentile] nations. Recall what Joshua said to his people: “By this you will know that the Living God is among you and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashites, the Amorite and the Jebusite.” (Joshua 3:10b; see also Acts 7:45).

This is followed by the wâw consecutive (which tends to move the action along, followed by the 2^nd person masculine singular, Qal imperfect (with a 3^rd person masculine plural suffix) of nâţa׳ (ע ַט ָנ) [pronounced naw-TAHĢ] and it generally means to plant. However, it also means, figuratively, to establish. (See Ex. 15:17 Deut. 11:15 Ezra 36:36 Psalm 44:3) We use it in a similar fashion today. “Young man, let’s just plant yourself right there in that chair until I determine what to do with you.” Strong’s #5193 BDB #642. This gives us: Then You planted [or, established] them. What happened to the Gentile nations was not that much of a concern to God (those who were heathen). What God was concerned about was Israel. So the planting here refers to His planting of Israel in the Land of Promise. Moses put similar words in his song: “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance—the place, o Jehovah, which You have made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Jehovah, which Your hands have established.” (Ex. 15:17; see also 2Sam. 7:10). The idea of these two lines is quite simple; God uprooted the Gentiles and planted the Jews in their place, just as one might removed all the weeds from an area to be gardened.

In the next line, we have the 2^nd person masculine singular, Hiphil imperfect of râ׳a׳ (ע ַע ָר) [pronounced raw-ĢAHĢ], which means to be evil, to be bad, displeasing, injurious. In the Hiphil, it means to make evil, to do evil, to do ill, to cause to do evil, to cause something injurious to be done. Strong’s #7489 BDB #949. This is followed by the masculine plural noun l^eôwm (םאל) [pronounced l^eohm], which means people. Although there are exceptions, this is generally a word reserved for vulgar, common people; i.e., Gentile peoples. Strong’s #3816 BDB #522. This gives us: You have caused evil [to Gentile] peoples.

The next line begins with the wâw consecutive followed by the 2^nd person masculine singular, Piel imperfect (with a masculine plural suffix of shâlach (ח ַל ָש) [pronounced shaw-LAHKH], which means to send, to send forth, to send away, to dismiss, to deploy. In the Piel it means to send off, to send away, to dismiss, to give over, to cast out, to let go, to set free, to shoot forth [branches], to shoot [an arrow]. Strong’s #7971 BDB #1018. Then you sent them [the Gentile peoples] out. This may be taken in a different way, which would also maintain the parallelism. God could have caused the Israelites to shoot forth branches; that is, they settle in an area, and then cause them to spread much like, say, bamboo spreads, by sending out shoots and then these shoots come up. Shâlach is used in that sense in Psalm 80:11 Jer. 17:8 Ezek. 17:6–7 (these are all instances of the Piel stem). Being that this is poetry, and that often a parallelism is maintained, it would make poetical sense for this verse to alternate Gentile, Jew, Gentile, Jew. We have this latter understanding in Psalm 80:8–11: You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the Gentiles then planted it. You cleared [the ground] before it, and it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shadow, and the cedars of God with its boughs. It was sending out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River.

The psalmist knows his history. What God has done in the past is He caused the dispossessing of the Land of Promise from the Gentiles who occupied it. They were either conquered and destroyed, or they fled for their lives, leaving the land for the Israelites. That God eradicated the Gentile of the land and planted Israel is found confirmed throughout Scripture (Ex. 15:17 2Sam. 7:10 Neh. 9:24 Psalm 135). Historically, this is all described in the books of Exodus through Joshua, which events took place during the lives of Moses and Joshua.

For not in their sword did they dispossess [the] land

and their arm they did not deliver [it] to them.

For Your right hand and Your arm and a light of Your faces

for You have found them acceptable.

Psalm

44:3

For they did not take possession of the land by their sword

and their arm did not deliver them,

for Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your face [delivered them]

because You have found them to be acceptable.

For they did not take possession of the land by their sword, nor did their own arm deliver them.

It was Your right hand and Your arm, along with the light of Your face, which delivered them,

because You found them to be acceptable.

Like the previous verses in this psalm, this one is long. Much of that is because there is one entire thought here covered in several lines. Let’s see what others have done first:

NASB For by their own sword they did not possess the land; And their own arm did not save them; But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy presence, For Thou didst favor them.

NIV It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

The Septuagint For they inherited not the land by their sword, and their arm did not deliver them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your face, because You were well pleased in them.

Young's Literal Translation For, not by their sword, Possessed they the land, And their arm gave not salvation to them, But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, And the light of Thy countenance, Because Thou hast accepted them.

The general idea in this verse is fairly simple—Israel did not take the land because they were a great and strong people. They were given the land because God favored them. The key was that they were regenerated in Him, and therefore, He looked out for them. The first line begins with the explanatory conjunction (for, because) followed by the negative and in their sword. The main verb is the 3^rd person plural, Qal perfect of yârash (ש ַר ָי) [pronounced yaw-RASH] again (to possess, to take possession of, to occupy [all] geographical area—by driving out the previous occupants], to inherit, to dispossess). Strong’s #3423 BDB #439. Then we have land in its pausal form, giving us: For they did not take possession [of the] land by their sword,...

Then we have the wâw conjunction, their arm, the negative and the 3^rd person feminine singular (which is associated with their arm), Hiphil perfect of yâsha׳ (ע ַש ָי) [pronounced yaw-SHAHĢ], which means to deliver, to save. Joshua’s name was in part built upon this word. This verb is found only in the Hiphil and Niphal. Strong’s #3467 BDB #446. This is followed by the lâmed preposition and the 3^rd person masculine plural suffix. ...and their arm did not deliver them. Or, ...and their arm did not deliver [it] to them.

The next line begins with the kîy preposition again (that, for, when, because) followed by Your right hand. The right hand is used here, because this is the hand which carries the sword or the spear. Then we have and Your arm followed by to the wâw conjunction and the masculine singular construct of ôwr (רא) [pronounced ohr], which means light. This is used for moonlight, sunlight and morning light. Strong’s #216 BDB #21. Then we have of Your faces (we would think of it as, of Your face). This gives us: For Your right hand and Your arm and [the] light of Your face [delivered Israel]. Israel owed her place in the land entirely to God. It was His guidance, strength and preservation which brought them into the land and allowed them to take the land.

We have the explanatory conjunction again, followed by the 2^nd person masculine singular, Qal perfect (with a 3^rd person masculine plural suffix) of râtsâh (ה ָצ ָר) [pronounced raw-TSAWH] means to be acceptable, to be pleased with, to enjoy. Strong's #7521 BDB #953. For You have found them acceptable; or, You have found them to be acceptable; or, You have delighted [in] them. We have to be careful of this last line. God was pleased with Israel; God found them to be acceptable. This does not mean that Israel exhibited any good in itself. God’s love of Israel has always been based upon His graciousness. “Jehovah did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But because Jehovah loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, Jehovah brought you out by a mighty hand, and He redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:7–8).

Here is the quick and easy explanation. Israel was regenerated. Israel was all believers. This is noted when the psalmist says that God found them to be acceptable or that He was pleased with them. For that reason, God dispossessed those who lived in the land and gave this land over to Israel. Israel did not gain the land through their own personal efforts, but God gave them the land using His power and strength. “Otherwise, you might say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you will remember Jehovah your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” (Deut. 8:17–18; see also Deut. 4:37 Joshua 24:12 Psalm 77:15 78:54).

You [are] He my King, O God;

command salvations of Jacob.

Psalm

44:4

You, O God, [are] He, my King;

command the salvation of Jacob.

You, God, are my King;

command that Jacob be saved.

From hereon in, the verses will be somewhat shorter. Here are what others have done with it:

The Septuagint You are indeed my King and my God, Who commands deliverance for Jacob.

Young's Literal Translation Thou art He, my king, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.

We begin this verse with the 2^nd person masculine singular personal pronoun, which is accurately rendered You. Then we have the masculine singular demonstrative adjective hûw (אה) [pronounced hoo], which means he, it. Strong’s #1931 BDB #214. Often, with either pronoun, we would include the absolute status quo verb to be. Then we have the 1^st person singular suffix affixed to melek^e ( ∵ל ∵מ) [pronounced MEH-lek], which means king, prince. This is the ultimate ruler of the land, or one in line for that position. Strong’s #4428 BDB #572. Then we have the masculine plural noun Elohim, giving us: You [are] He, my King, O God. The psalmist recognizes the absolute and total sovereignty of Jehovah God of Israel. The reading of the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate is slightly different at this point: You are my King and my God.

Interestingly enough, Barnes suggests that this could even be the ruling monarch of Israel who wrote this psalm

(and, given the time frame that Barnes argued for, this would be Josiah near the end of his rule). He bases this upon the fact that the psalmist calls God, my King. It is an interesting point of view, which, unfortunately, does not have much internal support in this psalm (no more so than there being internal support for any author). Most of Josiah’s cabinet would be dedicated believers; Josiah enacted many spiritual reforms throughout the land—therefore, as far as he and his immediate surroundings are concerned, he and those around him have been faithful to God and have not pursued false gods. However, the enactment of the various Josiah reforms does not necessarily change the hearts of the populace, which had become obviously degenerate during Josiah’s time (otherwise, there would have been no need for reforms in the first place).

In the second line, we have the 2^nd person masculine singular, Piel imperative of tsâvâh (ה ָו ָצ) [pronounced tsaw-VAW], which means to commission, to mandate, to lay charge upon, to give charge to, charge, command, order. This is a verb found only in the Piel. Strong's #6680 BDB #845. Then we have the feminine plural construct of yêsha׳ (ע ַש ֵי) [pronounced YAY-shahģ], which means safety, salvation. Strong’s #3468 BDB #447. This is followed by of Jacob, which is a synonym for Israel—often for degenerate Israel, giving us: Command salvations of Jacob. This is not based upon any good thing in Jacob; the psalmist points to God’s relationship to Israel in the past and asks for God to continue to deliver Israel out of grace. Again the Septuagint and Vulgate (and the Syriac Targum) are slightly different, reading: Who commands deliverances for Jacob. The name Jacob, of course, is a synonym for the descendants of Jacob, that is, Israel. Whereas this is not always the case, Jacob can refer to degenerate Israel, as Jacob was not the most admirable believer around (God did rename him Israel). The psalmist knows that if God gives the command, then it will be carried out.

We have a parallel verse in Psalm 74:12: Yet God is my King from of old, Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.

In You our enemies we push [down];

in Your name we tread down our assailants.

Psalm

44:5

We are victorious over our enemies by You;

we trample down those standing against us by Your name.

It is through You that we are victorious over our enemies;

it is by Your name that we trample down those who take a stand against us.

JPS (Tanakh) Through You we gore our foes; by Your name we trample our adversaries.

NASB Though Thee we will push back our adversaries; Through Thy name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

NIV Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.

The Septuagint In You, we will push down our enemies, and in Your name, we will bring them to nought that rise up against us.

Young's Literal Translation By Thee our adversaries we do push, By Thy name tread down our withstanders,...

We begin this verse with the bêyth preposition and the 2^nd person masculine singular suffix, which would be translated in You, among You, against You, with You, through You, by You. Strong’s #none BDB #88. Then we have the object of the verb, which is the masculine plural of tsar (ר ַצ) [pronounced tsahr], which means an adversary, an enemy, distress, affliction. Strong’s #6862 BDB #865. This is affixed to a 1^st person plural suffix. The main verb is next, which is the 1^st person plural, Piel imperfect of nâgach (ח-גָנ) [pronounced naw-GAHKH], which means to push, to thrust, to gore, to strike with the horn [used of horned animals]. This word is used of animals goring a person in Ex. 21:28, 31–32. In the Piel, it is used of a victor prostrating nations before him (see Deut. 33:17 1Kings 22:11 Psalm 44:6). Its Piel meaning is pretty much the same as its Qal meaning in Ezek. 34:21 Dan. 8:4. Strong’s #5055 BDB #618. This gives us: By You, we push back [or, are victorious over] our enemies. The psalmist recognizes that only through God have the Jews been victorious over their enemies. As Joshua told those while on his deathbed: “Jehovah your God will thrust them [the Gentiles] from before you, and you will possess their land, just as Jehovah your God has promised you.” (Joshua 23:5).

The second line begins In (or, by) Your name. Then we have the 1^st person plural, Qal imperfect of bûwç (ס) [pronounced booc], which means to tread down, to trample. One of the common images of the ancient world was a victor walking over the bodies of those he has defeated in battle (Job 40:12 Psalm 7:5 Isa. 10:6 63:3 Daniel 7:23). Strong’s #947 BDB #100. Who they trample down is the masculine plural, Qal active participle of qûwm (םק) [pronounced koom], which means to stand, to rise up. As a masculine plural, Qal active participle, this should be rendered withstanders, those rising up [against], those standing [against]. We may understand it to mean adversaries. Strong’s #6965 BDB #877. The 1^st person plural suffix is attached to this. This gives us: By Your name, we trample down those standing against us. This line is parallel to the one above and means essentially the same thing—the psalmist fully recognizes that it is through Jehovah Elohim that Israel has been delivered. There is an interesting nuance here, however. We would associate the word qûwm more with rebellion than we would with external forces. The word suggests that someone in the middle of Israel takes a stand against the ruling authority.

We find a parallel verse in Psalm 60:12: Through God, we will do valiantly. Furthermore, it is He Who will tread down our adversaries.

For not in my bow I do trust

and my sword cannot save me.

Psalm

44:6

For I do not trust in my bow

and my sword will not deliver me.

For I do not trust my own bow or my own spear to deliver me.

Young's Literal Translation For, not in my bow do I trust, And my sword doth not save me.

We begin with the explanatory preposition followed by the negative, the bêyth preposition and the feminine singular noun (with a 1^st person singular suffix) qesheth (ת∵∵ק) [pronounced KEH-sheth], which means bow. Strong’s #7198 BDB #905. Then we have the main verb, which is the 1^st person singular, Qal imperfect of bâţach (ח ַט ָ) [pronounced baw-TAHKH], which means to trust, to rely upon, to have confidence in, to be secure in. Strong’s #982 BDB #105. For, not in my bow do I trust, is the reasonable and literal translation. The psalmist recognizes that his strength is not in his bow.