Psalm-79
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of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and
history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.
Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of Thy Law!
Tehillim - Psalm
119:18..
(JPS-1917
version of the Tanakh).
Please Note: Some alterations or
(additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected
like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth
from our beloved Torah!
“Ye
shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2.
However, sadly both the later priests as well as our rabbis of long ago have shamefully disobeyed this command of אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם קָדוֹשׁוֹ - ‘Baruch Shem Kadosho’ – ‘Blessed be His Holy Name!’
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Foreword:
Tehillim - Psalm 79 is a poignant “Lament of
Asaph” that mirrors the historical trauma of the destruction of Jerusalem and
the Holy Temple. Unlike the previous Psalm, which looked back at the Exodus for
hope, Psalm 79 looks at the ruins of the present and pleads for אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s (God) intervention based on
His own reputation.
Introduction: The Cry
from the Ruins:
Psalm 79 is a communal prayer born out of catastrophe. It describes a time when the “heathen”(nations) have defiled the sanctuary and turned Jerusalem into heaps of rubble. The central tension of the Psalm is the question of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’ “Jealousy” and “Glory”. The psalmist does not claim that the people are perfect; rather, he appeals to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s mercy, asking Him to forgive their sins and punish their oppressors so that the world will not ask, “Where is their אֱלֹהִים?” It is a prayer for the restoration of Divine Honour.
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Let us now read Tehillim - Psalms
Chapter 79:
(JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).
1. “A Psalm
of Asaph.
O אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance;
they have defiled Thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem into heaps.
2. They have given the dead bodies
of Thy servants to be food unto the fowls of the heaven,
the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3. They have shed their blood like
water round about Jerusalem, with none to bury them.
4. We are become a taunt to our
neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5. How long, O יְהוָה - LORD, wilt Thou be
angry for ever? How long will Thy jealousy burn like fire?
6. Pour out Thy wrath upon the
nations that know Thee not, and upon the kingdoms that call not upon Thy Name.
7. For they have devoured Jacob, and
laid waste his habitation.
8. Remember not against us the
iniquities of our forefathers; let Thy compassions speedily come to meet us;
for we are brought very low.
9. Help us, O אֱלֹהִים of our salvation, for the
sake of the glory of Thy Name; and deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy
Name’s sake.
10. Wherefore
should the nations say: ‘Where is their אֱלֹהִים - Elohim?’ Let the avenging of Thy
servants’ blood that is shed be made known among the nations in our sight.
11. Let the
groaning of the prisoner come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy
power set free those that are appointed to death;
12. And
render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith
they have reproached Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD.
13. So we
that are Thy people and the flock of Thy pasture will give Thee thanks for
ever;
we will tell of Thy praise to all generations”.
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We now enter the ‘verse by verse’ item, compete with a
commentary:
Please Note: Each verse commences with the verse in bold, followed by the commentary directly below.
The Scene of Desolation (Verses 1-4).
v. 1: “O אֱלֹהִים - Elohim the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; they have defiled Thy Holy Temple; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps”
The unthinkable has happened: the sacred “inheritance” and the “Holy Temple” have been violated by those who do not acknowledge אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
v. 2: “The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be food unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth”.
A description of the ultimate indignity in Hebrew
culture, the lack of a proper burial for the righteous.
v. 3: “Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem, with none to bury them”.
The sheer scale of the violence is compared to
water; it is pervasive and dehumanizing.
v. 4: “We are become a taunt to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us”.
Beyond the physical pain is the social shame; the surrounding nations mock Israel for their apparent abandonment by אֱלֹהִים.
The Plea for Intervention (Verses 5-7).
v. 5: “How long, O יְהוָה - LORD, wilt Thou be angry for ever? How long shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?”.
The Psalmist recognizes that this suffering is
a result of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s “jealousy” (His intense care
for the covenant), but he begs for a limit to the heat.
v. 6: “Pour out Thy wrath upon the heathen that know Thee not, and upon the kingdoms that call not upon Thy Name”.
The request is for justice: let the
consequences of rebellion fall upon those who actively reject the Divine.
v. 7: “For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his habitation”.
The justification for the plea: the enemy’s goal was total destruction of the people of Jacob.
The Request for Mercy and Forgiveness (Verses 8-10).
v. 8: “Remember not against us the iniquities of our forefathers; let Thy tender mercies speedily come to meet us; for we are brought very low”.
A humble admission that the
current generation is suffering from a long history of errors. He asks for tender mercies” to meet them in their lowest state.
v. 9: “Help us, O אֱלֹהִים of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of Thy Name; and deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy Name's sake”.
The Key Logic:
Help us not because we deserve it, but because Your “Name” (Your reputation as
a Saviour) is at stake.
v. 10: “Wherefore should the heathen say: ‘Where is their אֱלֹהִים?’ Let the avenging of Thy servants’ blood that is shed be made known among the heathen in our sight”.
The Psalmist wants the world to see that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim has not abandoned His servants.
The Final Petition and Vow (Verses 11-13).
v. 11: “Let the groaning of the prisoner come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy power set free those that are appointed to death;”
A prayer for the survivors, those in captivity
or facing execution.
v. 12: “And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD”.
“Sevenfold” implies a complete and perfect
measure of justice for the insults hurled at אֱלֹהִים.
v. 13: “So we that are Thy people and the flock of Thy pasture will give Thee thanks for ever; we will tell of Thy praise to all generations”.
The Psalm ends with a commitment. If אֱלֹהִים - Elohim saves the “flock”, the flock will ensure His praise is carried into the future forever.
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My Closing Message:
“The Flock of Thy Pasture”.
Psalm 79 is a difficult
but necessary prayer. It teaches us how to pray when everything seems lost. The
Psalmist does not hide the “heaps” of rubble or the “blood shed like water”.
Instead, he brings the mess directly to אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim.
The closing verse is the most significant in this study. Despite the “dead bodies” and the “taunts” of the neighbours, the Psalmist still calls the people “the flock of Thy pasture”. Even in the ruins of Jerusalem, they belong to the Shepherd. This suggests that our identity as אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s people is not determined by our current success or failures or our physical surroundings, but by His Eternal ownership of us. When we are “brought very low”, we can still appeal to the “glory of His Name”.
Some Key Themes of Psalm 79:
|
Theme |
Verse Reference |
Spiritual Insight |
|
Defilement |
Verses 1-3 |
The pain of seeing what is “holy” treated as “common”. |
|
Reputation |
Verse 9-10 |
The belief that אֱלֹהִים- Elohim’s character is revealed in how
He saves. |
|
Ancestry |
Verse 8 |
The prayer to break cycles of past mistakes. |
|
Continuity |
Verse 13 |
The promise that survival leads to perpetual praise. |
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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be
He, said the following via several of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem; walk
in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My
Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I
am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
- the LORD your Eloheichem”.
Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,
He
is the one who gave us our Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts.
be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as
well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim -
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(blessings) before food and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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