Psalms 44:13

44:9-16 The believer must have times of temptation, affliction, and discouragement; the church must have seasons of persecution. At such times the people of God will be ready to fear that he has cast them off, and that his name and truth will be dishonoured. But they should look above the instruments of their trouble, to God, well knowing that their worst enemies have no power against them, but what is permitted from above.

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours,.... Which is the common lot of Christians: Christ and his apostles have given reason for the saints in all ages to expect it, and have fortified their minds to bear it patiently, yea, to esteem it an honour, and greater riches than the treasures of the antichristian Egypt; a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us; being always represented as mean and despicable, and reckoned ignorant and accursed, and as the faith of the world, and the offscouring of all things.

Verse 13. - Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours (comp. Psalm 42:10 ; Psalm 79:4 ; Psalm 80:6 ). They would be reproached, not so much as cowards, or as weak and powerless themselves, but rather as having a weak and powerless God (comp. 2 Kings 18:33-35 ; 2 Kings 19:12 ). A scorn and a derision to them that are round about us . (For instances of the "scorn and derision" whereto the Israelites were exposed at the hands of the heathen, see 2 Kings 18:23, 24 ; 2 Kings 19:23, 24 ; Nehemiah 2:19 ; Nehemiah 4:2, 3 ; Psalm 79:4 ; Psalm 137:7 .) Psalm 44:13

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors - Compare the notes at Psalm 39:8 . The word neighbors here refers to surrounding people or nations. They were reproached, scorned, and derided as forsaken by God, and given up to their foes. They no longer commanded the admiration of mankind as a prosperous, favored, happy people. Surrounding nations treated them with contempt as inspiring no fear, and as having nothing to entitle them to respect.

(Heb.: 44:14-17) To this defeat is now also added the shame that springs out of it. A distinction is made between the neighbouring nations, or those countries lying immediately round about Israel (סביבות, as in the exactly similar passage Psalm 79:4 , cf. Psalm 80:7 , which closely resembles it), and the nations of the earth that dwell farther away from Israel. משׁל is here a jesting, taunting proverb, and one that holds Israel up as an example of a nation undergoing chastisement (vid., Habakkuk 2:6 ). The shaking of the head is, as in Psalm 22:8 , a gesture of malicious astonishment. In נגדּי תּמיד (as in Psalm 38:18 ) we have both the permanent aspect or look and the perpetual consciousness. Instead of "shame covers my face," the expression is "the shame of my face covers me," i.e., it has overwhelmed my entire inward and outward being (cf. concerning the radical notions of בּושׁ, Psalm 6:11 , and חפר, Psalm 34:6 ). The juxtaposition of "enemy and revengeful man" has its origin in Psalm 8:3 . In Psalm 44:17 מקּול and מפּני alternate; the former is used of the impression made by the jeering voice, the other of the impression produced by the enraged mien.

r thy service and glory. They minded nothing but their own advantage. Psalms 44:11 Those of us who were not slain are carried into captivity, and dispersed in several places. ## Psalms 44:12 For nought; for a thing of nought. Or, without money , and without price , as it is said, Isa_55:1; for a very small, or for no price; for a pair of shoes, as we read, Amo_2:6. ## Dost not increase thy wealth by their price; thou hast not advanced thy honour and service thereby; for thy enemies do not serve thee more and better than thy people, nor yet so much. Psalms 44:13 They contemn our persons, and sport themselves in our miseries. ## Psalms 44:14 A by-word, or a proverb . They used to say proverbially, More despicable or miserable than an Israelite . ## A shaking of the head; a gesture of scorn and insultation. See Poole " Psa_22:7 " . ## Psalms 44:15 Before me; before the eyes of my mind and body too. They vilify me, not only behind my back, but even before my face. ## The shame of my face hath covered me, i.e. I am filled with shame of my face on every side, being ashamed to show my face in any place or company. ## Psalms 44:16 That reproacheth and blasphemeth; that doth not only reproach me, which I could better bear; but blaspheme God and our religion for our sakes, which is intolerable to me. ## The enemy and avenger; who executeth both God’s and his own vengeance upon me, persecuting me with a despiteful hatred, and with great cruelty.

[Hymns] 10 'Tis as a sword within my bones, when my foes me upbraid; Ev'n when by them, Where is thy God? 'tis daily to me said. 11 O why art thou cast down, my soul? why, thus with grief opprest, Art thou disquieted in me? in God still hope and rest: For yet I know I shall him praise, who graciously to me The health is of my countenance, yea, mine own God is he. Psalm 43 1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against th' ungodly nation; From the unjust and crafty man, O be thou my salvation. 2 For thou the God art of my strength; why thrusts thou me thee fro'? For th' enemy's oppression why do I mourning go? 3 O send thy light forth and thy truth; let them be guides to me, And bring me to thine holy hill, ev'n where thy dwellings be. 4 Then will I to God's altar go, to God my chiefest joy: Yea, God, my God, thy name to praise my harp I will employ. 5 Why art thou then cast down, my soul? what should discourage thee? And why with vexing thoughts art thou disquieted in me? Still trust in God; for him to praise good cause I yet shall have: He of my count'nance is the health, my God that doth me save. Psalm 44 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. 1 O God, we with our ears have heard, our fathers have us told, What works thou in their days hadst done, ev'n in the days of old. 2 Thy hand did drive the heathen out, and plant them in their place; Thou didst afflict the nations, but them thou didst increase.