Psalms 74:18-23

Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

-The prayer (Psalms 74:1) resumed and expanded.

Verse 18. Remember this - answering to Psalms 74:2; Psalms 74:10.

The foolish people - (Psalms 39:8) These self-wise and proud enemies are in God's eyes but fools; sin is the acme of foolishness.

Verse 19. O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude (of the wicked) - rather 'unto the wild beast' [ lªchayat (H2416), for which the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic read lachayot, 'unto the wild beasts;' which would obviate the need of supplying words (of the field, or similar words) as the present construct form requires]. The Chaldaic paraphrases, 'to peoples resembling a wild beast' (cf. Psalms 68:10, note), whence Kimchi takes it in the sense "congregation." But 'wild beast,' forms the natural contrast to "thy turtle-dove." The strongest argument for the English version is that it takes the same Hebrew word both clauses in a similar sense - "the multitude (of the wicked)" - "the congregation." But the same word may be used designedly to mark the contrast between the wild-beast-like foe and the turtle-dove-like 'congregation of God's poor.'

Forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever - even though chastisement for a time be needed by us. Hengstenberg translates, 'the life of thy poor.' Maurer most approaches to the English version, so as to retain the same sense for the same word in the two clauses, and also to avoid the need of supplying to the construct Hebrew form the words "of the wicked." Deliver not thy turtle-dove to the greedy host (cf. Psalms 27:12; Psalms 41:2), lªchayat (H2416) nepesh (H5315) - literally, to the host of greed or desire; i:e., to the host that desires it; 'the host of thy poor forget not forever.'

Verse 20. Have respect unto the covenant - the strongest plea in prayer to remind God of His covenant and promises to His people (Psalms 106:45).

For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty - i:e., the earth on which there are 'darknesses' (such as there are in Hades or Sheol, Psalms 88:6) is full of the habitations of cruelty (cf. Psalms 143:3, end, Lamentations 3:3; Lamentations 3:6).

Verse 21. O let not the oppressed return ashamed - i:e., come back from thee disappointed in their hope, their prayer not being heard.

Let the poor ... praise thy name - give them cause for praise by saving them.

Verse 22. O God, plead thine own cause. Our cause is thy cause. For the enemy reproacheth not merely us, but thee, and that daily.

Verse 23. The voice of thine enemies, their clamour, etc. (cf. Psalms 74:4).

The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth - Hebrew, 'ascendeth' (Genesis 4:10; Genesis 18:21; Genesis 19:13; Jonah 1:2).