Psalms 74:3-9

Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

-The enemy has destroyed God's sanctuary and synagogues, and there are no tokens of God's presence in the land.

Verse 3. Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations - `ruins' (Psalms 73:18, note). They seem eternal, because all human hope of restoration has been cut off. "Lift up thy feet," in order to come not slowly, but swiftly and majestically, in the sight of all, to restore what must otherwise be 'eternal ruins,' or "perpetual desolation." Compare the same phrase, margin, Genesis 29:1. In the case of God it has a more exalted meaning: 'Lift up thyself' in thy might (Psalms 7:6; Psalms 94:2).

(Even) all (that) the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. 'The enemy hath destroy everything (hath done all evils) in the sanctuary' (Hengstenberg).

Verse 4. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations - Hebrew, 'congregation,' singular. "THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION;" so called, not because it was the place of assembly for the people, but because it was the sacred place of meeting between God and His people. The Hebrew is the same as here [ mow`eed (H4150)] (Exodus 33:7; cf. Exodus 29:42-2). The name was transferred, as here, to the temple-`places of assembly' (Lamentations 2:6, Hebrew). In, Psalms 74:8 here it is plural, in the sense "synagogues;" so called because the people met together there for public worship. Many manuscripts read the plural, as the English version here, in Psalms 74:4. which Hengstenberg supports, on the ground of the feminine suffix in Psalms 74:6. The sense is the same, the plural still referring to the temple, as Psalms 68:35, "thy holy places." As early as Samuel's time there were meetings for psalmody and worship on fixed days (1 Samuel 9:12; 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 19:20-9). Similar meetings in Elisha's time, conducted by the prophets, are implied in 2 Kings 4:23. Probably in the kingdom of the ten tribes they were used by Elijah and Elisha as means for counteracting, the calf-worship at Bethel Compare also Psalms 107:32, "the congregation of the people ... the assembly of the elders." These meetings were the forerunners of the synagogues, which prevailed in New Testament times. However, Hengstenberg takes "the synagogues of God" (Psalms 74:8) to refer to the temple alone, with all its apartments. The Hebrew is mow`eed (H4150) - he thinks too lofty a word to be used of any other place than the temple-the only place in the land where God put His name (Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 12:11). The scene is graphically set before the eyes: 'The enemies roar (cf. Lamentations 2:7) ... set up their ensigns ... cast fire in the sanctuary,' etc.

They set up their ensigns for signs - i:e, the signs of their being conquerors and masters of the temple-their military standards. 'Where formerly everything testified of the dominion of God, now everything testifies of the dominion of the pagan.' In sad contrast they say in Psalms 74:9, "We see not our signs."

Verse 5. (A man) was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. Formerly 'a man was known (so the Hebrew) for lifting up axes' to build the temple; 'but now they break down,' etc. (Psalms 74:6). The ancient versions rather favour the following translation: (The enemy) is known (makes himself