Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 44:3

"For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them." — Psalms 44:3 (ASV)

For they got not the land in possession - The land of Canaan. The purpose of this verse is to illustrate the truth expressed in the previous verse: that they owed their establishment in the promised land entirely to God.

The fact that He had intervened on their behalf and shown His ability to defeat their enemies is invoked as a reason why He should now intervene in a time of national danger and calamity.

He who had driven out the nations in the days of their ancestors, He who had established His people peacefully in the land from which the former inhabitants had been expelled, was able to intervene now and save them.

The prominent thought in all this is that it was God who had accomplished all that had been done. That same God was able to save them again.

By their own sword - That is, it was not due to their valor, but to the divine power (Deuteronomy 8:10–18; Deuteronomy 9:3–6; Joshua 24:12).

Neither did their own arm save them - Not their own strength or prowess.

But thy right hand - The right hand is mentioned because it is the one used in wielding the sword or the spear in battle.

And the light of thy countenance - Your favor. It was because You lifted upon them the light of Your countenance, or because You favored them. See the notes on Psalm 4:6.

Because thou hadst a favor unto them - You desired to show them favor; You had pleasure in them. The idea in the Hebrew word is that of delighting in anything, or having pleasure in it.