Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 74

O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? — You seem to have cast us off forever, or finally. Compare (Psalms 44:9), note; (Psalms 13:1), note. Why doth thine anger smoke. See (Deuteronomy 29:20). The presence of smoke indicates fire, and the language here is such as often occurs in the Scriptures, when anger or wrath is compared with fire. See (Deuteronomy 32:22); (Jeremiah 15:14).

Against the sheep of thy pasture — Your people, represented as a flock. See (Psalms 79:13); (Psalms 95:7). This increases the tenderness of the appeal. The wrath of God seemed to be enkindled against his own people, helpless and defenseless, who needed his care, and who might naturally look for it — as a flock needs the care of a shepherd, and as the care of the shepherd might be expected. He seemed to be angry with his people, and to have cast them off, when they had every reason to anticipate his protection.

Remember your congregation - The word rendered “congregation” properly means an “assembly,” a “community,” and it is frequently applied to the Israelites, or the Jewish people, considered as a body or a community associated for the service of God (Exodus 12:3; Exodus 16:1–2, 9; Leviticus 4:15; Numbers 27:17). The word used by the Septuagint is συναγωγή sunagōgē – synagogue – but refers here to the whole Jewish people, not to a particular synagogue or congregation.

Which you have purchased of old - In ancient times; in a former age. That is, you have “purchased” them for yourself, or as your own, by redeeming them from bondage, thus securing to yourself the right to them, as one does who redeems or purchases a thing. See the notes at Isaiah 43:3.

The rod of your inheritance - Margin, as in Hebrew, “tribe.” The Hebrew word – שׁבט shêbet – properly means “a staff,” stick, rod; then, a shepherd’s staff, a crook; then, a scepter; and then it is used to denote a “tribe,” so called from the staff or scepter which the chief of the tribe carried as the symbol of authority (Exodus 28:21; Judges 20:2).

The word “inheritance” is frequently applied to the children of Israel considered as belonging to God, as property inherited belongs to the one who owns it – perhaps suggesting the idea that the right to them had come down, as inherited property does, from age to age. It was a right over them acquired long before, in the days of the patriarchs.

Which you have redeemed - By delivering them out of Egyptian bondage. So the church is now redeemed, and, as such, it belongs to God.

This mount Zion - Jerusalem – the seat of government and of public worship – the capital of the nation.

Where you have dwelt - By the visible symbol of your presence and power. On all these considerations, the psalmist prays that God would not forget Jerusalem in the present time of desolation and trouble.

Lift up thy feet - That is, Advance, or draw near. Come and look directly and personally on the desolations which now exist in the holy city.

Unto the perpetual desolations - Hebrew, “the ruins of perpetuity,” or eternity; that is, such as have been long continued, and threaten to continue forever. The ruin had not suddenly come, and it did not seem likely to pass away soon, but appeared to be entire and permanent. The destruction of the city seemed to be complete and final.

Even all that the enemy hath done wickedly - That is, with wicked intent and purpose. The reference seems to be to the Chaldeans, and to the ruin which they had brought upon the temple and city.

In the sanctuary - That is, either Jerusalem, considered as a holy place; or the temple, the place of the public worship of God.

Your enemies roar — This refers to the shout and tumult of war. They raised up the war-cry even in the very place where the congregations had been assembled, where God had been worshiped. The word translated “roar” properly refers to wild beasts, and the meaning is that their war-cry resembled the howling of beasts of prey.

In the midst of your congregations — literally, “in the midst of your assembly.” This is a different word from that which is translated “congregation” in (Psalms 74:2). This word — מועד (mô‛êd) — means a meeting together by mutual appointment and is often applied to the meeting of God with his people at the tabernacle, which was therefore called “the tent of the congregation,” or, more properly, “the tent of meeting,” as the place where God met with his people (Exodus 29:10, Exodus 29:44; Exodus 33:7; Leviticus 3:8, Leviticus 3:13; Leviticus 10:7, Leviticus 10:9; and often). The meaning here is that they roared like wild beasts in the very place which God had appointed as the place where he would meet with his people.

They set up their ensigns for signs — That is, they set up their banners or standards, as the standards of the place, as that which indicated sovereignty over the place. They proclaimed thus that it was a conquered place, and they set up their own standards as denoting their title to it, or as declaring that they ruled there. It was no longer a place sacred to God; it was publicly seen to belong to a foreign power.

A man was famous - literally, “He is known;” or, “shall be known.” That is, he was or shall be celebrated.

According as he had lifted up axes - literally, “As one raising on high axes;” that is, as one lifts up his axe high in the air in order to strike an effective stroke.

Upon the thick trees - The clumps of trees; the trees standing thick together. That is, As he showed skill and ability in cutting these down, and laying them low. His celebrity was founded on the rapidity with which the strokes of the axe fell on the trees, and his success in laying low the pride of the forest.

According to our common translation, the meaning is that “formerly” a man derived his fame from his skill and success in wielding his axe to lay the forest low, but that “now” his fame was to be derived from another source, namely, the skill and power with which he cut down the elaborately-carved work of the sanctuary, despoiled the columns of their ornaments, and demolished the columns themselves.

But another interpretation may be given to this, as has been suggested by Professor Alexander. It is, that “the ruthless enemy is known or recognized as dealing with the sanctuary no more tenderly than a woodman with the forest which he fells.” The former, however, is the more natural, as well as the more common interpretation. Luther renders it, “One sees the axe glitter on high, as one cuts wood in the forest.” The Vulgate, and the Septuagint, “The signs pointing to the entrance above that they did not know.” What idea was attached to this rendering, it is impossible to determine.