John Calvin Commentary Psalms 74:19

"Oh deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast: Forget not the life of thy poor for ever." — Psalms 74:19 (ASV)

Give not to the beast the soul of thy turtle dove. The Hebrew word חית, chayath, which we translate as beast, sometimes signifies the soul or life, and some explain it this way in the second clause of this verse, where it occurs again. But here, it is unquestionably to be taken either as a wild beast or as a multitude.

Understood in either of these ways, this expression contains a very fitting comparison between the life of a weak and timid bird and a powerful army of men or a cruel beast. The Church is compared to a turtle dove because, although the faithful consisted of a considerable number, they were so far from matching their enemies that, on the contrary, they were exposed to them as prey.

Next, it is added, Forget not the soul or congregation of thy poor ones. The Hebrew word חית, chayath, is used again, and there is an elegance to its ambiguous use twice in the same verse, but in different senses. I have preferred translating it as congregation, rather than soul, because the passage seems to be a prayer asking God to watch over and defend His own small flock from the mighty hosts of their enemies.