John Gill Commentary Psalms 44

We have heard with our ears, O God
The church being in distress calls to mind the past favours of God to his people, in order to encourage her faith and hope; and this expression, delivered in such a form, shows the clearness, evidence, and certainty of what was heard; and which was heard not only as a tradition from father to son; but being recorded in the writings of Moses and the prophets, and these things read both in private and in public, were heard with the ear;

our fathers have told us [what] works thou didst in their days, in the
times of old :
such as the signs and wonders in Egypt, the slaying of the firstborn there, and the bringing of the people of Israel from thence with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; which fathers were used to tell in the ears of their sons, and sons' sons; and of which there were memorials continued in future ages, which led children to ask their parents the meaning of them; when they informed them of the wondrous works of Providence done in former times, and by which means they were handed down from age to age: see (Exodus 10:2) (12:26) (13:8) .

[How] you did drive out the Heathen with your hand
Of power; that is, the Canaanites, as the Targum; the seven nations which inhabited the land of Canaan before the children of Israel came into it, (Deuteronomy 7:1) ;

and plantedst them :
not the Canaanites elsewhere; but, as the same Targum explains it the house of Israel in their land; which, like a vine, was removed from one place, and planted in another; and the settlement of the children of Israel in the land of Canaan is frequently expressed by this metaphor, (Exodus 15:17) (Psalms 80:8) (Isaiah 5:1Isaiah 5:7) (Jeremiah 2:21) ;

[how] you did afflict the people ;
the Egyptians, according to Arama; rather the Canaanitish nations by wars and desolating judgments;

and cast them out ;
that is, the same nations out of their land; though some render this clause, "and you did send them out"; the captive Israelites, as Arama; or "didst propagate them" ^F17 ; meaning the people of Israel; who being like a vine planted in the and, sent out its boughs and branches, and became very flourishing and fruitful; see (Psalms 80:9–11) ;

and so the Syriac version renders it, "and you confirmed them"; but the former sense seems best, agreeably to which is the Targum, "you have broken the nations, and have consumed them"; and that all this was the Lord's work appears by what follows.

FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (Mxlvtw) "has autem germinare fecisti", Tigurine version; "propagasti ipsos", Piscator; so Ainsworth; but rejected by Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 859.

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword ,
&c.] There were many things which show that the possession of the land of Canaan was not of the Israelites themselves, but of the Lord; as their passing over into it through Jordan as on dry land; the manner in which Jericho, the first city of it, was taken, and the smiting of the Israelites by the men of Ai;

neither did their own arm save them ;
from their enemies, and deliver them into their hands: they were too apt to ascribe things to their own righteousness, merit, and power; but such methods were taken by the Lord as to prevent such attributions to themselves; see (Deuteronomy 8:16Deuteronomy 8:17) (9:3-6) ;

but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance ;
the mighty power of God, his outstretched arm in their favour, and which arose from his pure good will to them;

because you had a favour unto them ;
was well pleased, and took delight in them; chose them to be a special people to himself, above all people on the face of the earth.

You are my King, O God. Besides the favours God had done for his people in time past, the church takes notice of her interest in God as her King, who was able to protect and defend her, and to deliver her out of all her distresses, in order the more to strengthen her faith and hope in him.

And, claiming her interest in him, she draws nigh to him with an holy boldness, and desires him as a King, that by a word of his (for where the word of a king is, there is power) he would command deliverances for Jacob.

This is not literally, but mystically understood; the spiritual Jacob, and people of God; all Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile; meaning herself and members.

The blessing desired is "deliverances", or "salvations"; so called, because the deliverance or salvation the Lord commands, grants, and works out for his people is of different kinds, both spiritual and temporal, and is a deliverance from various things: from sin, Satan, the present evil world, wrath to come, and all enemies; and out of various temptations and afflictions, which follow successively one upon another; and at last it is complete and perfect.

Through thee will we push down our enemies
The Chaldee paraphrase renders it, "through the Word": the essential Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the church's King and God, and has wrought out complete deliverance and salvation for his people; and he is the horn of salvation, by which, though weak in themselves, they push down their enemies, which are many and mighty, and they are more than conquerors over them: the metaphor is taken from creatures pushing with their horns those that oppose them, and in defence of themselves; and there seems to be an allusion to (Deuteronomy 33:17) ;

through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us ;
in the name of the Lord the saints set up their banners, and in his name they come forth and fight with their spiritual enemies, that rise up against them, as sin, Satan, and wicked men; and in the name, and through the power of the Lord, they tread them down as mire in the streets; and before long Satan will be wholly bruised under them; and the antichristian party shall be trodden down by them, and be as ashes under the soles of their feet; see (Romans 16:20) (Malachi 4:3) .