Logos Bible Study

Psalm 44:1–8

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44:1O God, we have clearly heard;1

our ancestors2 have told us

what you did3 in their days,

in ancient times.4

44:2You, by your power,5 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land;6

you crushed7 the people living there8 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it.9

44:3For they did not conquer10 the land by their swords,

and they did not prevail by their strength,11

but rather by your power,12 strength13 and good favor,14

for you were partial to15 them.

44:4You are my16 king, O God!

Decree17 Jacob’s18 deliverance!

44:5By your power19 we will drive back20 our enemies;

by your strength21 we will trample down22 our foes!23

44:6For I do not trust in my bow,

and I do not prevail by my sword.

44:7For you deliver24 us from our enemies;

you humiliate25 those who hate us.

44:8In God I boast all day long,

and we will continually give thanks to your name.

(Selah)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “with our ears we have heard.”
  2. 2 Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.
  3. 3 Heb “the work you worked.”
  4. 4 Heb “in the days of old.” This refers specifically to the days of Joshua, during Israel’s conquest of the land, as vv. 2–3 indicate.
  5. 5 Heb “you, your hand.”
  6. 6 Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.
  7. 7 The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).
  8. 8 Or “peoples.”
  9. 9 Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.
  10. 10 Or “take possession of.”
  11. 11 Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
  12. 12 Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).
  13. 13 Heb “your arm.”
  14. 14 Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
  15. 15 Or “favorable toward.”
  16. 16 The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1–3, 5, 7–8) in vv. 1–8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.
  17. 17 The assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [métsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the , which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (’elohay métsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”). Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.
  18. 18 That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
  19. 19 Heb “by you.”
  20. 20 Heb “gore” (like an ox). If this portion of the psalm contains the song of confidence/petition the Israelites recited prior to battle, then the imperfects here and in the next line may express their expectation of victory. Another option is that the imperfects function in an emphatic generalizing manner. In this case one might translate, “you [always] drive back … you [always] trample down.” The Hebrew verb translated “drive back” is literally “gore”; the imagery is that of a powerful wild ox that “gores” its enemies and tramples them underfoot.
  21. 21 Heb “in your name.” The Lord’s “name” refers here to his revealed character or personal presence. Specifically in this context his ability to deliver, protect, and energize for battle is in view (see Ps 54:1).
  22. 22 The image of the powerful wild ox continues; see the note on the phrase “drive back” in the preceding line.
  23. 23 Heb “those who rise up [against] us.”
  24. 24 Or “have delivered,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5–6).
  25. 25 Or “have humiliated,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5–6).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

O God, we have heard with our ears,

our fathers have told us,

what deeds you performed in their days,

in the days of old:

you with your own hand drove out the nations,

but them you planted;

you afflicted the peoples,

but them you set free;

for not by their own sword did they win the land,

nor did their own arm save them,

but your right hand and your arm,

and the light of your face,

for you delighted in them.

You are my King, O God;

ordain salvation for Jacob!

Through you we push down our foes;

through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.

For not in my bow do I trust,

nor can my sword save me.

But you have saved us from our foes

and have put to shame those who hate us.

In God we have boasted continually,

and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

We have heard it with our ears, O God;

our ancestors have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

With your hand you drove out the nations

and planted our ancestors;

you crushed the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.

It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them.

You are my King and my God,

who decrees victories for Jacob.

Through you we push back our enemies;

through your name we trample our foes.

I put no trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name forever.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

God, we have heard with our ears—

our ancestors have told us—

the work you accomplished in their days,

in days long ago:

In order to plant them,

you displaced the nations by your hand;

in order to settle them,

you brought disaster on the peoples.

For they did not take the land by their sword—

their arm did not bring them victory—

but by your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face,

because you were favorable toward them.

You are my King, my God,

who ordains victories for Jacob.

Through you we drive back our foes;

through your name we trample our enemies.

For I do not trust in my bow,

and my sword does not bring me victory.

But you give us victory over our foes

and let those who hate us be disgraced.

We boast in God all day long;

we will praise your name forever.

Selah

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

O God, we have heard it with our own ears—

our ancestors have told us

of all you did in their day,

in days long ago:

You drove out the pagan nations by your power

and gave all the land to our ancestors.

You crushed their enemies

and set our ancestors free.

They did not conquer the land with their swords;

it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.

It was your right hand and strong arm

and the blinding light from your face that helped them,

for you loved them.

You are my King and my God.

You command victories for Israel.

Only by your power can we push back our enemies;

only in your name can we trample our foes.

I do not trust in my bow;

I do not count on my sword to save me.

You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;

you disgrace those who hate us.

O God, we give glory to you all day long

and constantly praise your name.

Interlude

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

O God, we have heard with our ears;

our ancestors have told us

of work you worked in their days,

in days of old.

You with your hand drove out the nations,

but them you planted.

You harmed the peoples,

but them you let spread out.

For not with their sword

did they possess the land,

and their arm did not give them victory.

Rather it was your right hand and your arm

and the light of your presence,

because you delighted in them.

You are my king, O God.

Command victories for Jacob.

By you we push down our enemies;

by your name we tread down those who rise up against us.

For I do not trust my bow,

and my sword cannot give me victory.

Rather you have saved us from our enemies,

and have humiliated those who hate us.

In God we boast all the day,

and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

We have heard with our ears, O God,

Our fathers have told us,

What work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them;

How thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

For they got 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 hadst a favour unto them.

Thou art my King, O God:

Command deliverances for Jacob.

Through thee will we push down our enemies:

Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I will not trust in my bow,

Neither shall my sword save me.

But thou hast saved us from our enemies,

And hast put them to shame that hated us.

In God we boast all the day long,

And praise thy name for ever. Selah.

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