KJV
Psalms 44
1¶ To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. 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.
2[How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3For 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.
4Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
5Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9¶ But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11Thou hast given us like sheep [appointed] for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase [thy wealth] by their price.
13Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15My confusion [is] continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17¶ All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.
24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, [and] forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.
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Afflictions and Adversities: Prayer In Psalm 44:4, 23–26
You are my King, O God, who ordains victories for Jacob. / Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping? Arise! Do not reject us forever. / Rise up; be our help! Redeem us on account of Your loving devotion.
Anthropomorphisms: Miscellaneous Acts and States of Mind Attributed to Sleeping Psalm 44:23
Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping? Arise! Do not reject us forever.
Apostates: Saints do not Become Psalm 44:18, 19
Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path. / But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; You have covered us with deepest darkness.
Armies: March in Ranks: Confidence In, Vain Psalm 44:6
For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me.
Backsliders: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 44:20, 21
If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, / would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
Being a Good Helper Psalm 44:21
would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
Belly used Figuratively for the Seat of the Affections Psalm 44:25
For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth.
Blasphemy: Saints Grieved to Hear Psalm 44:15, 16
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face, / at the voice of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy, bent on revenge.
Blessing: Temporal, from God Psalm 44:3
For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
Canaan: Land of Conquest of, by the Israelites Psalm 44:1–3
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old. / With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out. / For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
Captive: Cruelty to Enslaved Psalm 44:12
You sell Your people for nothing; no profit do You gain from their sale.
Confidence: False Psalm 44:6
For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me.
Countenance: Cheerful Psalm 44:3
For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
Faith: Exemplified Psalm 44:5, 8
Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies. / In God we have boasted all day long, and Your name we will praise forever. Selah
False Confidence in Outward Resources Psalm 44:6
For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me.
Forgetting God: Trials should not Lead To Psalm 44:17–20
All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or betrayed Your covenant. / Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path. / But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; You have covered us with deepest darkness.
Fraud Psalm 44:21
would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
Gentiles: Hated and Despised the Jews Psalm 44:13, 14
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. / You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
God in the Conquest of Canaan Psalm 44:2, 3
With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out. / For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
God: Grace of Psalm 44:3
For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
God: Knowledge of Psalm 44:21
would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
God: Providence of Psalm 44:1–3
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old. / With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out. / For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
God: Sovereign Psalm 44:4
You are my King, O God, who ordains victories for Jacob.
Hatred: Punishment of Psalm 44:7
For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.
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Psalms 44:1-8 Verses 1-8
Former experiences of God's power and goodness are strong supports to faith, and powerful pleas in prayer under present calamities. The many victories Israel obtained, were not by their own strength or merit, but by God's favour and free grace. The less praise this allows us, the more comfort it affords, that we may see all as coming from the favour of God. He fought for Israel, else they had fought in vain. This is applicable to the planting of the Christian church in the world, which was not by any human policy or power. Christ, by his Spirit, went forth conquering and to conquer; and he that planted a church for himself in the world, will support it by the same power and goodness. They trusted and triumphed in and through him. Let him that glories, glory in the Lord. But if they have the comfort of his name, let them give unto him the glory due unto it.
Psalms 44:9-16 Verses 9-16
The believer must have times of temptation, affliction, and discouragement; the church must have seasons of persecution. At such times the people of God will be ready to fear that he has cast them off, and that his name and truth will be dishonoured. But they should look above the instruments of their trouble, to God, well knowing that their worst enemies have no power against them, but what is permitted from above.
Psalms 44:17-26 Verses 17-26
In afflictions, we must not seek relief by any sinful compliance; but should continually meditate on the truth, purity, and knowledge of our heart-searching God. Hearts sins and secret sins are known to God, and must be reckoned for. He knows the secret of the heart, therefore judges of the words and actions. While our troubles do not drive us from our duty to God, we should not suffer them to drive us from our comfort in God. Let us take care that prosperity and ease do not render us careless and lukewarm. The church of God cannot be prevailed on by persecution to forget God; the believer's heart does not turn back from God. The Spirit of prophecy had reference to those who suffered unto death, for the testimony of Christ. Observe the pleas used, ver. #(25, 26). Not their own merit and righteousness, but the poor sinner's pleas. None that belong to Christ shall be cast off, but every one of them shall be saved, and that for ever. The mercy of God, purchased, promised, and constantly flowing forth, and offered to believers, does away every doubt arising from our sins; while we pray in faith, Redeem us for thy mercies' sake.