What does Psalm 44:9 mean?
Prior verses noted how God empowered Israel, specifically her armies, to victory over their enemies. The Lord God, and God alone, deserved credit for that success (Psalm 44:1–8). The psalmist made his faith in God clear—yet, now, he also expresses anguished confusion. Apparently, Israel suffered an especially humiliating defeat. No exact event is named, but the writer is devastated by what has happened. Scholars suggest a conflict with Edom might have been the inspiration for this lament (Psalm 60; 85; Amos 1:6; 2 Samuel 8:13).From the psalmist's perspective, the Lord has turned His back on the people of Israel. Rather than rousing their armies to victory, it seems God left them on their own. This frustrated mood will continue, even to the point of—poetically, but not directly—suggesting that God is not paying attention to His people. This corresponds to other passages in Scripture where faithful believers pour out their anguish, not understanding "why" God made such choices (Psalm 73:2–3; Habakkuk 1:2–4).
Old Testament records from Israel's conquest of Canaan reveal that it was God who made them successful (Deuteronomy 9:1–5). Leaders such as Moses and Joshua understood they operated under the power and will of God, not their own strength. Moses prayed, "Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you" (Numbers 10:35). Joshua 5:13–15 reports how the angel of the Lord stood in front of Joshua with a sword in his hand. He told Joshua that he was the commander of the Lord's army. In Joshua 6:2 the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor."
Psalm 44:9–16 marks a drastic change in tone. The previous section contained praise for God's miraculous intervention on Israel's behalf. The psalmist made clear his intent to serve and praise the Lord. Here, however, the writer's words overflow with complaining and questioning. Suffering an especially humiliating defeat leads the people to ask, "why?" Has God abandoned them, or is there another explanation? This resembles other passages expressing natural human anguish when God doesn't act as we'd expect (Psalm 73:2–3; Habakkuk 1:2–4).
Israel passed down stories of God's miraculous power and the victories the Lord granted. However, this psalm comes after the nation has suffered some humiliating defeat. The psalmist struggles to understand why, as he sees no evidence of national sin in Israel to justify punishment. The writer expresses raw emotion, frustrated and anguished, yet prays for rescue out of faith in God's lovingkindness.
