Psalm 44:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.

NIV: But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness.

NASB: Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals And covered us with deep darkness.

CSB: But you have crushed us in a haunt of jackals and have covered us with deepest darkness.

NLT: Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death.

KJV: Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

NKJV: But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.

The psalmist feels devastated (Psalm 44:9–10), comparing their pain to being crushed and dumped in an abandoned wilderness. In that era, jackals were scavenging pack animals. They lived just outside inhabited areas, where there was no established civilization. References to jackals are often symbolic of ruin and desolation (Isaiah 34:13; Jeremiah 9:10–11; 51:37). This expresses anguish over a humiliating defeat (Psalm 44:9–16) which doesn't seem connected to any sin on the part of Israel (Psalm 44:17–18). The writer also describes a sense of doom, as a "shadow" covering the people. Combined, this suggests Israel was abandoned by God and facing imminent destruction.

Similarly, life without Christ as Savior is barren and mournful. However, Jesus came to earth to give abundant life to all who believe. He promised the woman at Jacob's well, "Everyone who drinks of this water [water from Jacob's well] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13–14).

Psalm 44:17–22 comes after detailing the aftermath of Israel's defeat. Next, the psalmist insists the nation has done nothing to deserve such treatment. This passage leads to the closing verses of the psalm, in which the psalmist gives an anguished—even accusing—appeal to the Lord for help.

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.

This psalm seems to follow a major defeat in battle. No explicit context is given, though the psalmist claims it was not God's punishment for national idolatry. Some commentators see connection to a conflict with Edom, who surprised Israel when the nation was engaged in other battles (Psalm 60; 85; Amos 1:6; 2 Samuel 8:13) as a possible explanation. This is another example of biblical writers expressing raw human emotions as they struggle to understand God's will. Psalms 69 and 73 include related themes. Habakkuk chapter 1 expresses similar ideas.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.