Psalm 44:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

NIV: would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

NASB: Would God not find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.

CSB: wouldn’t God have found this out, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

NLT: God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.

KJV: Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

NKJV: Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.

In the Old Testament, God warned Israel not to worship other gods (Exodus 20:2–3). When He brought victory to Israel, it was during their times of obedience (Psalm 44:1–8). When they sinned, God brought punishment and consequences (Judges 2:16–23). Here, the psalmist continues to reject any claim that Israel was, in his day, committing such sins (Psalm 44:17–19). His angst comes from Israel's recent humiliation and defeat (Psalm 44:9–16). To the writer, this is unjustified. In his view, God would have known—and, presumably, pointed it out—if the nation was engaged in sin (Psalm 44:20).

In at least one sense, the psalmist's claim is exactly right. Nothing is hidden from the Lord. Proverbs 5:21 says that "a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths." Hebrews 4:13 affirms: "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." The psalmist also knew that the Lord knows the secrets of the heart. The book of Joshua unfolds the story of Achan. He coveted items from Jericho that the Lord had put off limits. He thought he could secretly conceal his sin by burying the items in his tent, but his sin was not hidden from the Lord. He told Joshua that Israel had sinned by taking some of the devoted things and hiding them among their own belongings (Joshua 7:10–11).

Whether it was true that Israel was innocent of such sins, when this psalm was written, is harder to say. The psalmist is certainly convinced. Therefore, he struggles to accept the suffering which the nation experiences.

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.