Psalm 44:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!

NIV: Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

NASB: Wake Yourself up, why do You sleep, Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever.

CSB: Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don’t reject us forever!

NLT: Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.

KJV: Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.

NKJV: Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever.

Scripture acknowledges that human experience can be hard; often, suffering convinces us God is unfair (Habakkuk 1:2–4; Psalm 73:2–3). This is another example of raw human emotion expressed honestly. Other calls for God to "awake" are less direct and more poetic, as a plea for God to act (Psalm 35:23). Here, the idea is repeated twice, emphasizing the psalmist's anguished sense that God does not care. Instead of enabling victory (Psalm 44:1–8), God has allowed Israel to be humiliated (Psalm 44:9–16), though the psalmist insists they have not sinned to deserve it (Psalm 44:17–22).

Of course, the Lord was not sleeping. Psalm 121:4 promises, "Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." Even in deep pain, the psalmist recognizes this. He refers to God using the term Adōnā'y, or Adonai, literally meaning "master." Psalm 97:5 acknowledges that He is "Lord [Adonai] of all the earth." As owner and master of everything, the Lord could be trusted to bring good out the humiliating defeat Israel had suffered at the hands of her enemy. The following verses still express confusion and pain—yet they are grounded in a belief in God's steadfast love (Psalm 44:24–26).

Psalm 44:23–26 contains one of Scripture's boldest, rawest complaints levied against the Lord. This closing section of Psalm 44 comprises the psalmist's desperate plea for help. After insisting Israel's recent humiliation was not due to national sin (Psalm 44:17–22), the psalm turns to a prayer for rescue. This starts with a suggestion—possibly a rhetorical statement—that God is sleeping and ignoring the situation. However, the prayer is also grounded in the assumption of God's "steadfast love."

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.