Psalm 44:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.

NIV: Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.

NASB: Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

CSB: Through you we drive back our foes; through your name we trample our enemies.

NLT: Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.

KJV: Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

NKJV: Through You we will push down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.

The writer of this psalm knew exactly who to credit for Israel's historic victories: God and God alone. The nation owed every victory to Him. Through their King and God (Psalm 44:4), they trampled their foes under foot. These victories were recorded in books such as Numbers and Joshua and passed down by each generation (Psalm 44:1–3). This perspective is important, as the psalmist will soon express confusion (Psalm 44:9). This song was written in response to some sort of defeat, and the writer struggles to understand why.

Success over spiritual enemies comes in the same way as Israel's military victories in the Old Testament (Ephesians 6:12). Believers win battles through Christ and enjoy victory through His name. Jesus told His disciples, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). When He commissioned His disciples to disciple all nations, He assured them that He possessed al possible authority, and commanded, "Go therefore" (Matthew 28:18–20). When Peter and John encountered a lame beggar at the gate of the temple, he asked for money. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:1–6). Immediately, the lame man was healed (Acts 3:7–10)!

Psalm 44:4–8 is still focused on God's mighty deeds of the past (Psalm 44:1–3). Here, however, the psalmist expresses his present faith in the Lord. He intends to praise God now and in the future. This declaration helps to frame the psalmist's anguished confusion in the next passage—as if the writer is careful to qualify his upcoming complaint. Beginning in verse 9, the tone shifts dramatically as the writer mourns God's current treatment of the Israelites.

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.