Psalm 44:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

NIV: In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.

NASB: In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah

CSB: We boast in God all day long; we will praise your name forever. Selah

NLT: O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Interlude

KJV: In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

NKJV: In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah

This concludes a series of positive remarks (Psalm 44:1–7) emphasizing God's miraculous power. He provided victory to Israel in the past: stories recorded in the Pentateuch and passed down from generation to generation. The psalmist credits God, and God alone, with any success the nation has. This provides reason for "boasting," in the Lord, as well as appreciation.

These verses establish a clear context for what comes next. The remainder of the psalm expresses confusion, anguish, and frustration. Israel has suffered an especially embarrassing defeat (Psalm 44:9), and the writer is at a loss to explain it. Such statements could easily be seen as a rejection of God—prefacing them with these explanations of the Lord's power and faithfulness puts them in proper perspective. The psalmist who asks, "why, God?" in the upcoming verses is the same who affirmed the Lord as his "King" (Psalm 44:4).

Celebrating the Lord and giving thanks to Him are appropriate actions for believers to take. The apostle Paul writes, "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). In Ephesians 3:21 he exhorts, "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Offering thanksgiving to God is also the believer's responsibility. Paul commands in Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Also, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 he explains that thanksgiving is God's will for believers. He writes, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

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.