What does Psalm 74:20 mean?
ESV: Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
NIV: Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
NASB: Consider the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
CSB: Consider the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of violence.
NLT: Remember your covenant promises, for the land is full of darkness and violence!
KJV: Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
NKJV: Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
Psalm 74:12–23 provide a dramatic shift in the writer's thinking. The previous passage grieved that God had allowed the temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed. Now, the psalmist turns his attention to what he already knows about the Lord. God is all-powerful and all-knowing. This brings confidence that these prayers for justice will be met. The psalm ends with an appeal for God to honor His covenant with Israel by destroying those who oppose the Lord and His chosen people.
Chapter Summary:
This is a "maskil," probably referring to a musical arrangement. The psalmist mourns that God has allowed an enemy to obliterate the temple: the sanctuary of God in Israel. The nation is overrun and there is no prophetic voice. Though this is a low point, the psalmist knows that the Lord is all-powerful and all-knowing. He prays that God will reverse these terrible events soon, bringing justice to Israel's enemies.
Chapter Context:
In 586 BC, Babylon overcame Israeli defenses, attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. This psalm appears to respond to that event. However, this is many years after Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:39), the contemporary of David. Most likely, this psalm was written in that Asaph's style, or in his honor, or perhaps by a descendant who shared his name. Similar expressions of grief are common in the book of Lamentations. Other parallels are found in Psalm 79 and Jeremiah 10:25. Psalms 32, 52, 89, and others are also marked as a "maskil."
Book Summary:
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.
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