Psalm 74:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees.

NIV: They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.

NASB: It seems like one bringing up His axe into a forest of trees.

CSB: It was like men in a thicket of trees, wielding axes,

NLT: They swung their axes like woodcutters in a forest.

KJV: A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

NKJV: They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees.

Psalm 74:1–11 mourns what the psalmist sees as God's inaction in the face of a terrible enemy. This invader has destroyed the temple of God. Beyond that devastation, the nation has no prophetic voice. No one speaks God's truths. The psalmist wonders how long God will allow the enemy to act in such an unholy way, scoffing and reviling God's name. He urges God to arise and destroy the evil invaders, and to do so quickly. This is followed by a confident declaration of the Lord's mighty power.

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.

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."

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 10:33:44 PM