Psalm 79:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!

NIV: Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.

NASB: And return to our neighbors seven times as much into their lap Their taunts with which they have taunted You, Lord.

CSB: Pay back sevenfold to our neighbors the reproach they have hurled at you, Lord.

NLT: O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times for the scorn they have hurled at you.

KJV: And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

NKJV: And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.

Psalm 79:12–13 concludes a prayer inspired by the terrible destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The psalmist once again asks God to avenge the humiliating defeat of Israel. The enemy has wrecked the city and the temple, insulting the God of Israel as they did so. This final plea for vengeance comes with a promise to praise and honor the Lord, in anticipation of His response.

In 586 BC, the Babylonian Empire broke the defenses of Jerusalem. The city was burned and Solomon's temple was destroyed. Death and misery were everywhere. Many Israelites were taken captive. The psalmist struggles to grasp what has happened. He begs God for rescue and forgiveness. The song pleads for God to enact vengeance for Israel on the pagan nations that have humiliated His chosen people.

This psalm grieves over Jerusalem's ruin and the temple's destruction at the hands of Babylon in 586 BC. Similar emotions were also expressed in Psalm 74. Other psalms associated with Asaph (Psalm 73; 74; 77) tend to move from angst into assurance. This one, however, only barely includes a sense of confidence in God's eventual rescue.

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 9:02:30 AM