Psalm 79:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

NIV: Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.

NASB: So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; To all generations we will tell of Your praise.

CSB: Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever; we will declare your praise to generation after generation.

NLT: Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation.

KJV: So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

NKJV: So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

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 8:37:13 AM