What does Psalm 79:3 mean?
ESV: They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
NIV: They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.
NASB: They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.
CSB: They poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
NLT: Blood has flowed like water all around Jerusalem; no one is left to bury the dead.
KJV: Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
NKJV: Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, And there was no one to bury them.
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
Psalm 79:1–4 opens a song of mourning. This apparently refers to the Babylonian invasion of 586 BC. The defeat resulted in the destruction of Solomon's temple and the ruin of Jerusalem. The psalmist expresses grief about the defiled temple and the many Israelites who have been killed. Israel has been completely humiliated by their enemies.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
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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