Psalm 89:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.

NIV: You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

NASB: You have broken down all his walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

CSB: You have broken down all his walls; you have reduced his fortified cities to ruins.

NLT: You have broken down the walls protecting him and ruined every fort defending him.

KJV: Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.

NKJV: You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

Psalm 89:38–45 turns from a celebration of the Lord and His selection of David, taking on a dramatic, almost accusing tone. The psalmist suggests that God has abandoned the covenant, aided Israel's enemies, and shamed the people. The very kingship of Israel has been defiled and put to shame. No explicit incident is associated with this severe mourning. However, the conquest of Babylon (2 Kings 24:10–16) and a successful raid by Egypt (1 Kings 14:25–28) are possible matches.

This psalm is not directly connected to other events in Scripture; it might be associated with the Babylonian captivity (2 Kings 24:10–16) or the Egyptian raid against Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25–28). The psalmist begins by praising God for His loyal love. It applauds His covenant with David. However, this turns to grief over apparent defeats and humiliations. The psalm ends with a plea for the Lord to remember His promises and reverse Israel's fortunes.

This psalm is attributed to Ethan, a Levite (1 Chronicles 15:17–18). The content suggests Israel had suffered one or more crushing defeats (1 Kings 14:25–28; 2 Kings 24:10–16). So, after celebrating God's love in establishing David's throne, the tone quickly turns to bitter mourning. This combination—faith paralleled with honest angst—is a common theme in the psalms (Psalm 22; 73; 74).

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 11/22/2024 4:18:15 PM