Psalm 44:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us.

NIV: You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.

NASB: You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors, Of scoffing and ridicule to those around us.

CSB: You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors, a source of mockery and ridicule to those around us.

NLT: You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

KJV: Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

NKJV: You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a derision to those all around us.

Scholars are unsure as to the exact event which inspired this psalm. Some point to evidence from other passages (Psalm 60; Amos 1:6; 2 Samuel 8:13) implying that Edom took advantage of Israel's engagement in other battles to participate in a sneak attack. Regardless of what happened, the psalmist sees this as especially embarrassing. In this portion of the psalm (Psalm 44:14), it is implied that Israel's enemies are openly laughing.

When Nehemiah and his faithful Jewish coworkers began to rebuild Jerusalem's walls after the exile, they, too, were ridiculed by their hostile Gentile neighbors. Nehemiah 4:1–3 tells the story. Sanballat jeered at the Jews. His audacity must have been bolstered by the army of Samaria that surrounded him. He shouted, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?" Tobiah the Ammonite joined Sanballat in taunting the Jews. He remarked that the stone wall would collapse if a fox brushed against.

Psalm 44:9–16 marks a drastic change in tone. The previous section contained praise for God's miraculous intervention on Israel's behalf. The psalmist made clear his intent to serve and praise the Lord. Here, however, the writer's words overflow with complaining and questioning. Suffering an especially humiliating defeat leads the people to ask, "why?" Has God abandoned them, or is there another explanation? This resembles other passages expressing natural human anguish when God doesn't act as we'd expect (Psalm 73:2–3; Habakkuk 1:2–4).

Israel passed down stories of God's miraculous power and the victories the Lord granted. However, this psalm comes after the nation has suffered some humiliating defeat. The psalmist struggles to understand why, as he sees no evidence of national sin in Israel to justify punishment. The writer expresses raw emotion, frustrated and anguished, yet prays for rescue out of faith in God's lovingkindness.

This psalm seems to follow a major defeat in battle. No explicit context is given, though the psalmist claims it was not God's punishment for national idolatry. Some commentators see connection to a conflict with Edom, who surprised Israel when the nation was engaged in other battles (Psalm 60; 85; Amos 1:6; 2 Samuel 8:13) as a possible explanation. This is another example of biblical writers expressing raw human emotions as they struggle to understand God's will. Psalms 69 and 73 include related themes. Habakkuk chapter 1 expresses similar ideas.

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.