Psalm 44:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

NIV: at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

NASB: Because of the voice of one who taunts and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

CSB: because of the taunts of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy and avenger.

NLT: All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies.

KJV: For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

NKJV: Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the enemy and the avenger.

After some unspecified defeat (Psalm 44:9–15), the psalmist is tormented by those who shame and belittle his nation. The loss in battle led to Israel being mocked and insulted. This is especially hard for the psalmist to accept since God had given Israel great victories in the past (Psalm 44:1–8). Yet this humiliating loss was not an obvious punishment for blatant sin (Psalm 44:17–18). The angst of defeat would have been bad enough, but it seems Israel's foes were especially cruel in their jeering.

A conflict between the Philistines and the Israelites in the time of Saul and David illustrates such taunting behavior. The Philistine giant Goliath challenged the Israelites' army with the words, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together" (1 Samuel 17:10). The giant intimidated Israel's army so much that "when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid" (1 Samuel 17:11). Only young David was willing to accept Goliath's challenge. When David approached Goliath in battle, Goliath "disdained him" (1 Samuel 17:42). He called to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field" (1 Samuel 17:44).

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.