Psalm 44:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way;

NIV: Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.

NASB: Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Your way,

CSB: Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from your path.

NLT: Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.

KJV: Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

NKJV: Our heart has not turned back, Nor have our steps departed from Your way;

Sin arises in the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9), but the psalmist claims here that the heart of the nation was free of guilt. The humiliating defeat of Israel (Psalm 44:9–16) doesn't seem to correspond to national sin or idolatry (Psalm 44:17). This makes the current situation impossible for the psalmist to understand, at least for now.

Israel was aware of the importance of loving God with the whole heart. Moses had commanded His people: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:4). The psalmist also claims that Israel had not gotten out of step with the Lord. This verse includes an assertion of loyalty to God. According to the psalmist, the nation had done what 85-year-old Caleb had done. In his request for Hebron, Caleb quoted what Moses had said about him: "Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God" (Joshua 14:9).

Psalm 44:17–22 comes after detailing the aftermath of Israel's defeat. Next, the psalmist insists the nation has done nothing to deserve such treatment. This passage leads to the closing verses of the psalm, in which the psalmist gives an anguished—even accusing—appeal to the Lord for help.

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.

Accessed 5/1/2024 10:59:43 PM