ChristadelphianBooksOnline
George Booker
Psalms Studies - Book 3

Psalm 79

1. Titles

A Psalm of Asaph places it, with the other Asaph psalms, in the reign of Hezekiah.

The subscription: Shushan-Eduth. There is some evidence that Shushan (Lily) links with the Passover (see also Psalms 44 and 68; J.W. Thirtle, The Titles of the Psalms, pp. 30-48). Also, the lily occurs often in the structure and symbolism of the Temple (1 Kings 7:22,26; 2 Chron. 4:5); it is referred to many times in the Song of Songs, along with other Temple symbolism (2:1,2,16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2,3; 7:2). It is not surprising, then, that the Temple figures prominently in this Psalm 79 also (see v. 1 esp.).

It is possible that Shushan-Eduth (i.e., the “Passover of the Testimony”) was the “Little Passover”, which was permitted a month later than normal for the benefit of those unclean, or those on a journey at the proper date (Num. 9:6-11). This concession had been appealed to by Hezekiah on the occasion of his great (but belated) Passover (2 Chron. 30:15). It might have been necessary also on the later occasion when, in answer to his prayers, the Assyrian army was decimated outside Jerusalem. Siege conditions and the defilement of many through contact with the almost innumerable corpses would require such a “Little Passover” (see Isa. 31:5 — cp. “passing over” there with Exod. 12:13,23,27; also see Isa. 26:20,21 and 30:29).

2. Structure

	1-4.	Invasion
	5.	Question: How long?
	6,7.	Prayer for judgment on the nations
	8,9.	Prayer for forgiveness
	10.	Question: Why?
	11.	Prayer for deliverance
	12.	Prayer for judgment on the nations
	13.	Praise for deliverance

3. Links with other Scriptures

a.	For both setting and tone, compare Psalms 44 and 74.

b.	Jeremiah was evidently fond of this psalm. He was a great one for quoting from existing Scriptures (H.A. Whittaker, Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy, pp. 191,192).

	Psalm 79	Jeremiah
1	The heathen are come into thine inheritance	Lam. 1:10
2	Dead bodies for meat to the fowls, etc.	7:33;15:3; 34:20
3	None to bury	14:16; 16:4,6
4	Become a reproach	24:9; 25:18;
		Lam. 2:15,16; 5:1
6	Pour out thy wrath — thy name	10:25
7	Devoured Jacob	10:25; 50:7; 51:34,35
8	Our former sins (i.e., of ancient times)	11:10
9	Help us, O God	14:7,21

c.	Psalms 78 and 79 compared:

Psalm 79		Psalm 78
1	Thine inheritance	71
5	Thy jealousy	58
9	Thy name’s sake	38
9	Forgive *(kapher)*	38
13	Thy praise	4
13	Thanks for ever	4

d.	For the impressive allusions in Revelation 11 to this psalm, see Par. 6.

4. Historical setting

Every phrase, except one, fits neatly and easily into the picture of the Assyrian invasion by Sennacherib against Hezekiah’s Judah.

1.	The heathen (Gentiles) are come into thine inheritance, that is, into the Land of Israel, God’s Land.
	Thy holy temple have they defiled. Ahaz, in his subservience to Assyria, seems to have allowed an Assyrian garrison to be quartered in one of the temple courts (2 Kings 16:8,18; 2 Chron. 28:21; cp. Isa. 52:1; 63:18; 64:11; Mic. 5:5; Psa. 74:6,7, notes). When Hezekiah refused to accept this subjection, the foreign soldiery who had already defiled the temple with their presence, would certainly work as much further havoc there as possible before leaving; hence the need for cleansing in 2 Chron. 29:4,5.
2.	The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. This is surely the slaughter during the Assyrian invasion. This very detail is prominent in Assyrian bas-reliefs.
3.	Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem. Why “round about” but not in Jerusalem? This is a hint that Jerusalem itself was not captured; but the invaders besieging the city would slay (and impale, in typical Assyrian fashion) every man of Israel they could capture.
	And there was none to bury them, because the only people disposed to bury them were shut up inside the city.
4.	We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us (cp. v. 12). Consider the pictures of sustained mockery by the Assyrians round about the city: Isa. 36:12-20; 37:10-13,24-29.
5.	How long, Lord? wilt thou be angry for ever? In spite of Hezekiah’s influential efforts at reformation, there was still a good deal of apostasy in the nation. Isaiah has plenty of scathing rebukes of this. The invasion was seen as God’s punishment of this unfaithfulness (cp. vv. 8,9).
6.	Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. Why “kingdoms”, plural? There is evidence that quite a number of nearby nations chose to become allies of Sennacherib rather than be devastated by his armies (cp. Psa. 47:3; 48:4; 76:12; Isa. 5:26,30; 29:7; 30:28; Mic. 4:11). Herodotus calls Sennacherib “the king of the Arabians”.
7.	They have devoured Jacob. The entire Holy Land was overrun.
10.	Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? This was one of the main themes in Rabshakeh’s sustained campaign of scorn and disparagement of Jehovah, in his efforts to break the spirit of the people of Jerusalem (v. 12; Isa. 36:15,18; 37:10). By contrast, there is no real evidence that Nebuchadnezzar (to whose time some assign this psalm) ever said anything like this.
	Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. This duly happened — and with a vengeance (Isa. 37:36)!
11.	Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee. In the Taylor Prism inscription, Sennacherib boasts that he had taken over 200,000 captives in his Judean campaign. This verse is very close to Psa. 102:19,20 — another Hezekiah psalm: “[The Lord] looked down... to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death” (cp. also 44:11,12 and 106:47).
13.	So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever. A like confidence was often expressed by Isaiah: e.g. 17:12,13; 29:5,8.
	We will shew forth thy praise to all generations. God promised Hezekiah a Jubilee year of extraordinary prosperity, and declared that Jubilee observance should be a sign (i.e., a celebration) of this marvelous deliverance, remembered in succeeding generations (Isa. 37:30,31).

Over against all the foregoing details — which point easily to Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem — the lament of v. 1 has to be considered, and explained:

“They have laid Jerusalem on heaps.”

Emphatically this did not happen in the time of Sennacherib. Yet there cannot be reference to the Babylonian destruction, for this verse also says: “Thy holy temple have they defiled.” But Nebuchadnezzar’s men burnt the temple to the ground. Two possible explanations are available:

a.	Before the Assyrian garrison left Jerusalem (see earlier note on v. 1), they not only defiled the temple but also did a good deal of other damage in the city. Or...
b.	Micah 3:12 foretold “Jerusalem laid on heaps”, and the psalmist thought the time was come for that fulfillment, and spoke of it as assured by using the perfect tense (a common feature in Old Testament prophecy). That prophecy was not fulfilled in Hezekiah’s time, but it might have been if Hezekiah had not turned aside the wrath of God (see Jer. 26:18,19).

With these alternatives, one phrase should not be allowed to negate an explanation which makes all the psalm consistent in its picture of the Sennacherib crisis. Note that all the Asaph psalms fit Hezekiah’s reign very neatly. Should 79 be a solitary exception because of one phrase? (The same problem, incidentally, arises in one verse in “Second” Isaiah, 64:11, and may be disposed of in like manner — see H.A. Whittaker, Isaiah, p. 538.)

5. Other details

1,2.	Note the repeated thy/thine, each one implying that Jerusalem’s dire straits are not just tragedy, but sacrilege.
1.	Thy holy temple have they (the heathen, or Gentiles) defiled. When the Gentiles are allowed by God to defile His holy temple, we may be sure it is because God’s people Israel have defiled it first (cp. vv. 8,9)!
2.	To be deprived of burial was considered by the Jews to be one of the greatest disgraces that could be inflicted on a person: Deut. 28:26; 1 Sam. 17:44-46; Psa. 141:7; Eccl. 6:3; Jer. 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; 36:30.
	The dead bodies of thy servants... “Falling in battle before the enemy may prove that God has a just cause against the party overcome; but cannot prove that the victor’s cause is good” (Dickson).
	Saints = Israel in Exod. 19:6; Deut. 7:6; Dan. 8:24; 12:7.
4.	Reproach... scorn... derision. Compare Psa. 44:13; 74:8; 80:6.
5.	How long? 74:1,9,10. Also compare 13:1; 89:46; Dan. 12:6; Isa. 6:11; Rev. 6:10; 13:10.
	Wilt thou be angry for ever? Contrast the phrases in vv. 8,9,13. Compare 74:1; 89:46.
	Jealousy can exist only where there is also love!
6.	The heathen that have not known thee. That is, that have refused to know Thee. Compare 2 Thes. 1:6-10; Rom. 1:18-23.
7.	Dwelling place is *naveh,* “sheepfold” or “pasture” (cp. v. 13).
8.	O remember not against us former iniquities, or “the iniquities of them that were before us” (mg.). Punishment for the iniquities of former generations are sometimes poured out upon a later generation (Gen. 15:16; Exod. 32:34; Dan. 8:23; Matt. 23:32,35,36; 1 Thes. 2:16; see Booker, Waiting for His Son, pp. 62,63). The Jews have a saying, that every punishment which falls upon Israel has an extra ounce in it for the sin of the golden calf.
	RSV: Let thy compassion come speedily to meet us.
9.	For thy name’s sake = (by parallelism) “For Thy glory”. It is God’s character (Exod. 34:6,7) which is the foundation of faith in this crisis: thus He is called O God of our salvation.
	For His Name’s sake God quickens the soul and delivers from trouble (Psa. 143:11), pardons sins (here; Psa. 25:11; 1 John 2:12), and leads in the paths of righteousness (Psa. 23:2). For man’s sake God cursed the earth (Gen. 8:21), but for the sake of His own holy Name He will ultimately bless it forever.
11.	NEB: In thy great might set free death’s prisoners.
12.	And render unto our neighbours into their bosoms, i.e., into the folds of their garments, called also the “lap” — used as a receptacle for various articles, much as pockets are used today (Num. 11:12; Ruth 4:16; 2 Sam. 12:3; 2 Kings 4:39; Neh. 5:13; Job 31:33; Psa. 89:50; 129:7; Prov. 6:27; 17:23; 21:14; Isa. 40:11; 49:22).
13.	Sheep of thy pasture. In the Asaph psalms, 74:1; 77:20; 78:72. Also, 100:3.

6. Psalm 79 and Revelation 11

The allusions to this psalm, or direct quotations from it, are plentiful and unmistakable:

Psalm 79		Revelation 11
1	The heathen (Gentiles) are come into thine inheritance... they have defiled	2
2	The dead bodies of thy servants	8,9
2	The flesh of thy saints... the beasts of the earth	7
3	None to bury them	9
4	A reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision...	10
5	How long, Lord?	11
6	Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen	18 (& 16:1)
11	Let the sighing of thy prisoners come before thee	11
12	Render sevenfold... into their bosom	(the 7 vials of ch. 16)
13	We will give thee thanks for ever	17

Here is a phenomenon that needs to be explained. Why should Psalm 79 be used so pointedly and often in Revelation 11 and nowhere else? Just because the words happen to fit in some superficial manner? Those who know anything about the interrelation of Old and New Testament prophecy will repudiate such a suggestion. All the rest of the psalms support the view that Revelation 11 is intimating a Messianic fulfillment of Psalm 79, in the Last Days. No other reference is possible.

Here, then, there is a picture of the desolation of the Holy Land at the time of Messiah’s coming. The “two witnesses” represent the nation of Israel in the Land, and their deaths represent the (temporary) political extinction of the state of Israel. But the people of Israel are not totally annihilated (Jer. 30:11), since the “sighing” of some comes before God (Psa. 79:11).

When the situation seems desperate, even hopeless, the God of Israel will, in response to their genuine repentance, redeem His people, as the angel of the Lord did in the time of Sennacherib. The “dry bones” (Ezek. 37:10) will stand up again (Rev. 11:11)! And the outcome will be “praise to all generations... thanks for ever.” All the details of the psalm need to be studied anew from this angle (H.A. Whittaker, Revelation: A Biblical Approach, pp. 148,149; Jews, Arabs, and Bible Prophecy, pp. 101-104; The Last Days, pp. 23-26; Peter Watkins, Exploring the Apocalypse and the Future, p. 78).

7. The prisoner’s sigh

Though not a human voice he hears,
And not a human form appears
His solitude to share;
He is not alone — the eye
Of Him who hears the prisoner’s sigh
Is even on him there.

J.L. Chester