Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 44:19

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 44:19. Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons — Thou hast delivered us into the hands of a fierce, cruel, and murderous people. We, as a people, are in a similar state to one who has strayed into a wilderness, where there are no human inhabitants; who hears nothing round about him but the hissing of serpents, the howling of beasts of prey, and the terrible roaring of the lion; and who expects every moment to be devoured.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 44:0 Has God forgotten his people?

Some national disaster has overtaken Israel and the people ask if God has deserted them. The tone of the psalm is not one of humility, but one of outspoken boldness in questioning God’s purposes. It shows some lack of faith and submission before God (cf. Romans 8:28,Romans 8:31-39). But God may yet be gracious and answer such a prayer.

Through the words of the psalmist the people recall how God enabled their ancestors to conquer and inhabit Canaan (1-3). They remind God that he alone gave Israel victory, and the people praised him accordingly (4-8). Why, then, has he now deserted them? He has allowed them to be conquered, plundered, scattered and enslaved (9-12). They feel disgraced because of the insults that neighbouring nations throw at them (13-16).
What makes the insults hard to bear is that the people can see no reason why God has allowed this calamity to befall them. They do not feel as if they have forgotten God or been unfaithful to him (17-19). If they had worshipped foreign gods they could understand such severe divine punishment, but they can see nothing at all of which they have been guilty (20-22). They call upon God to wake from his sleep and do something to help them. They ask him to remember his covenant love for them and rescue them from their enemies (23-26).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE ALLEGED INNOCENCE OF ISRAEL

"All this has come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee; Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back; Neither have our steps declined from thy way, That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, Or spread forth our hands to a strange god; Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

The marginal reading gives us `though' instead of the word `that' at the beginning of Psalms 44:19.

These five verses state the problem of the psalmist. "Israel had not been unfaithful to God, and yet afflictions had come upon her."H. C. Leupold, p. 346. Furthermore, the problem was greatly aggravated by the evident fact that their faithfulness to God actually appeared to be "the reason why" they suffered. That is the meaning of the thundering words, "For thy sake" in Psalms 44:22. Of course, this is the very verse which Paul quoted in Romans 8:36.

"Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant" All these verses through Psalms 44:22 are a very vigorous profession by the psalmist of absolute innocence on the part of Israel. It is of course true that no such absolute innocence ever pertained to Israel at any time in her whole history. As Yates commented: "This claim, repeated over and over here, that Israel had remained faithful was at no time in Israel's history literally true. The prophet must have had in mind a comparative fidelity based upon generalities."Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, Old Testament, p. 311.

"Will not God search this out" This appeal to God's omniscience surely indicates the sincerity of the prophet's claims of innocence for Israel; and perhaps we should allow this in the relative sense that "Noah was righteous in his generation." Paul's making this prophecy a fair statement of the sufferings of Christians in his own times appears to prove this.

The fact remains that the sufferings of Israel could not all be described as a punishment for their sins. It was true of ancient Israel; and it is true of the New Israel today; and it is the problem which perplexed the psalmist who wrote this psalm. Why was it necessary that God's faithful people, either then or now, should be called upon to suffer "for his sake?"

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE OLD ISRAEL

It is not hard to discern the fact that the sufferings of ancient Israel may be explained as necessary to achieve goals that pertained to the ultimate will of God for his people; and, as far as we are able to see, those goals could not have been achieved without suffering.

(1)    The centuries of captivity of Israel in Egypt as enslaved workers for their captors achieved these purposes of God's will for Israel. (a) It prevented their mingling racially with Egypt, because Egyptians despised shepherds, especially enslaved shepherds. (b) It gave time and opportunity for the development of Israel into a mighty nation, at the same time keeping them absolutely separate from Egypt.

(2)    Their sufferings during the wilderness period hardened Israel into an effective fighting force. That period of sufferings also allowed a generation of unbelievers and murmurers to be replaced by a rejuvenated Israel who would honor and obey God (in a general sense) during the conquest of Canaan and throughout the generation of those who knew Joshua.

(3)    Israel suffered from the shameless behavior of the great majority of their kings, who, with few exceptions were godless examples of debauchery, cruelty, and unbelief; but such sufferings finally led to God's taking away their kings; and there is no record of Israel's subsequent desire for a king, until that tragic moment when the chief representatives of the Chosen People cried, "We have no king but Caesar"!

(4)    Israel's suffering under the captivity accomplished what a thousand years of priests, prophets and Levites could not do, that is, wean Israel from their beloved pagan gods. After the Babylonian captivity, Israel totally rejected idolatry; and it was never again practiced by them.

(5)    The sufferings of Israel under the Greek period did not begin until after the times of Alexander of Macedon; but it recurred more bitterly than ever under some of Alexander the Great's successors, notably, Antiochus Epiphanes. Some of the mightiest and most significant developments in God's eternal purpose for Israel came during that very time. (a) There was the development of a world-language, the Greek, into which the Old Testament would be translated (the LXX), and in which the New Testament would be written. (b) The custom of building synagogues throughout the world was made necessary by the actions of Antiochus in closing and defiling the Temple; and those synagogues would, in time, become the centers from which Christianity would be preached all over the known world. (c) Antiochus' forbidding the reading of the Torah, led to the reading of "the prophets" every sabbath day, a custom that continued even after the Temple was cleansed and reopened; and this caused the Messianic prophecies of Christ to be read and known throughout the world of that era.

(6)    Israel suffered under Rome, not because of their faithfulness to God but because of their unfaithfulness in their rejection of the Messiah; nevertheless even those sufferings glorified God and made vital contributions to the achievement of God's eternal purpose, namely, the redemption of mankind.

Those contributions were: (1) the destruction of the Temple, judged by the Judge of all the earth as a "Den of thieves and robbers." This was an absolute necessity, not only because of the moral depravity of the Temple crowd, but because it was being used as an effective device against the preaching of Christianity. (2) Another benefit was the permanent elimination of all the animal sacrifices of the Jewish system, which after the fall of Jerusalem were never resumed. (3) Perhaps the greatest contribution of all to Christianity and the ultimate realization of God's eternal purpose was the total defeat and permanent termination of Jewish efforts to prevent the preaching of the gospel. That defeat of the Jews in A.D. 70 meant that they would forever stop following New Testament evangelists around all over the world opposing the Truth, as they did against Paul.

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE NEW ISRAEL (WHICH IS THE CHURCH)

Likewise, the sufferings of "the faithful in Christ Jesus," caused not by their unfaithfulness but, on the contrary, by their fidelity, are to be expected; and they yield rich benefits to the sufferers.

If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him (Romans 8:17). Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).
They departed… rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name (Acts 5:41).
We are pressed, perplexed, pursued, smitten down, always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus - Why? That the life also of Jesus may be manifest in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Many other similar passages from the New Testament might be cited; but these are sufficient to show that the true followers of God are called to suffer "with Christ"; and the more they are like Christ the more they will suffer.

In becoming Christians, we have accepted the `Way of the Cross,' and we are pledged to `take up our cross daily' and follow Him. This is not the shame of Christianity, but the glory of it. Was not the blood of the martyrs the seed of the Church. History declares from her bloody pages that it is even so.

Can we cite any contributions toward the fulfilment of God's purpose that may be accredited to the suffering of his saints? Indeed yes.

(1)    The sufferings of the first generation of Christians, especially of the apostles and evangelists, provided the fantastically convincing proof of the Christian religion. Its original witnesses and proponents sealed with their blood that testimony of the New Testament which is so vital for mankind.

(2)    The suffering saints of all ages have been the most eloquent preachers of the gospel; and it continues to be true.

(3)    The sufferings of Huss (1415 A.D.), Savanarola (1498 A.D.) and Tyndale (1536 A.D.) gave mankind the Bible in their native languages.

Of course, we should not have expected any Old Testament psalmist, not even David, to have been aware of the world-shaking truth of the New Testament. Yet there was a redeeming feature in the response of those Old Testament sufferers mentioned in this psalm. They did not have the inspiring example of Christ who prayed, "Not my will, but thine be done"; and we may not suppose that it ever entered their minds that God could have willed any suffering for them. Many of the perplexing questions of faith could not have been answered in the dim light of the Old Testament, which are revealed in the New Testament for those upon whom the Day Star has risen, and for whom the Light of the World has shined in their hearts.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons - Or rather, “That thou hast crushed us in the place of dragons.” The connection is continued from the previous verse: “Our heart is not so turned back, nor have our steps so declined from thy path, that thou shouldst crush us in the place of dragons.” That is, we have been guilty of no such apostasy and infidelity as to account for the fact that thou hast dealt with us in this manner, or make it necessary and proper that we should thus be crushed and overthrown The word rendered “dragons” - תנין tannı̂yn - means either a great fish; a sea monster; a serpent; a dragon; or a crocodile. See the notes at Isaiah 13:22. It may also mean a jackal, a fox, or a wolf. DeWette renders it here, jackals. The idea in the passage is essentially the same, whichever interpretation of the word is adopted. The “place of dragons” would denote the place where such monsters are found, or where they had their abode; that is to say, in desolate places; wastes; deserts; old ruins; depopulated towns. See the notes, as above, at Isaiah 13:19-22; compare Jeremiah 9:11. The meaning here would be, therefore, that they had been vanquished; that their cities and towns had been reduced to ruins; that their land had been laid waste; that the place where they had been “sore broken” was in fact a fit abode for wild beasts and monsters.

And covered us with the shadow of death - Our land has been covered with a dark and dismal shade, as if Death had cast his image or shadow over it. See Job 3:5, note; and Psalms 23:4, note. There could be no more striking illustration of calamity and ruin.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

19Although thou hast broken us in the place of dragons. In the Hebrew it is, For thou hast broken us, etc.; but the causal particle, כי, ki, according to the idiom of the Hebrew language, is often taken in the sense of although or when. ⁽¹⁴⁶⁾ And certainly it must be so rendered in this place, for these three verses are connected, and the sentence is incomplete till the end of the words, For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. The faithful repeat more largely what we have already seen, namely, that although plunged into the greatest depth of miseries, yet they continued steadfast in their resolution, and in the right way. If we consider the distressing circumstances in which they were placed, it will not appear to us a hyperbolical mode of speech, when they say that they were broken even within the depths of the sea; for by the place of dragons I understand not the deserts and solitary places, but the deepest gulfs of the sea. Accordingly, the word תנים, tannim, which others translate dragons, ⁽¹⁴⁷⁾ I would rather render whales, ⁽¹⁴⁸⁾ as it is also understood in many other places. This interpretation is obviously confirmed by the following clause, in which they complain that they had been covered with the shadow of death, which implies that they were swallowed up of death itself. Let us, however, remember, that in these words the Holy Ghost dictates to us a form of prayer; and that, therefore, we are enjoined to cultivate a spirit of invincible fortitude and courage, which may serve to sustain us under the weight of all the calamities we may be called to endure, so that we may be able to testify of a truth, that even when reduced to the extremity of despair, we have never ceased to trust in God; that no temptations, however unexpected, could expel his fear from our hearts; and, in fine, that we were never so overwhelmed by the burden of our afflictions, however great, as not to have our eyes always directed to him. But it is proper for us to notice still more particularly the style of speaking here employed by the faithful. In order to show that they still continued steadfastly in the pure service of God, they affirm that they have not lifted up their hearts or their hands to any but to the God of Israel alone. It would not have been enough for them to have cherished some confused notion of the Deity: it was necessary that they should receive in its purity the true religion. Even those who murmur against God may be constrained to acknowledge some Divinity; but they frame for themselves a god after their own pleasure. And this is an artifice of the devil, who, because he cannot at once eradicate from our hearts all sense of religion, endeavors to overthrow our faith, by suggesting to our minds these devices — that we must seek another God; or that the God whom we have hitherto served must be appeased after another manner; or else that the assurance of his favor must be sought elsewhere than in the Law and the Gospel. Since, then, it is a much more difficult matter for men, amidst the tossings and waves of adversity, to continue steadfast and tranquil in the true faith, we must carefully observe the protestation which the Holy Fathers here make, that even when reduced to the lowest extremity of distress by calamities of every kind, they nevertheless did not cease to trust in the true God.

This they express still more clearly in the following clause, in which they say, We have not stretched out our hands ⁽¹⁴⁹⁾ to a strange god. By these words they intimate, that, contented with God alone, they did not suffer their hopes to be divided on different objects, nor gazed around them in search of other means of assistance. Hence we learn, that those whose hearts are thus divided and distracted by various expectations are forgetful of the true God, to whom we fail to yield the honor which is due to him, if we do not repose with confidence in him alone. And certainly, in the true and rightful service of God, faith and supplication which proceeds from it hold the first place: for we are guilty of depriving him of the chief part of his glory, when we seek apart from him in the least degree our own welfare. Let us then bear in mind, that it is a true test of our piety, when, being plunged into the lowest depths of disasters, we lift up our eyes, our hopes, and our prayers, to God alone. And it only serves to demonstrate more convincingly and clearly the impiety of Popery, when, after having confessed their faith in the one true God with the mouth, its rotaries the next moment degrade his glory by ascribing it to created objects. They indeed excuse themselves by alleging, that in having recourse to Saint Christopher and other saints of their own making, they do not claim for them the rank of Deity, but only employ them as intercessors with God to obtain his favor. It is, however, well known to every one, that the form of the prayers which they address to the saints, ⁽¹⁵⁰⁾ is in no respects different from those prayers which they present to God. Besides, although we should yield this point to them, it will still be a frivolous excuse to pretend that they are seeking advocates or intercessors for themselves. This is as much as to say, that Christ is not sufficient for them, or rather, that his office is wholly lost sight of among them. Moreover, we should carefully observe the scope of this passage. The faithful declare, that they did not stretch forth their hands to other gods, because it is an error too common among men to forsake God, and to seek for other means of relief when they find that their afflictions continue to oppress them. So long as we are gently and affectionately treated of God we resort to him, but as soon as any adversity befalls us we begin to doubt. And if we are pressed still further, or if there be no end to our afflictions, the very continuance of them tempts us to despair; and despair generates various kinds of false confidence. Hence arises a multitude of new gods framed after the fancy of men. Of the lifting up of the hands we have spoken elsewhere.

(146) “Il y a en Hebrieu, Car tu nous as, etc. Mais souvent selon la maniere de la langue Hebraique, Car, se prend pour Combien que, ou Quand.” — Fr.

(147) “Lequel les autres traduisent dragons.” This is the sense in which the expression is understood by several eminent critics. Aquila explains it thus: “In a desert place where great serpents are found;” and Bishop Hare thus: “In desert places among wild beasts and serpents. The place of dragons, observes Bishop Mant, appears to mean the wilderness; in illustration of which, it may be noticed from Dr Shaw, that ‘vipers, especially in the wilderness of Sin, which might be called the inheritance of dragons, (see Malachi 1:3,) were very dangerous and troublesome; not only our camels, but the Arabs who attended them, running every moment the risk of being bitten.’” Viewed in this light, we must understand the language either as meaning that the Israelites had been driven from their dwellings and places of abode, and compelled to dwell in some gloomy wilderness infested by serpents; or that the fierce and cruel persecutors into whose hands God had delivered them are compared to serpents, and that the circumstances in which the chosen tribes were now placed resembled those of a people who had fallen into a wilderness, where they heard nothing but the hissing of serpents, and the howlings of beasts of prey.

(148) Williams reads, “In the place of sea-monsters, perhaps crocodiles;” and thinks the allusion is to a shipwreck.

(149) That is, in the attitude of worship.

(150) “Que le formulaire des prieres qui ils font aux saincts.” — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 44:1-26

Psalms 44:1-26 :

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work you did in their days, in times of old. How you did drive out the heathen with thy hand, and you planted them; and how you did afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, because you had favor unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me ( Psalms 44:1-6 ).

Now, this psalm begins in a very powerful kind of an affirmation of God and a dependency upon God and, "Lord, we have heard, our fathers have told us, how that in times past You were with them, You helped them, You delivered their enemies into their hands. How that they came into this land and You gave this land over to them. You drove out the enemies. It wasn't their strength or their power, but God, it was Your hand upon them that brought them into the land then gave them victory here. Lord, we have known all about it. We've heard about it. And You are our God. We acknowledge You as our King. But what is wrong?"

Now we get into the complaint of the psalmist. Up until now we were in good shape. "We know Your power. We know what You have done, and You are our God. But something has gone wrong here."

But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and thou hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever and ever ( Psalms 44:7-8 ).

And then the Selah brings the end of that part of the psalm. That is it. "God, we're trusting in You. You are it. You've done it." Now, here begins the complaint with verse Psalms 44:9 . The Selah ends the first thing of confidence in God.

But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and you go not forth with our armies. You make us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. You have given us like sheep appointed for meat; and you have scattered us among the heathen. You sell your people for nothing, and you do not increase your wealth by their price. You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. You make us a byword among the heathen, the shaking of the head among the people. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me, for the voice of him that reproached and blasphemed; by reason of the enemy and the avenger. All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? for he knows the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaves unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake ( Psalms 44:9-26 ).

Now it is an interesting psalm because there is vivid contrast. Again, the beginning with God, "We have heard of what You have done in the past. We know of Your power. Our fathers have told us what You have done. You are our God." And yet, the difficulty of trying to understand our present circumstances which are so adverse. "If it is true that You take care of Your people, if it is true that You deliver Your people, then why are we in this present dilemma? For we have served You. We have kept Your covenant. Why, God, are we having these problems?"

Again, let me emphasize that God nowhere has promised that He would keep us from problems. He has promised to be with us in every trial. "But beloved count it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing has happened to you" ( 1 Peter 4:12 ). And yet, when we see a friend going through a deep trial we say, "Boy, this is weird. Wonder why God is allowing this, you know." Or if I am going through a heavy trial I am always thinking of it as some strange thing that has happened to me. Why should I have to go through this trial? I guess it is almost instinctive for us to shun suffering. We don't want to suffer. We don't like to suffer. We would like to have an easy path through life. We would like to have everything come up roses. But life isn't that way. Life has many pitfalls. Life has many sorrows. Life is filled with trials. But as a child of God I have the confidence and the assurance that God will be with me through any experience that I might have to pass. More than that, He has already gone before me.

"There is no temptation that has taken you but what is common with all man. But God, with that temptation, will provide for you the way of escape" ( 1 Corinthians 10:13 ). For He will not allow you to be tempted beyond your capacity to bear it, to endure it. But the trial of your faith is more precious than gold, though it perisheth, because that trial of your faith is producing, really, the enduring qualities.

Now fire is an interesting substance. And one of the ways by which God is defined is, "Our God," it says, "is a consuming fire." Now God is love, God is light, God is good. But then also our God is a consuming fire. What does He consume? He consumes the dross, the chaff, the sin, the evil. You see, fire is interesting because it has the capacity of destroying or of transmitting into permanency. It all depends on the material that is in it. Now if you have got a bag of sticks, then fire will consume it. But that same fire that consumes the sticks can forge the steel into permanency. In order for steel to be hardened, forged, you've got to put it through severe fire, tremendous heat. But it is tempered, transmitted into permanency. Now God is a figure of fire. We are all dwelling in God, in the fire. But what is the fire doing to you? It all depends on what you are. If you are a child of God, that fire is burning the dross. If you are not a child of God, that same fire is destroying you.

Now, we do have experiences in life that we do not understand. It is interesting that this particular psalm does not come out with any glowing happy ever after at the end. It ends with a cry, "O help me, God, for Your mercies' sake." But it isn't one of the, "And lived happily ever after," kind of things. It just ends with the cry, "O God, I need help." But because the cry is unto God, the end is assumed. God will take care of it. God is watching over me. God does know the trial and the path that I take. And God will bring me through. Someday I am going to come out on top, victorious through Him. God will see that I do. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 44

The writer spoke for the nation of Israel in this psalm. He lamented a national disaster, namely, defeat by enemies, and he called on the Lord to deliver. Evidently he could not identify sin in the nation as the cause of this defeat. He attributed it instead to it being "for Your sake" (Psalms 44:22). Israel was apparently suffering because she had remained loyal to God in a world hostile to Him. The basis of the psalmist’s request was God’s faithfulness to the patriarchs and the people’s present trust in Him. [Note: On the meaning of Maskil in the title, see my note on Psalms 32.]

"Perhaps the Psalter’s boldest appeal to God’s faithfulness is found in Psalms 44, a communal lament psalm offered to God during an unidentified national catastrophe." [Note: Chisholm, "A Theology . . .," p. 300. ]

Other communal or community lament psalms are 60, 74, 77, 79-80, 83, 85, 90, 94, 123, 126, and 137.

"Perhaps this psalm was used at a national ’day of prayer’ with a worship leader speaking the ’I/my’ verses and the people the ’we/our’ verses." [Note: Wiersbe, The . . . Wisdom . . ., p. 177.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Even though the Lord had abandoned His people temporarily, the psalmist claimed that the nation continued to trust and obey Him. They had continued to remember Him, and they had not forsaken allegiance to the Mosaic Covenant. They had done so in the face of their disastrous defeat.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. The nation’s continuing trust in the Lord 44:17-22

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons,.... Where men, comparable to dragons or their poison and cruelty, dwell; particularly in Rome, and the Roman jurisdiction, both Pagan and Papal, the seat of Satan the great red dragon, and of his wretched brood and offspring, the beast, to whom he has given his power; here the saints and followers of Christ have been sorely afflicted and persecuted, and yet have held fast the name of Christ, and not denied his faith; see Revelation 2:13; the wilderness is the habitation of dragons; and this is the name of the place where the church is said to be in the times of the Papacy, and where she is fed and preserved for a time, and times, and half a time, Revelation 12:6;

and covered us with the shadow of death; as the former phrase denotes the cruelty of the enemies of Christ's church and people, this their dismal afflictions and forlorn state and condition; see Psalms 23:4 Isaiah 9:2; and may have some respect to the darkness of Popery, when it was at the height, and the church of Christ was covered with it, there being very little appearances and breakings forth of Gospel light any where. According to Arama, the "place of dragons" denotes the captivity of Egypt, which is the great dragon; and the "shadow of death", he says, was a name of Egypt in ancient times, as say the Rabbins; and observes that Psalms 44:25 explains this; see Genesis 3:14.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.   18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;   19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.   20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;   21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.   22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.   23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.   24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?   25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.   26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

      The people of God, being greatly afflicted and oppressed, here apply to him; whither else should they go?

      I. By way of appeal, concerning their integrity, which he only is an infallible judge of, and which he will certainly be the rewarder of. Two things they call God to witness to:--

      1. That, though they suffered these hard things, yet they kept close to God and to their duty (Psalms 44:17; Psalms 44:17): "All this has come upon us, and it is as bad perhaps as bad can be, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither cast off the thoughts of thee nor deserted the worship of thee; for, though we cannot deny but that we have dealt foolishly, yet we have not dealt falsely in thy covenant, so as to cast thee off and take to other gods. Though idolaters were our conquerors, we did not therefore entertain any more favourable thoughts of their idols and idolatries; though thou hast seemed to forsake us and withdraw from us, yet we have not therefore forsaken thee." The trouble they had been long in was very great: "We have been sorely broken in the place of dragons, among men as fierce, and furious, and cruel, as dragons. We have been covered with the shadow of death, that is, we have been under deep melancholy and apprehensive of nothing short of death. We have been wrapped up in obscurity, and buried alive; and thou hast thus broken us, thou hast thus covered us (Psalms 44:19; Psalms 44:19), yet we have not harboured any hard thoughts of thee, nor meditated a retreat from thy service. Though thou hast slain us, we have continued to trust in thee: Our heart has not turned back; we have not secretly withdrawn our affections from thee, neither have our steps, either in our religious worship or in our conversation, declined from they way (Psalms 44:18; Psalms 44:18), the way which thou hast appointed us to walk in." When the heart turns back the steps will soon decline; for it is the evil heart of unbelief that inclines to depart from God. Note, We may the better bear our troubles, how pressing soever, if in them we still hold fast our integrity. While our troubles do not drive us from our duty to God we should not suffer them to drive us from our comfort in God; for he will not leave us if we do not leave him. For the proof of their integrity they take God's omniscience to witness, which is as much the comfort of the upright in heart as it is the terror of hypocrites (Psalms 44:20; Psalms 44:21): "If we have forgotten the name of our God, under pretence that he had forgotten us, or in our distress have stretched out our hands to a strange god, as more likely to help us, shall not God search this out? Shall he not know it more fully and distinctly than we know that which we have with the greatest care and diligence searched out? Shall he not judge it, and call us to an account for it?" Forgetting God was a heart-sin, and stretching our the hand to a strange god was often a secret sin, Ezekiel 8:12. But heart-sins and secret sins are known to God, and must be reckoned for; for he knows the secrets of the heart, and therefore is a infallible judge of the words and actions.

      2. That they suffered these hard things because they kept close to God and to their duty (Psalms 44:22; Psalms 44:22): "It is for thy sake that we are killed all the day long, because we stand related to thee, are called by thy name, call upon thy name, and will not worship other gods." In this the Spirit of prophecy had reference to those who suffered even unto death for the testimony of Christ, to whom it is applied, Romans 8:36. So many were killed, and put to such lingering deaths, that they were in the killing all the day long; so universally was this practised that when a man became a Christian he reckoned himself as a sheep appointed for the slaughter.

      II. By way of petition, with reference to their present distress, that God would, in his own due time, work deliverance for them. 1. Their request is very importunate: Awake, arise,Psalms 44:23; Psalms 44:23. Arise for our help; redeem us (Psalms 44:26; Psalms 44:26); come speedily and powerfully to our relief, Psalms 80:2. Stir up thy strength, and come and save us. They had complained (Psalms 44:12; Psalms 44:12) that God had sold them; here they pray (Psalms 44:26; Psalms 44:26) that God would redeem them; for there is no appealing from God, but by appealing to him. If he sell us, it is not any one else that can redeem us; the same hand that tears must heal, that smites must bind up, Hosea 6:1. They had complained (Psalms 44:9; Psalms 44:9), Thou hast cast us off; but here they pray (Psalms 44:23; Psalms 44:23), "Cast us not off forever; let us not be finally forsaken of God." 2. The expostulations are very moving: Why sleepest thou?Psalms 44:23; Psalms 44:23. He that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps; but, when he does not immediately appear for the deliverance of his people, they are tempted to think he sleeps. The expression is figurative (as Psalms 78:65, Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep); but it was applicable to Christ in the letter (Matthew 8:24); he was asleep when his disciples were in a storm, and they awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish. "Wherefore hidest thou thy face, that we may not see thee and the light of thy countenance?" Or, "that thou mayest not see us and our distresses? Thou forgettest our affliction and our oppression, for it still continues, and we see no way open for our deliverance." And, 3. The pleas are very proper, not their own merit and righteousness, though they had the testimony of their consciences concerning their integrity, but they plead the poor sinner's pleas. (1.) Their own misery, which made them the proper objects of the divine compassion (Psalms 44:25; Psalms 44:25): "Our soul is bowed down to the dust under prevailing grief and fear. We have become as creeping things, the most despicable animals: Our belly cleaves unto the earth; we cannot lift up ourselves, neither revive our own drooping spirits nor recover ourselves out of our low and sad condition, and we lie exposed to be trodden on by every insulting foe." 2. God's mercy: "O redeem us for they mercies' sake; we depend upon the goodness of thy nature, which is the glory of thy name (Exodus 34:6), and upon those sure mercies of David which are conveyed by the covenant to all his spiritual seed."