Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 44:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 44:3. For they got not the land — Neither by their valour, nor cunning, nor for their merit; yet, they were obliged to fight. But how did they conquer? By the right hand of the Lord, and by his arm; by his strength alone, and the light of his countenance-his favour most manifestly shown unto them.

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

RECORD OF GOD'S PAST MERCIES

"We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, What work thou didst in their days, In the days of old. Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand; But them thou didst plant: Thou didst afflict the peoples; But them thou didst spread abroad. For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them. Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverance for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our adversaries: 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. But thou hast saved me from our adversaries, And hast put them to shame that hate us. In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name forever."

The first three verses here are a thumb nail recapitulation of the victories of Israel in their conquest of Canaan. The psalmist frankly acknowledges that their victories were all the result of God's providential aid and that they themselves were not the ones who won Canaan; God gave it to them. It was God's work, not theirs.

"Command Deliverance for Jacob" The marginal reading here for `deliverance' is `victories,' indicating that what the psalmist prayed for was more victories like those which marked Joshua's leading Israel into Canaan. He also desired to trample his enemies under foot.

"We will tread them under" "`Having pushed our foes to the ground, we shall then be able to tread them under,' The imagery is drawn from the practice of buffaloes and wild bulls."The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 341.

The last four books of the Pentateuch are a record of what is summarized here in these 8 verses. The psalmist, and all Israel, were familiar with the historical delivery of Israel from Egyptian slavery and with God's replacing the pagan nations of Canaan with the Chosen People. These first eight verses conclude with what amounts to a prayer that "God will do it again" for Israel.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

For they got not the land in possession - The land of Canaan. The design of this verse is to illustrate the sentiment in the previous verse, that they owed their establishment in the promised land wholly to God. The fact that He had interposed in their behalf; that He had shown that he was able to discomfit their enemies, is appealed to as a reason why he should now interpose in a time of national danger and calamity. He who had driven out the nations in the days of their fathers; he who had established his people peaceably in the land from which the former inhabitants had been expelled, was able to interpose now and save them. The prominent thought in all this is, that it was God who had accomplished all that had been done. That same God was able to save them again.

By their own sword - That is, it was not owing to their valor, but to the divine power: Deuteronomy 8:10-18; Deuteronomy 9:3-6; Joshua 24:12.

Neither did their own arm save them - Not their own strength or prowess.

But thy right hand - The right hand is mentioned because it is that which is employed in wielding the sword or the spear in battle.

And the light of thy countenance - Thy favor. It was because thou didst lift upon them the light of thy countenance, or because thou didst favor them. See the notes at Psalms 4:6.

Because thou hadst a favor unto them - Thou didst desire to show them favor; thou hadst pleasure in them. The idea in the Hebrew word is that of delighting in anything, or having pleasure in it.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

3For they got not possession of the land by their own sword. Here the sacred writer confirms by contrast what he has just said; for if they obtained not possession of the land by their own power and skill, it follows that they were planted in it by the hand of another. The multitude of men who went out of Egypt was very great; but not being trained to the art of war, and accustomed only to servile works, they would soon have been defeated by their enemies, who far excelled them in numbers and strength. In short, there were not wanting evident signs by which the people were made to know as well their own weakness as the power of God; so that it was their bounden duty to confess that the land was not conquered by their own sword, and also, that it was the hand of God which had preserved them. The Psalmist, not content with mentioning thy right hand, adds, thy arm, to amplify the matter, and give greater weight to his discourse, that we may know that they were preserved in a wonderful manner, and not by any ordinary means. The light of thy countenance is here taken, as in other places, for the manifestation of the divine favor. As, on the one hand, when God is afflicting us severely, he seems to frown upon us, and to overshadow his face with thick clouds; so, on the other, when the Israelites, sustained by his power, overthrew their enemies without any great difficulty, and pursued them in every direction far and near, it is said, that then they beheld the face of God serene and placid, just as if he had manifested himself in a visible manner near them. Here it is necessary to observe the mode of reasoning which the prophet employs, when he argues that it is by the free gift of God that the people obtained the land in heritage, seeing they had not acquired it by their own power. We then truly begin to yield to God what belongs to him, when we consider how worthless our own strength is. And certainly, the reason why men, as it were through disdain, conceal and forget the benefits which God has conferred on them, must be owing to a delusive imagination, which leads them to arrogate somewhat to themselves as properly their own. The best means, therefore, of cherishing in us habitually a spirit of gratitude towards God, is to expel from our minds this foolish opinion of our own ability. There is still in the concluding part of the verse another expression, which contains a more illustrious testimony to the grace of God, when the Psalmist resolves the whole into the good pleasure of God: Thou hadst a favor for them. The prophet does not suppose any worthiness in the person of Abraham, nor imagine any desert in his posterity, on account of which God dealt so bountifully with them, but ascribes the whole to the good pleasure of God. His words seem to be taken from the solemn declaration of Moses,

“The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; (for ye were the fewest of all people;) but because the Lord loved you,” (Deuteronomy 7:7.)

Special mention is here made of the land of Canaan; but the prophet has stated the general principle why it was that God vouchsafed to reckon that people for his flock and peculiar heritage. And certainly, the source and origin of the Church is the free love of God; and whatever benefits he bestows upon his Church, they all proceed from the same source. The reason, therefore, why we are gathered into the Church, and are nourished and defended by the hand of God, is only to be sought in God. Nor does the Psalmist here treat of the general benevolence of God, which extends to the whole human race; but he discourses of the difference which exists between the elect and the rest of the world; and the cause of this difference is here referred to the mere good pleasure of God.

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

Speaking for the nation, the psalmist related the account of God giving the Promised Land to His people in Joshua’s days that the forefathers had told. He stressed that God had given Canaan to them by defeating their enemies. The Israelites did not win it by their own strength. Next to the Exodus, the most frequently mentioned period of Israel’s history in the Psalms is the conquest of the land. [Note: Bullock, p. 112.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. The reason for Israel’s present trust in the Lord 44:1-8

The psalmist recalled God’s past faithfulness to Israel’s forefathers and affirmed the nation’s present confidence in the Lord.

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.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword,.... There were many things which show that the possession of the land of Canaan was not of the Israelites themselves, but of the Lord; as their passing over into it through Jordan as on dry land; the manner in which Jericho, the first city of it, was taken, and the smiting of the Israelites by the men of Ai;

neither did their own arm save them; from their enemies, and deliver them into their hands: they were too apt to ascribe things to their own righteousness, merit, and power; but such methods were taken by the Lord as to prevent such attributions to themselves; see Deuteronomy 8:16;

but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance; the mighty power of God, his outstretched arm in their favour, and which arose from his pure good will to them;

because thou hadst a favour unto them; was well pleased, and took delight in them; chose them to be a special people to himself, above all people on the face of the earth.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.

      1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.   2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.   3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.   4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.   5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.   6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.   7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.   8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

      Some observe that most of the psalms that are entitled Maschil--psalms of instruction, are sorrowful psalms; for afflictions give instructions, and sorrow of spirit opens the ear to them. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest.

      In these verses the church, though now trampled upon, calls to remembrance the days of her triumph, of her triumph in God and over her enemies. This is very largely mentioned here, 1. As an aggravation of the present distress. The yoke of servitude cannot but lie very heavily on the necks of those that used to wear the crown of victory; and the tokens of God's displeasure must needs be most grievous to those that have been long accustomed to the tokens of his favour. 2. As an encouragement to hope that God would yet turn again their captivity and return in mercy to them; accordingly he mixes prayers and comfortable expectations with his record of former mercies. Observe,

      I. Their commemoration of the great things God had formerly done for them.

      1. In general (Psalms 44:1; Psalms 44:1): Our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days. Observe, (1.) The many operations of providence are here spoken of as one work--"They have told us the work which thou didst;" for there is a wonderful harmony and uniformity in all that God does, and the many wheels make but one wheel (Ezekiel 10:13), many works make but one work. (2.) It is a debt which every age owes to posterity to keep an account of God's works of wonder, and to transmit the knowledge of them to the next generation. Those that went before us told us what God did in their days, we are bound to tell those that come after us what he has done in our days, and let them do the like justice to those that shall succeed them; thus shall one generation praise his works to another (Psalms 145:4), the fathers to the children shall make known his truth,Isaiah 38:19. (3.) We must not only make mention of the work God has done in our own days, but must also acquaint ourselves and our children with what he did in the times of old, long before our own days; and of this we have in the scripture a sure word of history, as sure as the word of prophecy. (4.) Children must diligently attend to what their parents tell them of the wonderful works of God, and keep it in remembrance, as that which will be of great use to them. (5.) Former experiences of God's power and goodness are strong supports to faith and powerful pleas in prayer under present calamities. See how Gideon insists upon it (Judges 6:13): Where are all his miracles which our fathers told us of?

      2. In particular, their fathers had told them,

      (1.) How wonderfully God planted Israel in Canaan at first, Psalms 44:2; Psalms 44:3. He drove out the natives, to make room for Israel, afflicted them, and cast them out, gave them as dust to Israel's sword and as driven stubble to their bow. The many complete victories which Israel obtained over the Canaanites, under the command of Joshua, were not to be attributed to themselves, nor could they challenge the glory of them. [1.] They were not owing to their own merit, but to God's favour and free grace: It was through the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour to them. Not for thy righteousness, or the uprightness of thy heart, doth God drive them out from before thee (Deuteronomy 9:5; Deuteronomy 9:6), but because God would perform the oath which he swore unto their fathers,Deuteronomy 7:8. The less praise this allows us the more comfort it administers to us, that we may see all our successes and enlargements coming to us from the favour of God and the light of his countenance. [2.] They were not owing to their own might, but to God's power engaged for them, without which all their own efforts and endeavours would have been fruitless. It was not by their own sword that they got the land in possession, though they had great numbers of mighty men; nor did their own arm save them from being driven back by the Canaanites and put to shame; but it was God's right hand and his arm. He fought for Israel, else they would have fought in vain; it was through him that they did valiantly and victoriously. It was God that planted Israel in that good land, as the careful husbandman plants a tree, from which he promises himself fruit. See Psalms 80:8. This is applicable to the planting of the Christian church in the world, by the preaching of the gospel. Paganism was wonderfully driven out, as the Canaanites, not all at once, but by little and little, not by any human policy or power (for God chose to do it by the weak and foolish things of the world), but by the wisdom and power of God--Christ by his Spirit went forth conquering and to conquer; and the remembrance of that is a great support and comfort to those that groan under the yoke of antichristian tyranny, for to the state of the church under the power of the New-Testament Babylon, some think (and particularly the learned Amyraldus), the complaints in the latter part of this psalm may very fitly be accommodated. He that by his power and goodness planted a church for himself in the world will certainly support it by the same power and goodness; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

      (2.) How frequently he had given them success against their enemies that attempted to disturb them in the possession of that good land (Psalms 44:7; Psalms 44:7): Thou hast, many a time, saved us from our enemies, and hast put to flight, and so put to shame, those that hated us, witness the successes of the judges against the nations that oppressed Israel. Many a time have the persecutors of the Christian church, and those that hate it, been put to shame by the power of truth, Acts 6:10.

      II. The good use they make of this record, and had formerly made of it, in consideration of the great things God had done for their fathers of old.

      1. They had taken God for their sovereign Lord, had sworn allegiance to him, and put themselves under his protection (Psalms 44:4; Psalms 44:4): Thou art my King, O God! He speaks in the name of the church, as (Psalms 74:12), Thou art my King of old. God, as a king, has made laws for his church, provided for the peace and good order of it, judged for it, pleaded its cause, fought its battles, and protected it; it is his kingdom in the world, and ought to be subject to him, and to pay him tribute. Or the psalmist speaks for himself here: "Lord, Thou art my King; whither shall I go with my petitions, but to thee? The favour I ask is not for myself, but for thy church." Note, It is every one's duty to improve his personal interest at the throne of grace for the public welfare and prosperity of the people of God; as Moses, "If I have found grace in thy sight, guide thy people," Exodus 33:13.

      2. They had always applied to him by prayer for deliverance when at any time they were in distress: Command deliverances for Jacob. Observe, (1.) The enlargedness of their desire. They pray for deliverances, not one, but many, as many as they had need of, how many soever they were, a series of deliverances, a deliverance from every danger. (2.) The strength of their faith in the power of God. They do not say, Work deliverances, but Command them, which denotes his doing it easily and instantly--Speak and it is done (such was the faith of the centurion, Matthew 8:8, Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed); it denotes also his doing it effectually: "Command it, as one having authority, whose command will be obeyed." Where the word of a king is there is power, much more the word of the King of kings.

      3. They had trusted and triumphed in him. As they owned it was not their own sword and bow that had saved them (Psalms 44:3; Psalms 44:3), so neither did they trust to their own sword or bow to save them for the future (Psalms 44:6; Psalms 44:6): "I will not trust in my bow, nor in any of my military preparations, as if those would stand me in stead without God. No; through thee will we push down our enemies (Psalms 44:5; Psalms 44:5); we will attempt it in thy strength, relying only upon that, and not upon the number or valour of our forces; and, having thee on our side, we will not doubt of success in the attempt. Through thy name (by virtue of thy wisdom directing us, thy power strengthening us and working for us, and thy promise securing success to us) we shall, we will, tread those under that rise up against us."

      4. They had made him their joy and praise (Psalms 44:8; Psalms 44:8): "In God we have boasted; in him we do and will boast, every day, and all the day long." When their enemies boasted of their strength and successes, as Sennacherib and Rabshakeh hectored Hezekiah, they owned they had nothing to boast of, in answer thereunto, but their relation to God and their interest in him; and, if he were for them, they could set all the world at defiance. Let him that glories glory in the Lord, and let that for ever exclude all other boasting. Let those that trust in God make their boast in him, for they know whom they have trusted; let them boast in him all the day long, for it is a subject that can never be exhausted. But let them withal praise his name for ever; if they have the comfort of his name, let them give unto him the glory due to it.