Chronological Study Bible

Psalm 19

The Perfect Revelation of the LORD

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

² Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

³ There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

⁴ Their line^a has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

⁵ Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

⁶ Its rising is from one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

⁸ The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

And in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 29

Praise To God in His Holiness and Majesty

A Psalm of David.

Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,

Give unto the LORD glory and strength.

² Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

The God of glory thunders;

The LORD is over many waters.

⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful;

The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,

Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶ He makes them also skip like a calf,

Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.

⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,

And strips the forests bare;

And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

* Storm God Imagery (Ps. 29:3–9)

Hymns offering praise for deities in the ancient Near East often used common language, even though the hymns praised different gods. For example, Ps. 29 glorifies Yahweh as a storm god, using language very similar to the descriptions in the Ugaritic texts of the Canaanite and Phoenician god Baal.

Phrases like “voice of the Lord” (or “voice of Yahweh”; 29:5) and “voice of Baal” are common Semitic language. They refer to thunder as the sound of a god’s speech, whether that deity was a storm god or not. The thunder or voice announced both the power and the presence of the deity. All of nature and of humanity was affected by the sound and reverberation of the approaching god.

Place names in Ps. 29 describe a geography north of Israel. “Lebanon and Sirion” (29:6) are mountain ranges of Phoenicia. The “many waters” (29:3) appear to picture the Mediterranean Sea. The Wilderness of Kadesh (29:8) possibly refers to the Kadesh on the Orontes River in Syria. A hymn composed for a Phoenician deity, such as Baal, would most likely refer to these same places. Possibly Ps. 29 adapts Phoenician language, describing a storm passing eastward from the waters of the Mediterranean, across Lebanon, and over the land through the wilderness.

¹⁰ The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,

And the LORD sits as King forever.

¹¹ The LORD will give strength to His people;

The LORD will bless His people with peace.

* King of the Universe (Ps. 29:10, 11)

The last two verses of Ps. 29 are a classic ending for hymns in the ancient world. They define Yahweh as the God who rules above all other gods. Cultures that believed in pantheons of many gods commonly honored one deity as the ruler of all the others. While the official religion of Israel considered Yahweh to be the only God, hymns could reflect Yahweh’s power over the gods of popular religion.

The heavenly throne room is pictured much like the throne room of a human ruler. The king sat upon a throne raised above all others in the reception hall. Similarly, the psalmist describes Yahweh as King, sitting above “the Flood” forever (29:10). For ancient people the Flood meant the waters of chaos which still surround the created order. The waters of chaos were terrifying; they were the waters unleashed in the Flood. But as long as God reigns, He keeps them in check.

The power which is described in Ps. 29 as belonging to Yahweh is also given to God’s people (29:11). Just as rulers empower people who live under their rule, so the Israelites, God’s chosen people, are promised the strength of Yahweh. The psalm ends with a sense of order, kept for the benefit of Israel.

Psalm 32

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.^a

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

² Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ When I kept silent, my bones grew old

Through my groaning all the day long.

⁴ For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I have not hidden.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

⁶ For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You

In a time when You may be found;

Surely in a flood of great waters

They shall not come near him.

⁷ You are my hiding place;

You shall preserve me from trouble;

You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with My eye.

⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule,

Which have no understanding,

Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,

Else they will not come near you.

¹⁰ Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;

But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.

¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;

And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 65

Praise To God for His Salvation and Providence

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;

And to You the vow shall be performed.

² O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh will come.

³ Iniquities prevail against me;

As for our transgressions,

You will provide atonement for them.

⁴ Blessed is the man You choose,

And cause to approach You,

That he may dwell in Your courts.

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,

Of Your holy temple.

⁵ By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,

O God of our salvation,

You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,

And of the far-off seas;

⁶ Who established the mountains by His strength,

Being clothed with power;

⁷ You who still the noise of the seas,

The noise of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

⁸ They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;

You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

⁹ You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it;

The river of God is full of water;

You provide their grain,

For so You have prepared it.

¹⁰ You water its ridges abundantly,

You settle its furrows;

You make it soft with showers,

You bless its growth.

¹¹ You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance.

¹² They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,

And the little hills rejoice on every side.

¹³ The pastures are clothed with flocks;

The valleys also are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, they also sing.

Psalm 68

The Glory of God in His Goodness To Israel

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

Let God arise,

Let His enemies be scattered;

Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.

² As smoke is driven away,

So drive them away;

As wax melts before the fire,

So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

³ But let the righteous be glad;

Let them rejoice before God;

Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

⁴ Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Extol Him who rides on the clouds,^a

By His name YAH,

And rejoice before Him.

⁵ A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.

⁶ God sets the solitary in families;

But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

⁷ O God, when You went out before Your people,

⁸ The earth shook;

Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹ You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,

Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,

When it was weary.

¹⁰ Your congregation dwelt in it;

You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.

¹¹ The Lord gave the word;

¹² “Kings of armies flee, they flee,

¹³ Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,

You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And her feathers with yellow gold.”

¹⁴ When the Almighty scattered kings in it,

It was white as snow in Zalmon.

¹⁵ A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;

A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.

¹⁶ Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?

This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;

Yes, the LORD will dwell in it forever.

¹⁷ The chariots of God are twenty thousand,

Even thousands of thousands;

The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.

Kingdoms of Syria and Palestine

Syria refers to the region north of Palestine, which was associated with the city-state of Damascus. In ancient times Syria was known as Aram. Since Syria and Palestine rarely knew political unity, various kingdoms inhabited these regions.

Kingdom • Approximate Period • Important Rulers

Ebla • 2400–2250 B.C. • Igris-Halam, Irkab-Damu

Alalakh • 1800–1400 B.C. • Yamhad, Yarim-Lim, Idrimi

Ugarit • 1400–1180 B.C. • Niqmaddu II

Sea Peoples • 1200–1050 B.C. • Seafaring peoples including the Philistines

Aram-Damascus • 1050–732 B.C. • Rezon, Hadad-ezer (Ben-Hadad), Hazael

Phoenicia • 1050–340 B.C. • Hiram I, Ethbaal I

United Israel • 1050 (or 1020)–930 B.C. • Saul, David, Solomon

Israel • 930–722 B.C. • Jeroboam I, Ahab, Jehu

Judah • 930–586 B.C. • Rehoboam, Hezekiah, Josiah

¹⁸ You have ascended on high,

You have led captivity captive;

You have received gifts among men,

Even from the rebellious,

That the LORD God might dwell there.

¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord,

Who daily loads us with benefits,

The God of our salvation! Selah

²⁰ Our God is the God of salvation;

And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.

²¹ But God will wound the head of His enemies,

The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.

²² The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

²³ That your foot may crush them^a in blood,

And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

²⁴ They have seen Your procession, O God,

The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

²⁵ The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;

Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

²⁶ Bless God in the congregations,

The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

²⁷ There is little Benjamin, their leader,

The princes of Judah and their company,

The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸ Your God has commanded^a your strength;

Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.

²⁹ Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,

Kings will bring presents to You.

³⁰ Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,

The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,

Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.

Scatter the peoples who delight in war.

³¹ Envoys will come out of Egypt;

Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

³² Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;

Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah

³³ To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!

Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.

³⁴ Ascribe strength to God;

His excellence is over Israel,

And His strength is in the clouds.

³⁵ O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Blessed be God!

Psalm 103

Praise for the LORD’s Mercies

A Psalm of David.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

² Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

³ Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The LORD executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷ He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

⁹ He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

¹² As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

¹³ As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

¹⁴ For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.^a

¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

¹⁸ To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The LORD has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the LORD, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.

²¹ Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

²² Bless the LORD, all His works,

In all places of His dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 108

Assurance of God’s Victory Over Enemies

A Song. A Psalm of David.

O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

² Awake, lute and harp!

I will awaken the dawn.

* When God Is Angry (Ps. 103:8, 9)

Stilling the gods’ anger is a common theme in ancient Near Eastern literature. An Accadian epic text from at least the 8th century B.C. in Mesopotamia is The Epic of Erra, a narrative poem about the chief deity Marduk; his protagonist, the god Erra; and Erra’s advisor, the god Ishum. The anger displayed by Erra can be contrasted with the anger that characterizes Yahweh in the Old Testament.

At one point in the Accadian poem, Erra becomes enraged and decides to ravage countries and their populations. Ishum pacifies him and a remnant escapes. Erra recognizes his blunder in attacking the divine leadership of Marduk and his subjects —humankind. Thus, Erra praises Ishum for his rational calm in the face of Erra’s great rage.

Although this text shares a common literary theme with the Bible, the incipient polytheism of the text betrays a marked difference from the monotheism of Israel. The anger of various ancient Near Eastern deities had to be restrained, usually by other deities who intervened on behalf of humans. In contrast, Israel understood that there were no other gods who could intervene when Yahweh was angry. Yet Yahweh restrains His own anger. The psalmist declares that Yahweh is “slow to anger” and will not “keep His anger forever” (Ps. 103:8, 9).

Ancient Near Eastern gods often became angry for petty reasons. The god Erra makes mistakes and allows his anger to get the best of him. The God of Israel neither makes a mistake nor becomes so infuriated that He loses control. Anger is not a basic part of Yahweh’s personality; rather, He is “merciful and gracious” (Ps. 103:8).

³ I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples,

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

⁴ For Your mercy is great above the heavens,

And Your truth reaches to the clouds.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

And Your glory above all the earth;

⁶ That Your beloved may be delivered,

Save with Your right hand, and hear me.

⁷ God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will rejoice;

I will divide Shechem

And measure out the Valley of Succoth.

⁸ Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim also is the helmet for My head;

Judah is My lawgiver.

⁹ Moab is My washpot;

Over Edom I will cast My shoe;

Over Philistia I will triumph.”

¹⁰ Who will bring me into the strong city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

¹¹ Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?

And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?

¹² Give us help from trouble,

For the help of man is useless.

¹³ Through God we will do valiantly,

For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.^a

Psalm 138

The LORD’s Goodness to the Faithful

A Psalm of David.

I will praise You with my whole heart;

Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

² I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

³ In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD,

When they hear the words of Your mouth.

⁵ Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,

For great is the glory of the LORD.

⁶ Though the LORD is on high,

Yet He regards the lowly;

But the proud He knows from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;

You will stretch out Your hand

Against the wrath of my enemies,

And Your right hand will save me.

⁸ The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;

Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;

Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Transition

Music in the Temple

One aspect of the Chronicler’s emphasis on the temple is his interest in the different priestly duties, particularly in the musical service. In the genealogical introduction to 1 Chronicles (1 Chr. 1:1–9:34), more space is given to the Levitical musicians than to some entire tribes (see 6:31–48 and “Priestly Genealogies” at 1 Chr. 1:1).

The prophetic account in 2 Sam. 6:12–19 mentions the sound of music when the ark was brought to Jerusalem. The Chronicler, however, provides much more detail about that music and stresses the role of the Levites in this event. There were Levites carrying the ark, as well as singing and playing instruments (1 Chr. 15:2, 15, 16, 28). Once the ark was in Jerusalem, David began to organize the service of the Jerusalem sanctuary. One of his first actions was to appoint the Levitical musicians and their three leaders: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun (1 Chr. 16:37, 41, 42; see 2 Chr. 5:12).

• 1 Chronicles 16:1–43

1 Chronicles

The Ark Placed in the Tabernacle

16:1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. ² And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. ³ Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.

⁴ And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: ⁵ Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; ⁶ Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

⁷ On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the LORD:

⁸ Oh, give thanks to the LORD!

Call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples!

⁹ Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

¹⁰ Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

¹¹ Seek the LORD and His strength;

Seek His face evermore!

¹² Remember His marvelous works which He has done,

His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

¹³ O seed of Israel His servant,

You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

¹⁴ He is the LORD our God;

His judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵ Remember His covenant forever,

The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

¹⁶ The covenant which He made with Abraham,

And His oath to Isaac,

¹⁷ And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,

To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸ Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

As the allotment of your inheritance,”

¹⁹ When you were few in number,

Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

²⁰ When they went from one nation to another,

And from one kingdom to another people,

²¹ He permitted no man to do them wrong;

Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

²² Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,

And do My prophets no harm.”^a

²³ Sing to the LORD, all the earth;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

²⁴ Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

²⁵ For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;

He is also to be feared above all gods.

²⁶ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the LORD made the heavens.

²⁷ Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and gladness are in His place.

²⁸ Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

Give to the LORD glory and strength.

²⁹ Give to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him.

Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

³⁰ Tremble before Him, all the earth.

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved.

³¹ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

³² Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

³³ Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD,

For He is coming to judge the earth.^a

³⁴ Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.^a

³⁵ And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;

Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,

To give thanks to Your holy name,

To triumph in Your praise.”

³⁶ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting!^a

And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

Regular Worship Maintained

³⁷ So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required; ³⁸ and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; ³⁹ and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place that was at Gibeon, ⁴⁰ to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the LORD which He commanded Israel; ⁴¹ and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endures forever; ⁴² and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.

⁴³ Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

Transition

Music in the Temple

• 1 Chronicles 16:1–43

Psalm 96

A Song of Praise To God Coming in Judgment

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!

Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

² Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

³ Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

⁴ For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the LORD made the heavens.

* There Are gods and Then There Is God (Ps. 96:5)

Hymns of praise in the ancient Near East often declared the god being praised to be superior to all other gods. The Bible occasionally uses that kind of language, but more often goes beyond it and says that Yahweh is the only GOD.

One way of dismissing other gods was to say they were only statues. The supposed “gods of the peoples” are nothing more than the inanimate idols themselves (Ps. 96:5). Yahweh is declared the true deity because only He created the world —“the Lord made the heavens” (96:5). All other gods are impotent and unworthy of adoration; they should be ignored. People who could mistake stone, metal, or wood for a real god are foolish.

A second way of dismissing other gods was to leave open the possibility they existed, yet maintain that they had no serious power and therefore were not to be taken seriously. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, says that other gods did not create the world and will therefore cease to exist (Jer. 10:11). Their insignificance is stressed by their being placed lower than Yahweh in divine authority.

In this way, the Hebrew poets were able to adapt the usual language of Near Eastern hymns into the worship of Yahweh. To Israel and Judah only Yahweh mattered. The other deities either did not exist or were so meaningless that whether they existed was irrelevant. Yahweh was “to be feared above all gods” (Ps. 96:4).

⁶ Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

⁷ Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

Give to the LORD glory and strength.

⁸ Give to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

⁹ Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns;

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved;

He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

¹² Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice.

¹³ before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth.

Psalm 105

The Eternal Faithfulness of the LORD

Oh, give thanks to the LORD!

Call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples!

² Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

³ Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

⁴ Seek the LORD and His strength;

Seek His face evermore!

⁵ Remember His marvelous works which He has done,

His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

⁶ O seed of Abraham His servant,

You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

⁷ He is the LORD our God;

His judgments are in all the earth.

⁸ He remembers His covenant forever,

The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

⁹ The covenant which He made with Abraham,

And His oath to Isaac,

¹⁰ And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,

To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

¹¹ Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

As the allotment of your inheritance,”

¹² When they were few in number,

Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

¹³ When they went from one nation to another,

From one kingdom to another people,

¹⁴ He permitted no one to do them wrong;

Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

¹⁵ Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,

And do My prophets no harm.”

¹⁶ Moreover He called for a famine in the land;

He destroyed all the provision of bread.

¹⁷ He sent a man before them—

Joseph—who was sold as a slave.

¹⁸ They hurt his feet with fetters,

He was laid in irons.

¹⁹ Until the time that his word came to pass,

The word of the LORD tested him.

²⁰ The king sent and released him,

The ruler of the people let him go free.

²¹ He made him lord of his house,

And ruler of all his possessions,

²² To bind his princes at his pleasure,

And teach his elders wisdom.

²³ Israel also came into Egypt,

And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

²⁴ He increased His people greatly,

And made them stronger than their enemies.

²⁵ He turned their heart to hate His people,

To deal craftily with His servants.

²⁶ He sent Moses His servant,

And Aaron whom He had chosen.

²⁷ They performed His signs among them,

And wonders in the land of Ham.

²⁸ He sent darkness, and made it dark;

And they did not rebel against His word.

²⁹ He turned their waters into blood,

And killed their fish.

³⁰ Their land abounded with frogs,

Even in the chambers of their kings.

³¹ He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,

And lice in all their territory.

³² He gave them hail for rain,

And flaming fire in their land.

³³ He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,

And splintered the trees of their territory.

³⁴ He spoke, and locusts came,

Young locusts without number,

³⁵ And ate up all the vegetation in their land,

And devoured the fruit of their ground.

³⁶ He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,

The first of all their strength.

³⁷ He also brought them out with silver and gold,

And there was none feeble among His tribes.

³⁸ Egypt was glad when they departed,

For the fear of them had fallen upon them.

³⁹ He spread a cloud for a covering,

And fire to give light in the night.

⁴⁰ The people asked, and He brought quail,

And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

⁴¹ He opened the rock, and water gushed out;

It ran in the dry places like a river.

⁴² For He remembered His holy promise,

And Abraham His servant.

⁴³ He brought out His people with joy,

His chosen ones with gladness.

⁴⁴ He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,

And they inherited the labor of the nations,

⁴⁵ That they might observe His statutes

And keep His laws.

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 106

Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins

Praise the LORD!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

² Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?

Who can declare all His praise?

³ Blessed are those who keep justice,

And he who does^a righteousness at all times!

⁴ Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people.

Oh, visit me with Your salvation,

⁵ That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,

That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,

That I may glory with Your inheritance.

⁶ We have sinned with our fathers,

We have committed iniquity,

We have done wickedly.

⁷ Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders;

They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,

But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.

⁸ Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake,

That He might make His mighty power known.

⁹ He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up;

So He led them through the depths,

As through the wilderness.

¹⁰ He saved them from the hand of him who hated them,

And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

¹¹ The waters covered their enemies;

There was not one of them left.

¹² Then they believed His words;

They sang His praise.

¹³ They soon forgot His works;

They did not wait for His counsel,

¹⁴ But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,

And tested God in the desert.

¹⁵ And He gave them their request,

But sent leanness into their soul.

¹⁶ When they envied Moses in the camp,

And Aaron the saint of the LORD,

¹⁷ The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,

And covered the faction of Abiram.

¹⁸ A fire was kindled in their company;

The flame burned up the wicked.

¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb,

And worshiped the molded image.

²⁰ Thus they changed their glory

Into the image of an ox that eats grass.

²¹ They forgot God their Savior,

Who had done great things in Egypt,

²² Wondrous works in the land of Ham,

Awesome things by the Red Sea.

²³ Therefore He said that He would destroy them,

Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach,

To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

²⁴ Then they despised the pleasant land;

They did not believe His word,

²⁵ But complained in their tents,

And did not heed the voice of the LORD.

²⁶ Therefore He raised His hand in an oath against them,

To overthrow them in the wilderness,

²⁷ To overthrow their descendants among the nations,

And to scatter them in the lands.

²⁸ They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor,

And ate sacrifices made to the dead.

²⁹ Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,

And the plague broke out among them.

³⁰ Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,

And the plague was stopped.

³¹ And that was accounted to him for righteousness

To all generations forevermore.

³² They angered Him also at the waters of strife,^a

* Worshiping Ancestors as Gods (Ps. 106:28)

The deification of ancestors was common throughout the ancient world. The mythological texts from Ugarit (1400–1200 B.C.) make reference to “rulers” in the netherworld who formerly had been monarchs in the human realm. These deceased humans were treated as minor deities, having religious feasts held in their honor. Even in ancient Palestine, the excavations of graves have sometimes uncovered tubes built into the ground so that communication and food could be delivered to the deceased.

Ancestor worship is not common in the Bible. There is one Canaanite practice mentioned, however, by which famous or important dead persons had become deities of the underworld. The psalmist reports that the Israelites “ate sacrifices made to the dead” (Ps. 106:28). The practice is associated with the “Baal of Peor” incident, indicating that the Israelites encountered the custom as they moved toward the Promised Land.

The Law of Moses made it unacceptable to treat any human as a god, whether living or dead (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 26:14). The Israelites who engaged in the regional religious belief of eating sacrifices for the dead were considered to have turned away from the one true God and “provoked Him to anger” (Ps. 106:29). To honor the memory of one’s ancestors was desirable, but such honor must not pass over into worship.

So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;

³³ Because they rebelled against His Spirit,

So that he spoke rashly with his lips.

³⁴ They did not destroy the peoples,

Concerning whom the LORD had commanded them,

³⁵ But they mingled with the Gentiles

And learned their works;

³⁶ They served their idols,

Which became a snare to them.

³⁷ They even sacrificed their sons

And their daughters to demons,

³⁸ And shed innocent blood,

The blood of their sons and daughters,

Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;

And the land was polluted with blood.

³⁹ Thus they were defiled by their own works,

And played the harlot by their own deeds.

⁴⁰ Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people,

So that He abhorred His own inheritance.

⁴¹ And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,

And those who hated them ruled over them.

⁴² Their enemies also oppressed them,

And they were brought into subjection under their hand.

⁴³ Many times He delivered them;

But they rebelled in their counsel,

And were brought low for their iniquity.

⁴⁴ Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,

When He heard their cry;

⁴⁵ And for their sake He remembered His covenant,

And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.

⁴⁶ He also made them to be pitied

By all those who carried them away captive.

⁴⁷ Save us, O LORD our God,

And gather us from among the Gentiles,

To give thanks to Your holy name,

To triumph in Your praise.

⁴⁸ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting!

And let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 39

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

I said, “I will guard my ways,

Lest I sin with my tongue;

I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,

While the wicked are before me.”

² I was mute with silence,

I held my peace even from good;

And my sorrow was stirred up.

³ My heart was hot within me;

While I was musing, the fire burned.

Then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴ “LORD, make me to know my end,

That I may know how frail I am.

⁵ Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my age is as nothing before You;

Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah

⁶ Surely every man walks about like a shadow;

Surely they busy themselves in vain;

He heaps up riches,

And does not know who will gather them.

⁷ “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

⁸ Deliver me from all my transgressions;

Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.

⁹ I was mute, I did not open my mouth,

Because it was You who did it.

¹⁰ Remove Your plague from me;

I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.

¹¹ When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,

You make his beauty melt away like a moth;

Surely every man is vapor. Selah

¹² “Hear my prayer, O LORD,

And give ear to my cry;

Do not be silent at my tears;

For I am a stranger with You,

A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

¹³ Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,

Before I go away and am no more.”

Psalm 62

A Calm Resolve To Wait for the Salvation of God

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

Truly my soul silently waits for God;

From Him comes my salvation.

² He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be greatly moved.

³ How long will you attack a man?

You shall be slain, all of you,

Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.

⁴ They only consult to cast him down from his high position;

They delight in lies;

They bless with their mouth,

But they curse inwardly. Selah

⁵ My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

⁷ In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

⁸ Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹ Surely men of low degree are a vapor,

Men of high degree are a lie;

If they are weighed on the scales,

They are altogether lighter than vapor.

¹⁰ Do not trust in oppression,

Nor vainly hope in robbery;

If riches increase,

Do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ God has spoken once,

Twice I have heard this:

That power belongs to God.

¹² Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;

For You render to each one according to his work.

Psalm 50

God the Righteous Judge

A Psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God the LORD,

Has spoken and called the earth

From the rising of the sun to its going down.

² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God will shine forth.

³ Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;

A fire shall devour before Him,

And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

⁴ He shall call to the heavens from above,

And to the earth, that He may judge His people:

⁵ “Gather My saints together to Me,

Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

⁶ Let the heavens declare His righteousness,

For God Himself is Judge. Selah

⁷ “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,

O Israel, and I will testify against you;

I am God, your God!

⁸ I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices

Or your burnt offerings,

Which are continually before Me.

⁹ I will not take a bull from your house,

Nor goats out of your folds.

¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is Mine,

And the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹ I know all the birds of the mountains,

And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;

For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

¹³ Will I eat the flesh of bulls,

Or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ Offer to God thanksgiving,

And pay your vows to the Most High.

¹⁵ Call upon Me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

¹⁶ But to the wicked God says:

“What right have you to declare My statutes,

Or take My covenant in your mouth,

¹⁷ Seeing you hate instruction

And cast My words behind you?

¹⁸ When you saw a thief, you consented^a with him,

And have been a partaker with adulterers.

¹⁹ You give your mouth to evil,

And your tongue frames deceit.

²⁰ You sit and speak against your brother;

You slander your own mother’s son.

²¹ These things you have done, and I kept silent;

You thought that I was altogether like you;

But I will rebuke you,

And set them in order before your eyes.

²² “Now consider this, you who forget God,

Lest I tear you in pieces,

And there be none to deliver:

²³ Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;

And to him who orders his conduct aright

I will show the salvation of God.”

Psalm 73

The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God

A Psalm of Asaph.

Truly God is good to Israel,

To such as are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

My steps had nearly slipped.

³ For I was envious of the boastful,

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For there are no pangs in their death,

But their strength is firm.

⁵ They are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like other men.

⁶ Therefore pride serves as their necklace;

Violence covers them like a garment.

⁷ Their eyes bulge^a with abundance;

They have more than heart could wish.

⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;

They speak loftily.

⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens,

And their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore his people return here,

And waters of a full cup are drained by them.

¹¹ And they say, “How does God know?

And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

¹² Behold, these are the ungodly,

Who are always at ease;

They increase in riches.

¹³ Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,

And washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴ For all day long I have been plagued,

And chastened every morning.

¹⁵ If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

¹⁶ When I thought how to understand this,

It was too painful for me—

¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their end.

¹⁸ Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

¹⁹ Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!

They are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰ As a dream when one awakes,

So, Lord, when You awake,

You shall despise their image.

²¹ Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was vexed in my mind.

²² I was so foolish and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

²³ Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

²⁴ You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷ For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;

You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

²⁸ But it is good for me to draw near to God;

I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,

That I may declare all Your works.

Psalm 74

A Plea for Relief From Oppressors

A Contemplation^a of Asaph.

O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?

² Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,

The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—

This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.

³ Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.

The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.

⁴ Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;

They set up their banners for signs.

⁵ They seem like men who lift up

Axes among the thick trees.

⁶ And now they break down its carved work, all at once,

With axes and hammers.

⁷ They have set fire to Your sanctuary;

They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.

⁸ They said in their hearts,

“Let us destroy them altogether.”

They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.

⁹ We do not see our signs;

There is no longer any prophet;

Nor is there any among us who knows how long.

¹⁰ O God, how long will the adversary reproach?

Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

¹¹ Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?

Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.

¹² For God is my King from of old,

Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

¹³ You divided the sea by Your strength;

You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.

¹⁴ You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces,

And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

¹⁵ You broke open the fountain and the flood;

You dried up mighty rivers.

¹⁶ The day is Yours, the night also is Yours;

You have prepared the light and the sun.

¹⁷ You have set all the borders of the earth;

You have made summer and winter.

¹⁸ Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD,

And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.

¹⁹ Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!

Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.

²⁰ Have respect to the covenant;

For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty.

²¹ Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!

Let the poor and needy praise Your name.

²² Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;

Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily.

²³ Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;

The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

Psalm 75

Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.”^a A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

² “When I choose the proper time,

I will judge uprightly.

³ The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;

I set up its pillars firmly. Selah

⁴ “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’

And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn.

⁵ Do not lift up your horn on high;

Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ”

⁶ For exaltation comes neither from the east

Nor from the west nor from the south.

⁷ But God is the Judge:

He puts down one,

And exalts another.

⁸ For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,

And the wine is red;

It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;

Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth

Drain and drink down.

⁹ But I will declare forever,

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰ “All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off,

But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

Psalm 76

The Majesty of God in Judgment

To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments.^a A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

In Judah God is known;

His name is great in Israel.

² In Salem^a also is His tabernacle,

And His dwelling place in Zion.

³ There He broke the arrows of the bow,

The shield and sword of battle. Selah

⁴ You are more glorious and excellent

Than the mountains of prey.

⁵ The stouthearted were plundered;

They have sunk into their sleep;

And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.

⁶ At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,

Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

⁷ You, Yourself, are to be feared;

And who may stand in Your presence

When once You are angry?

⁸ You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;

The earth feared and was still,

⁹ When God arose to judgment,

To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah

¹⁰ Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;

With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

¹¹ Make vows to the LORD your God, and pay them;

Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.

¹² He shall cut off the spirit of princes;

He is awesome to the kings of the earth.

Psalm 77

The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

I cried out to God with my voice—

To God with my voice;

And He gave ear to me.

² In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;

My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;

My soul refused to be comforted.

³ I remembered God, and was troubled;

I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

⁴ You hold my eyelids open;

I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

⁵ I have considered the days of old,

The years of ancient times.

⁶ I call to remembrance my song in the night;

I meditate within my heart,

And my spirit makes diligent search.

⁷ Will the Lord cast off forever?

And will He be favorable no more?

⁸ Has His mercy ceased forever?

Has His promise failed forevermore?

⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

¹⁰ And I said, “This is my anguish;

But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

¹¹ I will remember the works of the LORD;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

¹² I will also meditate on all Your work,

And talk of Your deeds.

¹³ Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;

Who is so great a God as our God?

¹⁴ You are the God who does wonders;

You have declared Your strength among the peoples.

¹⁵ You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,

The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶ The waters saw You, O God;

The waters saw You, they were afraid;

The depths also trembled.

¹⁷ The clouds poured out water;

The skies sent out a sound;

Your arrows also flashed about.

¹⁸ The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;

The lightnings lit up the world;

The earth trembled and shook.

¹⁹ Your way was in the sea,

Your path in the great waters,

And Your footsteps were not known.

²⁰ You led Your people like a flock

By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 78

God’s Kindness To Rebellious Israel

A Contemplation^a of Asaph.

Give ear, O my people, to my law;

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

² I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings of old,

³ Which we have heard and known,

And our fathers have told us.

⁴ We will not hide them from their children,

Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,

And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob,

And appointed a law in Israel,

Which He commanded our fathers,

That they should make them known to their children;

⁶ That the generation to come might know them,

The children who would be born,

That they may arise and declare them to their children,

⁷ That they may set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God,

But keep His commandments;

⁸ And may not be like their fathers,

A stubborn and rebellious generation,

A generation that did not set its heart aright,

And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁹ The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,

Turned back in the day of battle.

¹⁰ They did not keep the covenant of God;

They refused to walk in His law,

¹¹ And forgot His works

And His wonders that He had shown them.

¹² Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,

In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹³ He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;

And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

¹⁴ In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,

And all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵ He split the rocks in the wilderness,

And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.

¹⁶ He also brought streams out of the rock,

And caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷ But they sinned even more against Him

By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

¹⁸ And they tested God in their heart

By asking for the food of their fancy.

¹⁹ Yes, they spoke against God:

They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

²⁰ Behold, He struck the rock,

So that the waters gushed out,

And the streams overflowed.

Can He give bread also?

Can He provide meat for His people?”

²¹ Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious;

So a fire was kindled against Jacob,

And anger also came up against Israel,

²² Because they did not believe in God,

And did not trust in His salvation.

²³ Yet He had commanded the clouds above,

And opened the doors of heaven,

²⁴ Had rained down manna on them to eat,

And given them of the bread of heaven.

²⁵ Men ate angels’ food;

He sent them food to the full.

²⁶ He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;

And by His power He brought in the south wind.

²⁷ He also rained meat on them like the dust,

Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;

²⁸ And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,

All around their dwellings.

²⁹ So they ate and were well filled,

For He gave them their own desire.

³⁰ They were not deprived of their craving;

But while their food was still in their mouths,

³¹ The wrath of God came against them,

And slew the stoutest of them,

And struck down the choice men of Israel.

³² In spite of this they still sinned,

And did not believe in His wondrous works.

³³ Therefore their days He consumed in futility,

And their years in fear.

³⁴ When He slew them, then they sought Him;

And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

³⁵ Then they remembered that God was their rock,

And the Most High God their Redeemer.

³⁶ Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,

And they lied to Him with their tongue;

³⁷ For their heart was not steadfast with Him,

Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

³⁸ But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,

And did not destroy them.

Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,

And did not stir up all His wrath;

³⁹ For He remembered that they were but flesh,

A breath that passes away and does not come again.

⁴⁰ How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,

And grieved Him in the desert!

⁴¹ Yes, again and again they tempted God,

And limited the Holy One of Israel.

⁴² They did not remember His power:

The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,

⁴³ When He worked His signs in Egypt,

And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

⁴⁴ Turned their rivers into blood,

And their streams, that they could not drink.

⁴⁵ He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,

And frogs, which destroyed them.

⁴⁶ He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,

And their labor to the locust.

⁴⁷ He destroyed their vines with hail,

And their sycamore trees with frost.

⁴⁸ He also gave up their cattle to the hail,

And their flocks to fiery lightning.

⁴⁹ He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,

Wrath, indignation, and trouble,

By sending angels of destruction among them.

⁵⁰ He made a path for His anger;

He did not spare their soul from death,

But gave their life over to the plague,

⁵¹ And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,

The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.

⁵² But He made His own people go forth like sheep,

And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

⁵³ And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;

But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

⁵⁴ And He brought them to His holy border,

This mountain which His right hand had acquired.

⁵⁵ He also drove out the nations before them,

Allotted them an inheritance by survey,

And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶ Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,

And did not keep His testimonies,

⁵⁷ But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;

They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

⁵⁸ For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,

And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

⁵⁹ When God heard this, He was furious,

And greatly abhorred Israel,

⁶⁰ So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,

The tent He had placed among men,

⁶¹ And delivered His strength into captivity,

And His glory into the enemy’s hand.

⁶² He also gave His people over to the sword,

And was furious with His inheritance.

⁶³ The fire consumed their young men,

And their maidens were not given in marriage.

⁶⁴ Their priests fell by the sword,

And their widows made no lamentation.

⁶⁵ Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.

⁶⁶ And He beat back His enemies;

He put them to a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁷ Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,

And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

⁶⁸ But chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion which He loved.

⁶⁹ And He built His sanctuary like the heights,

Like the earth which He has established forever.

⁷⁰ He also chose David His servant,

And took him from the sheepfolds;

⁷¹ From following the ewes that had young He brought him,

To shepherd Jacob His people,

And Israel His inheritance.

⁷² So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,

And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Psalm 79

A Dirge and a Prayer for Israel, Destroyed By Enemies

A Psalm of Asaph.

O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance;

Your holy temple they have defiled;

They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

² The dead bodies of Your servants

They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,

The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.

³ Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,

And there was no one to bury them.

⁴ We have become a reproach to our neighbors,

A scorn and derision to those who are around us.

⁵ How long, LORD?

Will You be angry forever?

Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

⁶ Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You,

And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.

⁷ For they have devoured Jacob,

And laid waste his dwelling place.

⁸ Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us!

Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,

For we have been brought very low.

⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation,

For the glory of Your name;

And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,

For Your name’s sake!

¹⁰ Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

Let there be known among the nations in our sight

The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.

¹¹ Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;

According to the greatness of Your power

Preserve those who are appointed to die;

¹² And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom

Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.

¹³ So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,

Will give You thanks forever;

We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

Psalm 80

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”^a A Testimony^b of Asaph. A Psalm.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

You who lead Joseph like a flock;

You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

² Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,

Stir up Your strength,

And come and save us!

³ Restore us, O God;

Cause Your face to shine,

And we shall be saved!

⁴ O LORD God of hosts,

How long will You be angry

Against the prayer of Your people?

⁵ You have fed them with the bread of tears,

And given them tears to drink in great measure.

⁶ You have made us a strife to our neighbors,

And our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷ Restore us, O God of hosts;

Cause Your face to shine,

And we shall be saved!

⁸ You have brought a vine out of Egypt;

You have cast out the nations, and planted it.

⁹ You prepared room for it,

And caused it to take deep root,

And it filled the land.

¹⁰ The hills were covered with its shadow,

And the mighty cedars with its boughs.

¹¹ She sent out her boughs to the Sea,^a

And her branches to the River.^b

* Cherubim, the Divine Guardians (Ps. 80:1)

The religious and royal art of ancient Near Eastern civilizations shows a number of winged, mythological creatures being depicted as composites of several different animals. These supernatural beings appear as guardians for thrones, gateways, palaces, and temples, as well as serving as stands for the images of deities.

The cherubim of the Bible are representatives of these creatures. They acted as guardians of the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24); they formed the moving throne of God (Ezek. 1–3); their likenesses were molded at the top of the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:18). In the Most Holy Place of Solomon’s temple were two large cherubim, and images of cherubim were carved into the temple walls by order of Solomon (1 Kin. 6:23–29). Clearly, the artistic representation of the cherubim was associated with the worship of God in Jerusalem.

Cherubim are always described in the Bible as having wings, but we lack a full description of their appearance. From similar creatures found in the art of Phoenicia, Mesopotamia, and even in the Samaritan ivory fragments (not to mention Egyptian sphinxes), cherubim appear to have animal bodies with human heads and a pair of wings extending from the shoulders. While human heads appear on all examples, as well as wings, the bodies may be those of lions or bulls or a combination of both. Phoenician artistic examples exist from the 2nd millennium B.C. through the biblical period, so it is possible that the figures carved in the Jerusalem temple were designed by Phoenician craftsmen based on their understanding of such figures.

In religious art cherubim formed mounts, guardians, or companions of the deities, but did not represent the gods themselves. Likewise, the cherubim in Solomon’s temple were not intended to be images of God, but were displayed to demonstrate the holiness of the sanctuary and the majesty of the deity worshiped there. Ps. 80:1 reflects the place where God’s presence was most revered: in the temple, dwelling between the cherubim of the mercy seat (see Num. 7:89).

¹² Why have You broken down her hedges,

So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?

¹³ The boar out of the woods uproots it,

And the wild beast of the field devours it.

¹⁴ Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;

Look down from heaven and see,

And visit this vine

¹⁵ And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,

And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

¹⁶ It is burned with fire, it is cut down;

They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

¹⁷ Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,

Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.

¹⁸ Then we will not turn back from You;

Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

¹⁹ Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;

Cause Your face to shine,

And we shall be saved!

Psalm 81

An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance

To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.^a A Psalm of Asaph.

Sing aloud to God our strength;

Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.

² Raise a song and strike the timbrel,

The pleasant harp with the lute.

³ Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,

At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

⁴ For this is a statute for Israel,

A law of the God of Jacob.

⁵ This He established in Joseph as a testimony,

When He went throughout the land of Egypt,

Where I heard a language I did not understand.

⁶ “I removed his shoulder from the burden;

His hands were freed from the baskets.

⁷ You called in trouble, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

⁸ “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!

O Israel, if you will listen to Me!

⁹ There shall be no foreign god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

¹⁰ I am the LORD your God,

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹ “But My people would not heed My voice,

And Israel would have none of Me.

¹² So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,

To walk in their own counsels.

¹³ “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways!

¹⁴ I would soon subdue their enemies,

And turn My hand against their adversaries.

* An Arabian Tribal Confederacy (Ps. 83:6)

The name “Ishmael” became the representative name for the entire tribe of Ishmaelites. Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Sarah’s maid, Hagar (Gen. 16:15). The twelve sons of Ishmael are well known, both in the Bible (Gen. 25:12–16) and in sources outside of the Bible. It is not certain whether these sources are speaking about the same group or groups, or if the sources refer to different groups. The psalmist was aware of one group of “Ishmaelites” (Ps. 83:6) that were enemies of Israel.

The Ishmaelites were the first known power from the central Arabian desert. An Ishmaelite tribal confederacy reached its greatest power during the Late Assyrian period. The first reference to them comes from the 8th-century B.C. records of Tiglath-Pileser III, describing his campaigns in Syria. The Ishmaelites sent tribute of camels to this Assyrian king after his campaign against them in 738 B.C. again in 733 B.C. They paid tribute of camels, incense, and spices to Tiglath-Pileser. Another Assyrian king, Sargon II received tribute from a variety of Ishmaelite tribes in 716 B.C.

The Ishmaelite tribes evidently lived along the trade routes used to transport incense and controlled the trade of incense and aromatic goods. Assyrian attempts to create vassal states in northern Arabia were unsuccessful. The annals of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (668–627 B.C.) offer much description of Ishmaelite tribes that were encroaching upon Assyrian territory.

The term “Ishmaelite” disappeared at the end of the 7th century B.C. Many of the splinter tribes, however, continued to exist, including the Arab tribes in central Arabia.

¹⁵ The haters of the LORD would pretend submission to Him,

But their fate would endure forever.

¹⁶ He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;

And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”