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Psalm 79

This article is about Psalm 79 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 79 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 80.

Psalm 79 is the 79th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 78. In Latin, it is known as "Deus venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam".[1] It is one of the 12 Psalms of Asaph.[2] The New American Bible (Revised Edition) calls it "a prayer for Jerusalem".[3]

Psalm 79
"O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance"
Psalm 79:6 in Darmstädter Haggadah, a manuscript copied around 1430 in square Ashkenazic script. Illustrations by Israel b. Meir of Heidelberg.
Other name
  • Psalmus 78
  • "Deus venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam"
LanguageHebrew (original)
Psalm 79
BookBook of Psalms
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part1
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part19

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music, including works by William Byrd in Latin, Heinrich Schütz in German, and Artemy Vedel in Ukrainian.

Text

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Hebrew

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The following table shows the Hebrew text[4][5] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse Hebrew English translation (JPS 1917)
1 מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים בָּ֤אוּ גוֹיִ֨ם ׀ בְּֽנַחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ טִ֭מְּאוּ אֶת־הֵיכַ֣ל קׇדְשֶׁ֑ךָ שָׂ֖מוּ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֣͏ִם לְעִיִּֽים׃‎ A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; They have defiled Thy holy temple; They have made Jerusalem into heaps.
2 נָתְנ֡וּ אֶת־נִבְלַ֬ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ מַ֭אֲכָל לְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּשַׂ֥ר חֲ֝סִידֶ֗יךָ לְחַיְתוֹ־אָֽרֶץ׃‎ They have given the dead bodies of Thy servants to be food unto the fowls of the heaven, The flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 שָׁפְכ֬וּ דָמָ֨ם ׀ כַּמַּ֗יִם סְֽבִ֘יב֤וֹת יְֽרוּשָׁלָ֗͏ִם וְאֵ֣ין קוֹבֵֽר׃‎ They have shed their blood like water Round about Jerusalem, with none to bury them.
4 הָיִ֣ינוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃‎ We are become a taunt to our neighbours, A scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5 עַד־מָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה תֶּאֱנַ֣ף לָנֶ֑צַח תִּבְעַ֥ר כְּמוֹ־אֵ֝֗שׁ קִנְאָתֶֽךָ׃‎ How long, O LORD, wilt Thou be angry for ever? How long will Thy jealousy burn like fire?
6 שְׁפֹ֤ךְ חֲמָתְךָ֗ אֶֽל־הַגּוֹיִם֮ אֲשֶׁ֢ר לֹא־יְדָ֫ע֥וּךָ וְעַ֥ל מַמְלָכ֑וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּ֝שִׁמְךָ֗ לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ׃‎ Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations that know Thee not, And upon the kingdoms that call not upon Thy name.
7 כִּ֭י אָכַ֣ל אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְֽאֶת־נָוֵ֥הוּ הֵשַֽׁמּוּ׃‎ For they have devoured Jacob, And laid waste his habitation.
8 אַֽל־תִּזְכׇּר־לָנוּ֮ עֲוֺנֹ֢ת רִאשֹׁ֫נִ֥ים מַ֭הֵר יְקַדְּמ֣וּנוּ רַחֲמֶ֑יךָ כִּ֖י דַלּ֣וֹנוּ מְאֹֽד׃‎ Remember not against us the iniquities of our forefathers; Let Thy compassions speedily come to meet us; For we are brought very low.
9 עׇזְרֵ֤נוּ ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ עַֽל־דְּבַ֥ר כְּבֽוֹד־שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וְהַצִּילֵ֥נוּ וְכַפֵּ֥ר עַל־חַ֝טֹּאתֵ֗ינוּ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶֽךָ׃‎ Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of Thy name; And deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy name's sake.
10 לָ֤מָּה ׀ יֹאמְר֣וּ הַגּוֹיִם֮ אַיֵּ֢ה אֱֽלֹהֵ֫יהֶ֥ם יִוָּדַ֣ע (בגיים) [בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם] לְעֵינֵ֑ינוּ נִ֝קְמַ֗ת דַּֽם־עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ הַשָּׁפֽוּךְ׃‎ Wherefore should the nations say: 'Where is their God?' Let the avenging of Thy servants' blood that is shed Be made known among the nations in our sight. .
11 תָּ֤ב֣וֹא לְפָנֶיךָ֮ אֶנְקַ֢ת אָ֫סִ֥יר כְּגֹ֥דֶל זְרוֹעֲךָ֑ ה֝וֹתֵ֗ר בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃‎ Let the groaning of the prisoner come before Thee; According to the greatness of Thy power set free those that are appointed to death;
12 וְהָ֘שֵׁ֤ב לִשְׁכֵנֵ֣ינוּ שִׁ֭בְעָתַיִם אֶל־חֵיקָ֑ם חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֤ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר חֵרְפ֣וּךָ אֲדֹנָֽי׃‎ And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach, wherewith they have reproached Thee, O Lord.
13 וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַמְּךָ֨ ׀ וְצֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתֶךָ֮ נ֤וֹדֶ֥ה לְּךָ֗ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם לְד֥וֹר וָדֹ֑ר נְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃‎ So we that are Thy people and the flock of Thy pasture Will give Thee thanks for ever; We will tell of Thy praise to all generations.

King James Version

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A Psalm of Asaph.
  1. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
  2. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
  3. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
  4. We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
  5. How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
  6. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
  7. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.
  8. O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
  9. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
  10. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
  11. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
  12. And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
  13. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Context

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The psalm has been described as a communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple in Jerusalem and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (verses 1–4). The occasion is perhaps the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 BC.[3] Others suggest a different era; Rudinger, Wilhelm de Wette, and others suggest that the reference in the psalm is to the later persecutions under Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the era of the Maccabean Revolt where Jerusalem was attacked and looted twice.[6]

Mention in 1 Maccabees

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The book 1 Maccabees directly quotes the Psalm in chapter 7, comparing the death of the Hasideans to the faithful ones slain near Jerusalem with none to bury them.[7] It suggests a curious possibility for the author of the Psalm: if the Greek text is read shorn of context, it seems to imply that High Priest Alcimus wrote the Psalm. This is surprising in context, however, as 1 Maccabees considers Alcimus an evil villain who was responsible for the deaths of the Hasideans in the first place. Was it suggesting Alcimus was conflicted and that he mourned for those who died? Additionally, 1 Maccabees was probably written in Hebrew originally, so the Greek version that survived was a translation. There is no scholarly consensus on what the author meant: whether this was unclear phrasing or a translation hiccup, and it merely was the narrator noting the events were "as was written [in the Psalm]"; if Alcimus was quoting a Psalm already in existence; or if the author of 1 Maccabees truly meant that Alcimus was indeed the author of Psalm 79.[8][9] Most translations generally err on the side of assuming the narrator was who was quoting the Psalm and making the comparison.

Uses

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Judaism

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Book of Common Prayer

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In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the sixteenth day of the month.[17]

Musical settings

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William Byrd set Psalm 79 in Latin, Deus, venerunt gentes, T 25, as a motet for five voices.[18] Heinrich Schütz set the psalm in a metred version in German, "Ach Herr, es ist der Heiden Herr", SWV 176, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628. Artemy Vedel composed a choral concerto based on the psalm, Bozhe, priidosha iazytsy v dostoianie Tvoe.[19]

References

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  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter, Psalmus 78 (79). Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine Medievalist.
  2. ^ Psalm 78: New International Version
  3. ^ a b Psalm 79
  4. ^ "Psalms – Chapter 79". Mechon Mamre.
  5. ^ "Psalms 79 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
  6. ^ Barnes, A. (1834), Barnes' Notes on Psalm 79, accessed 5 March 2022
  7. ^ See 1 Maccabees 7:16–17 and Psalms 79:2–3
  8. ^ Schwartz, Daniel R. (2022). 1 Maccabees: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. The Anchor Yale Bible. Vol. 41B. New Haven & London: Yale University Press. Transmission and Text: C. Transmission of the Greek Text. doi:10.2307/j.ctv2t5xh30. ISBN 978-0-300-15993-6.
  9. ^ Scolnic, Benjamin (2004). Alcimus, Enemy of the Maccabees. University Press America, Inc. pp. 9, 113–137. ISBN 0-7618-3044-8.
  10. ^ The Artscroll Tehillim, page 329
  11. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 135
  12. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 139
  13. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 135
  14. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 457
  15. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 265
  16. ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 113
  17. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, p. 257
  18. ^ Deus, venerunt gentes, T 25 (Byrd, William): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  19. ^ "Vedel, Artemy". Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
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