O GOD, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

1Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast vs off for euer? why doeth thine anger smoke against the sheepe of thy pasture?

2Remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of olde: the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed, this mount Sion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

3Lift vp thy feete vnto the perpetuall desolations: euen all that the enemie hath done wickedly in the Sanctuarie.

4Thine enemies roare in the midst of thy congregations: they set vp their ensignes for signes.

5A man was famous according as he had lifted vp axes vpon the thicke trees.

6But now they breake downe the carued worke thereof at once, with axes and hammers.

7They haue cast fire into thy Sanctuary, they haue defiled by casting downe, the dwelling place of thy Nawe to the ground.

8They said in their hearts, Let vs destroy them together: they haue burnt vp all the Synagogues of God in the land.

9We see not our signes, there is no more any prophet, neither is there among vs any that knoweth howe long.

10O God, how long shall the aduersarie reproach? shall the enemie blaspheme thy Name for euer?

11Why withdrawest thou thy hand, euen thy right hand? plucke it out of thy bosome.

12For God is my King of old working saluation in the midst of the earth.

13Thou didst diuide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

14Thou brakest the heads of Leuiathan in pieces, and gauest him to bee meat to the people inhabiting the wildernesse.

15Thou didst cleaue the fountaine and the flood: thou driedst vp mightie riuers.

16The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sunne.

17Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: Thou hast made Summer and Winter.

18Remember this, that the enemie hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people haue blasphemed thy Name.

19O deliuer not the soule of thy turtle doue vnto the multitude of the wicked forget not the Congregation of thy poore for euer.

20Haue respect vnto the couenant: for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of crueltie.

21O let not the oppressed returne ashamed: let the poore and needie praise thy name.

22Arise, O God, plead thine owne cause: remember how the foolish man reprocheth thee daily.

23Forget not the voyce of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise vp against thee, increaseth continually.

 

 

II == Ex 15:16 ; Deut 9:29 32:9 ; Jer 10:16

 

 

 

IV == Lam 2:7 ; Dan 6:27

 

 

 

VI == 1st Kings 6:18 ,29 , 32 , 35

 

VII == 2nd Kings 25:9 ; Ps 89:39

 

 

 

VIII == Ps 83:4

 

 

 

IX == 1st Sam 3:1 ; Amos 8:11

 

 

 

 

XII == Ps 44:4

 

XIII == Ex 14:21 ; Isa 51:9-10 ; Ezek 29:3 ; 32:2

 

XIV == Num 14:9 ; Ps 72:9

 

XV == Ex 17:5-6 ; Num 20:11 ; Josh 1:13 ; Ps 105:41 ; Isa 48:21

XVI == Gen 1:14

XVII == Gen 8:22 ; Acts 17:26

 

XVIII == Ps 39:8 ; 74:22 ; Rev 16:19

 

XIX == Ps 68:10 ; Song 2:14

 

 

XX == Gen 17:7-8 ; Lev 26:44-45 ; Ps 106:45 ; Jer 33:21

 

 

XXII == Ps 74:18 ; 89:51

 

 

XXIII == Jon 1:2

 

1 A maskil of Asaph. Why, God, have you cast us off forever? Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?

2 Remember your people, whom you acquired of old, the tribe you redeemed as your own heritage, Mount Zion where you dwell.

3 Direct your steps toward the utter destruction, everything the enemy laid waste in the sanctuary.

4 Your foes roared triumphantly in the place of your assembly; they set up their own tokens of victory.

5 They hacked away like a forester gathering boughs, swinging his ax in a thicket of trees.

6 They smashed all its engraved work, struck it with ax and pick.

7 They set your sanctuary on fire, profaned your name’s abode by razing it to the ground.

8 They said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all! Burn all the assembly-places of God in the land!”

9 Even so we have seen no signs for us, there is no prophet any more, no one among us who knows for how long.

10 How long, O God, will the enemy jeer? Will the enemy revile your name forever?

11 Why draw back your hand, why hold back your right hand within your bosom?

12 Yet you, God, are my king from of old, winning victories throughout the earth.

13You stirred up the sea by your might; you smashed the heads of the dragons on the waters.

14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan, gave him as food to the sharks.

15 You opened up springs and torrents, brought dry land out of the primeval waters.

16 Yours the day and yours the night too; you set the moon and sun in place.

17 You fixed all the limits of the earth; summer and winter you made.

18 Remember how the enemy has jeered, LORD, how a foolish people has reviled your name.

19 Do not surrender to wild animals those who praise you; do not forget forever the life of your afflicted.

20 Look to your covenant, for the recesses of the land are full of the haunts of violence.

21 Let not the oppressed turn back in shame;

may the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, God, defend your cause; remember the constant jeering of the fools.

23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the unceasing uproar of your enemies.

V 1,2  Asaph asks God to withhold His anger and remember His people.

 

V 3-9 The reason? Enemies had destroyed and desecrated the sanctuary. They had smashed carved furnishings with axes and set some on fire. They had burned other synagogues, and there was no prophet to give spiritual counsel. Synagogue means “congregation or place of meeting”. There were no pre-exile synagogues, so these were probably just places where people far from the temple met to receive Informal  instruction. Jehoshaphat sent people through the land to teach the Law, 1 Chr. 17:7-9.  Persecutors try to prevent assemblies of people except with them. 

 

 

V 11-17 Asaph urges the Lord to act, recounting the power of God to part the sea and destroyed Egyptians, parted Jordan, and controls weather and seasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

V 18-23 Therefore, God should remember the blasphemous enemies and care for the need of His own poor, needy, distressed people.