Psalms 74:23

Psa 74:23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

Ver. 23. The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth daily] Heb. ascendeth, viz. up to heaven, as Jon 1:2, there is no ho with them. Mundi laetitia est impunita nequitia, If the Lord take them not a link lower, as we say, they will grow intolerably insolent.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 74:23. Forget not the voice of thy foes, the noise of thy assailants, ascending always. The voice and noise here meant are the clamorous revilings and blasphemies of wicked men, continually going up into the ears of God, and calling down his wrath upon them. This striking figure, representing gross sin as a vocal and audible witness against him who commits it, is a common one in Scripture, from the earliest books downwards. See Gen 4:10; Gen 18:21; Gen 19:13, and compare Jon 1:2. Thy assailants, or more literally thy insurgents, those who rise up against thee, in the way not only of attack but of rebellion. See above, on Psa 3:1; Psa 18:40,. Psa 18:39; Psa 18:48; Psa 44:5, and compare Exo 15:7, Deu 33:11, 2Sa 22:49. All this the Psalmist, or rather the Church, in whose behalf he speaks, recalls to the divine remembrance, as a ground or reason for immediate interference.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, increaseth more and more.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 23. Forget not the voice] While we pray to thee for our own salvation, we call upon thee to vindicate thy injured honour: and let all the nations see that thou lovest thy followers, and hatest those who are thy enemies. Let not man prevail against thee or thine.

ANALYSIS OF THE SEVENTY-FOURTH PSALM

This Psalm divides itself into two parts: -

I. The Psalmist's complaint, Ps 74:1-10.

II. His prayer, Ps 74:10-23.

Both the complaint and petition are summarily comprised in the three first verses; and afterwards amplified throughout the Psalm.

I. He expostulates with God about their calamity.

1. From the author of it: "Thou, O God."

2. From the extremity of it: "Cast us not off."

3. From the duration of it: "For ever."

4. From the cause: "Thy anger smokes against us."

5. From the object of it: "The sheep of thy pasture."

To his complaint he subjoins his petition; in which every word has the strength of an argument.

1. "Remember thy congregation:" Thy chosen people.

2. "Whom thou hast purchased: " By a mighty hand from Pharaoh.

3. "Of old:" Thy people ever since thy covenant with Abraham.

4. "The rod of thine inheritance;" dwelling in that land which thou didst measure out to them.

5. "Whom thou hast redeemed:" From the Canaanites, c.

6. "This Mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt:" Where we gave thee the worship which belonged to the true God and thou wert pleased with our sacrifices and services. Remember this people, and all these engagements; and "cast us not off for ever."

7. Lift up thy feet:" Consider thy own dishonour; they are thy enemies as well as ours. See what they have done against thee, thy temple, thy ordinances. Look at their blasphemies, and avenge the quarrel of thy covenant, Ps 74:3-11.

Consider what thou hast done for our fore-fathers.

1. Thou hast been long our King and Deliverer. See the proofs, Ps 74:12-16.

2. Thy general providence respects all men. Thou hast given them light; the sun and moon, the vicissitude of seasons, c., Ps 74:16-17.

II. The psalmist's prayer: -

1. That God would remember the reproaches of his enemies, Ps 74:18.

2. That he would deliver the souls of his children, Ps 74:19.

3. That he would not forget "the congregation of the poor," Ps 74:19.

4. That he would remember his covenant with Abram, to make them an innumerable people, and a blessing to all mankind, Ps 74:20.

5. That, when they did return, they might not be a diminished people for their enemies were determined to destroy them, Ps 74:21.

6. That they might be led from all considerations to praise his name, Ps 74:21.

At the conclusion he urges his petition: -

1. "Arise, - plead thine own cause."

2. "Remember the foolish."

3. "Forget not thine enemies."

4. They make a tumult, and their partisans daily increase, Ps 74:22-23.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. thine enemies] Thine adversaries, as in Psa_74:4.

increaseth] Rather, ascendeth (R.V.), to heaven, challenging Thee to act. Cp. Isa_37:29.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Forget not the voice of thine enemies - The voice of thine enemies clamoring for the destruction of thy people. Compare Psa 137:7. The prayer is, that God would bring deserved chastisement upon them for their purposes and their aims against his people. It is not necessarily a prayer for vengeance; it is a prayer for just retribution.

The tumult of those that rise up against thee - Of those that make war on thee, and on thy people. The word ““tumult” here means clamor or shout - as the shout of battle. The reference is to the movement of a host pressing on to conquest, encouraging and exciting each other, and endeavoring to intimidate their enemies by the loud clamor of the war-cry. It is a description of what had occurred among the main events referred to in the psalm, when the enemy came in to lay waste the capital, and to spread desolation throughout the land.

Increaseth continually - Margin, as in Hebrew, “Ascendeth.” That is, it seems to go up; it is the swelling clamor of a great multitude of warriors intent on conquest. A cry or clamor thus seems to swell or rise on the air, and (as it were) to ascend to God. The prayer here is, that God would regard that cry, not in the sense that he would grant them the fulfillment of their wishes, but in the sense that he would recompense them as they deserved. It is in this sense that the clamors of the wicked ascend to heaven - in this sense that God will regard them, as if they were a prayer for just retribution.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The voice; their insulting and reproachful expressions against time, as well as against us.

The tumult, i.e. the tumultuous noise of the loud clamours.

Increaseth, Heb. ascendeth, to wit, into heaven, being either directed thither by them; their mouth being set against heaven, as theirs was, Psa 73:9; or at least being perceived there by God, whose ears were pierced with the loud cry of their sins. See Gen 4:10; 18:20. Or ascending may be here put for increasing, as it is Isa 55:13; Jer 46:7. So the sense is, They grow worse and worse, encouraging and hardening themselves in their wicked courses by their continual success and prosperity, and by thy patience extended to them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 23. Forget not the voice of thine enemies. Great warrior let the enemy's taunt provoke thee to the fray. They challenge thee; accept thou the gage of battle, and smite them with thy terrible hand. If the cries of thy children are too feeble to be heard, be pleased to note the loud voices of thy foes and silence their profanities for ever.

The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually. The ungodly clamour against thee and thy people, their blasphemies are loud and incessant, they defy thee, even thee, and because thou repliest not they laugh thee to scorn. They go from bad to worse, from worse to worst; their fury swells like the thunders of an advancing tempest. What will it come too? What infamy will next be hurled at thee and thine? O God, wilt thou for ever bear this? Hast thou no regard for thine honour, no respect for thy glory? Much of this Psalm has passed over our mind while beholding the idolatries of Rome, (the author visited Rome in November and December, 1871, while this portion of the Treasury of David was in progress) and remembering her bloody persecution of the saints. O Lord, how long shall it be ere thou wilt ease thyself of those profane wretches, the priests, and cast the harlot of Babylon into the ditch of corruption? May the church never cease to plead with thee till judgment shall be executed, and the Lord avenged upon Antichrist.

Ver. 23. If we are compelled to close our most solemn and urgent devotions, and our most earnest supplications, without seeing one ray of light beaming upon our path, it may comfort us to remember that so the pious psalmist closed this complaint. To hope against hope is the most blessed kind of hope. William S. Plumer.

None.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Forget not the voice of thine enemies. God does not forget insults of this kind, but punishes them. (see 2Ki_19:28, "Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou earnest He punished Babylon after a time with extreme severity. (see Jer 50 and Jer 51) The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually; rather, ascendeth continually goes up before God"s throne, crying for vengeance. (comp. Gen_4:10 Gen_18:20, 21 Exo_3:9, etc.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.