Psalms 79:13

Verse 13. We thy people] Whom thou hast chosen from among all the people of the earth.

And sheep of thy pasture] Of whom thou thyself art the Shepherd. Let us not be destroyed by those who are thy enemies; and we, in all our generations, will give thanks unto thee for ever.

ANALYSIS OF THE SEVENTY-NINTH PSALM

This Psalm contains the four following parts: -

I. A complaint for the desolation of Jerusalem, Ps 79:1-5.

II. A deprecation of God's anger, Ps 79:5.

III. A twofold petition: -

1. Against the enemies of God's people, Ps 79:6-7; Ps 79:10-12.

2. For the people, Ps 79:8-9.

IV. A doxology, Ps 79:13.

I. The complaint is bitter, and is amplified by a climax, -

1. "The heathen are come into thine inheritance," Ps 79:1.

2. "The holy temple they have defiled," Ps 79:1.

3. "They have laid Jerusalem in heaps," Ps 79:2.

4. They have exercised cruelty towards the dead.

5. "They have shed blood like water," Ps 79:3.

6. They have not even buried those whom they slaughtered.

7. "We are become a reproach, a scorn, and a derision," Ps 79:4.

II. Next comes the cause of their calamity.

1. God's anger was kindled because of their sins, Ps 79:5.

2. This anger he deprecates, Ps 79:5.

III. The twofold prayer, -

1. Against the enemy: 1. Pour out thy wrath on them, not on us, Ps 79:6; 2. He adds the reason: "They have devoured Jacob." Ps 79:7.

2. The second part of the prayer is in behalf of the people: 1. "Remember not against us former offences," Ps 79:8. 2. "Let thy mercy prevent us." The reasons: "We are brought very low." 3. His prayer is directed for help to the God of salvation. 4. For deliverance and pardon of sin, Ps 79:9.

His arguments to prevail with God: -

1. The blasphemy of the heathen, Ps 79:10.

2. The misery of the people, Ps 79:11. And another prayer against the enemy, Ps 79:12.

IV. The doxology.

1. We, who are thy people, will be thankful.

2. We will leave a record of thy mercy to all generations, Ps 79:13.

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

Psa 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Ver. 13. So we thy people … will give thee praise] A service which the saints know to be so acceptable to God, that they commonly promise it, and accordingly perform it, Hos 14:2, engaging also their children, as here, to do the like.

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_79:13

We will show forth Thy praise to all generations.

Gods people should speak Gods praise

Dr. Parkhurst says he loves to think that every man is sent into the world with something to tell. That is what makes of any man a prophet, being filled with a story too big for his own soul to house, a story he cannot, dare not, keep to himself. This truth God has given you to utter makes you a witness. You may be a false witness, and no witness is more than he who says nothing; or you may be a true and faithful witness, testifying to the best you know by your face and hands, your smiles and deeds and words. That is a startling thought of Andrew Murrays: God does not ask us to hide Christ away in our impure hearts. Christ gives Himself to us constantly, but in order that we may as constantly give Him to others. Truth is like the water pressed upon the foul garments, that cleanses them if it is forced out again, but rots them all the more if it is allowed to remain. So is the religion that we selfishly cherish unexpressed. Indeed, is there a worse form of selfishness than that? (Amos R. Wells.)

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Psa_80:1-19

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 79:13. So we thy people will give thanks for ever — “Such is the resolution of a church under persecution; and such ought to be the practice of every church when delivered out of it, and restored to the favour and protection of her God. The same is the duty of every soul with regard to afflictions and mercies of a private kind. But how glorious will be the day, when, triumphant over sin and sorrow, over every thing that exalteth itself, the church universal shall behold the adversary disarmed for ever.” When the Lord God, having swallowed up death in victory, will wipe away tears from off all faces, and take away the rebuke of his people from off all the earth: when it shall be said, Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him, and he hath saved us: this is Jehovah; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation, Isa 25:8-9.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. (Psa 79:13) And we, thy people and flock of thy pasture, will give thanks to thee for ever, to generation and generation will we recount thy praise. Some interpreters needlessly make two distinct propositions, we (are) thy people (and therefore) will give thanks, etc. The flock of thy pasture, that which thou feedest, that of which thou art the shepherd. See above, on Psa 74:1; Psa 78:70-72. For ever, literally to eternity. The following words, though thrown into the first clause by the masoretic interpunction, belong to the second, as appears from the parallel structure of the sentence.

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

We ought to desire no benefit of God, but on this condition to praise his name, Isa. 43:21.

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

In the last verse, the pious Jews declare that the fruit of their deliverance will be, that the name of God will be celebrated; and we ought not to desire our preservation or welfare for any other end. When he freely bestows upon us all things, the design for which he does this is, that his goodness may be made known and exalted. Now, these sufferers engage to make a grateful acknowledgement of their deliverance, and declare that this will not be done merely for a short time, but that the remembrance of it will be transmitted to their posterity, and pass, in continued succession, from age to age to the end of the world. The particular designation here given to them is also worthy of notice: We are thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture As the posterity of Abraham were chosen to celebrate the name of God, and that his praises might resound in Zion, what would have been the consequence had that people been destroyed, but that the memory of the name of God would have perished? This passage, there is no doubt, corresponds with that prophecy of Isaiah,

“This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.” (Isaiah 43:21)

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(13) “The last word of the psalm is Tehillah; the one crowning privilege of God’s people; the exulting and triumphant confidence in God, which only His chosen can entertain and express. It is here placed in splendid contrast with the reproach of the heathen, and of the malicious neighbours mentioned in the preceding verse. Let them curse so long as thou dost bless (Burgess, Notes on the Hebrew Psalms).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. Concluding vow of thanksgiving. Israel will then be able to render its tribute of unceasing praise to its Lord and Shepherd.

sheep of thy pasture] Cp. Psa_74:1, note; Psa_80:1.

thy praise] Cp. Psa_74:21; Psa_78:4. To set forth Jehovah’s praise was Israel’s mission, Isa_43:21.

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.

So we thy people, and sheep of thy pasture,.... Who were the people of God, not by creation and providence only, as all men are, being his creatures, and provided for by him; but by special choice, and by covenant grace: and "the sheep of his pasture"; whom he feeds as a shepherd does his flock, provides good pasture for them, and leads them into it:

will give thee thanks for ever, we will show forth thy praise to all generations: the above petitions being answered and fulfilled; the work of praise is acceptable unto God, what he is well pleased with, being glorified thereby; and is what becomes his people to do, and which they are formed for, and that for evermore, as long as they live in this world, and to all eternity in another; and who will and do take care that the wonders of divine grace and providence be transmitted and told to their posterity in succeeding ages, that so thanks may be given him, and his praise shown forth in one generation after another.

Next: Psalms Chapter 80

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So we thy people, and sheep of thy pasture - See the notes at Psa 74:1.

Will give thee thanks for ever - Will praise thee always; will acknowledge thee as our God, and will evermore render thee thanksgiving.

We will shew forth thy praise to all generations - Margin, as in Hebrew, to generation and generation. That is, We will make arrangements that the memory of these gracious acts shall be transmitted to future times; to distant generations. This was done by the permanent record, made in the Scriptures, of these gracious interpositions of God, and by their being carefully preserved by each generation to whom they came. No work has been more faithfully done than that by which the records of God’s ancient dealings with his people have been preserved from age to age - that by which the sacred Scriptures have been guarded against error, and handed down from one generation to another.

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

So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture. (see Psa_74:1; and comp. Psa_78:52) Will give thee thanks forever. When thou hast punished our enemies, and delivered us, we will give thee thanks perpetually, and show forth thy praise to all generations. An instance of identical parallelism.

Divine relationships our best plea in prayer.

"We thy people and sheep of thy pasture." This verse gives a gleam of hope and confidence at the end of the long cry of anguish. Compare a New Testament cry, "Though we believe not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself." Illustrate by our Lord"s distress on the cross. In extreme anguish, he yet could say, My God, my God!" We may set in order three possible pleas which we are permitted to use in prayer.

(1) Our needs;

(2) God"s Name;

(3) God"s relations.

He must be consistent with himself.

I OUR NEEDS. This may seem the most persuasive plea from our point of view. It is, indeed, our best plea in asking from our fellow men. With them we must make out a clear case of need. And God graciously allows it to be our plea with him. But in our family life we know that the children"s wanting a thing is not a sufficient reason for giving it to them; because their wants and desires are not necessarily their real needs. There are some considerations on which their needs must be estimated. True, we ought to speak quite freely our thoughts about our needs when we draw near to God; and it is equally true that a Divine and gracious consideration of our needs guides the Divine decisions and the Divine doings; but we must not think of this as the supreme persuasion with God.

II GOD"S NAME. In the Old Testament it is impressively presented to us that the supreme motive urging God is jealousy of his own Divine Name.

All good for man is bound up in keeping the honour of the Divine Name. Man has no anchorage for his trust and hope if God be not infinitely good. For our sakes he must do nothing, give nothing, withhold nothing, if these things imperil his Name, make us question his Divine integrity. Ezekiel is the prophet who puts this point most forcibly. "Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy Name"s sake". (Eze_36:22) Apply to God"s Name as the Almighty One, the All-holy One, the All-saving One. There must always be consistency between the Divine doings and the Divine Name. Good men, like Joshua, are jealous of the Divine Name.

III GOD"S RELATIONS. Not what he abstractly is, but what he relatively is to us. God has been pleased to come into relations with us; to set himself in relations. He has therefore limited himself, conditioned himself, placed himself under honourable obligations. And so our supreme plea in prayer has come to be, reminding God of the honourable obligations involved in his relationships to us. We may be sure of this he must be true to himself. This may be fully opened out in connection with the most blessed relationship of Fatherhood. R.T.

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

If we have thus far correctly hit upon the parts of which the Psalm is composed (9. 9. 9), then the lamentation closes with this tristichic vow of thanksgiving.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)