How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever? How long, O GodThis opening phrase is a heartfelt cry from the psalmist, expressing a deep sense of urgency and desperation. The Hebrew word for "How long" is "עַד־מָתַי" (ad-matay), which conveys a sense of enduring time and longing for divine intervention. This phrase is often used in the Psalms to express a plea for God's attention and action. Historically, this reflects the period of suffering and oppression faced by the Israelites, possibly during the Babylonian exile. The psalmist is appealing to God's eternal nature, contrasting it with the temporal suffering of His people. will the enemy taunt?
The word "enemy" in Hebrew is "צָר" (tsar), which can refer to a foe or adversary. In the context of this psalm, it likely refers to the nations or peoples who have oppressed Israel. The term "taunt" is translated from the Hebrew "חָרַף" (charaph), meaning to reproach or defy. This phrase captures the ongoing mockery and scorn that the enemies of Israel direct towards God's people, challenging God's power and sovereignty. Historically, this reflects the taunting of Israel by surrounding nations, questioning the power of their God in the face of their suffering. Will the foe revile Your name forever?
The word "foe" is similar to "enemy" and is translated from the Hebrew "אוֹיֵב" (oyev), emphasizing hostility and opposition. "Revile" comes from the Hebrew "נָאַץ" (na'ats), meaning to despise or blaspheme. The phrase "Your name" refers to God's holy and revered identity, His character, and His reputation among the nations. The psalmist is concerned with the honor of God's name, which is being defamed by the persistent actions and words of the adversaries. The use of "forever" (עוֹלָם, olam) underscores the fear of unending disrespect towards God, highlighting the psalmist's plea for God to act decisively to uphold His glory and vindicate His people. This reflects a deep concern for God's reputation and the desire for His justice to be manifest in the world. Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe central figure in this verse, addressed directly by the psalmist, representing divine authority and power. 2. The EnemyRepresents those who oppose God and His people, often seen as foreign nations or spiritual adversaries. 3. The PsalmistLikely Asaph or a descendant of Asaph, expressing lament and seeking God's intervention. 4. IsraelThe implied community suffering under the taunts and reviling of their enemies. 5. The TempleThough not mentioned directly in this verse, the context of Psalm 74 suggests the desecration of the temple, a significant event for Israel. Teaching Points Understanding LamentLament is a biblical way to express grief and seek God's intervention. It is a form of worship that acknowledges God's sovereignty even in distress. The Reality of Spiritual WarfareThe "enemy" can be both physical and spiritual. Believers must recognize the ongoing spiritual battle and rely on God's strength. God's TimingGod's timing is perfect, even when it seems delayed. Trusting in His timing requires faith and patience. The Power of God's NameThe reviling of God's name is significant. Believers are called to honor and uphold the sanctity of God's name in their lives. Hope in God's JusticeDespite the taunts of the enemy, believers can have hope in God's ultimate justice and vindication. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the psalmist's question in Psalm 74:10 reflect the human experience of waiting on God during difficult times? 2. In what ways can understanding the original Hebrew context of "taunt" and "revile" deepen our comprehension of this verse? 3. How can we apply the concept of lament in our personal prayer life when facing challenges? 4. What other biblical examples can you find where God's people cry out, "How long?" and how does God respond? 5. How can we maintain hope and faith in God's justice when we see His name being reviled in today's world? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 79Similar themes of lament and questioning God about the duration of suffering and enemy oppression. Habakkuk 1The prophet Habakkuk also questions God about the presence of evil and the suffering of the righteous. Revelation 6The souls under the altar cry out, "How long, Sovereign Lord?" echoing the plea for divine justice. Exodus 5The Israelites' cry under Egyptian oppression parallels the cry for deliverance from enemies. 2 Peter 3Discusses God's patience and timing, providing a broader perspective on divine delays. People Asaph, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Adversary, Blaspheme, Contemn, Cruel, Despise, Enemy, Foe, Forever, Hater, Mock, O, Reproach, Revile, Scoff, Spurn, TillDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 74:10 5042 name of God, significance
5896 irreverence
8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah
8782 mockery Psalm 74:1-23 6115 blame Psalm 74:10-11 1185 God, zeal of
5800 blasphemy
5821 criticism, among believers
9210 judgment, God's Psalm 74:10-18 8817 ridicule, objects of Library The Meaning
Of the Red Dragon with Seven Heads fighting with Michael about the new-born Child. The first vision of the little book, of which we treated in the eleventh chapter, ran through the whole Apocalyptical course, from the beginning to the end, and that, as we elsewhere observed, to point out its connexion with the seals and trumpets. Now to that vision the remaining prophecies of the same interval, and of the affairs of the Church are to be accommodated, in order to complete the system of the little …
Joseph Mede—A Key to the ApocalypseThe Prophet of the Highest.
(LUKE I.) "Ye hermits blest, ye holy maids, The nearest heaven on earth, Who talk with God in shadowy glades, Free from rude care and mirth; To whom some viewless Teacher brings The secret love of rural things, The moral of each fleeting cloud and gale, The whispers from above, that haunt the twilight vale." KEBLE. Formative Influences--A Historical Parallel--The Burning of the Vanities--"Sent from God" "Thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Most High"--thus Zacharias addressed his infant …
F. B. Meyer—John the Baptist How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which they Bewail, and those Who, Abstaining from Them, Bewail them Not.
(Admonition 31.) Differently to be admonished are those who lament their transgressions, and yet forsake them not, and those who forsake them, and yet lament them not. For those who lament their transgressions and yet forsake them not are to be admonished to learn to consider anxiously that they cleanse themselves in vain by their weeping, if they wickedly defile themselves in their living, seeing that the end for which they wash themselves in tears is that, when clean, they may return to filth. …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Wisdom of God
The next attribute is God's wisdom, which is one of the brightest beams of the Godhead. He is wise in heart.' Job 9:9. The heart is the seat of wisdom. Cor in Hebraeo sumitur pro judicio. Pineda. Among the Hebrews, the heart is put for wisdom.' Let men of understanding tell me:' Job 34:44: in the Hebrew, Let men of heart tell me.' God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. God only is wise; he solely and wholly possesses all wisdom; therefore he is called, the only wise God.' I Tim 1:17. All …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how a star goeth out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how this sceptre smiteth Moab, by whose enmity the Seer had been brought from a distant region for the destruction of Israel. And not Moab only shall be smitten, but its southern neighbour, Edom, too shall be subdued, whose hatred against Israel had already been prefigured in its ancestor, and had now begun to display Itself; and In general, all the enemies of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Jesus Makes a Preaching Tour through Galilee.
^A Matt. IV. 23-25; ^B Mark I. 35-39; ^C Luke IV. 42-44. ^b 35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose up went out [i. e., from the house of Simon Peter], and departed into a desert place, and there prayed. [Though Palestine was densely populated, its people were all gathered into towns, so that it was usually easy to find solitude outside the city limits. A ravine near Capernaum, called the Vale of Doves, would afford such solitude. Jesus taught (Matt. vi. 6) and practiced solitary …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Sun Rising Upon a Dark World
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon then hath the light shined. C ontrasts are suited to illustrate and strengthen the impression of each other. The happiness of those, who by faith in MESSIAH, are brought into a state of peace, liberty, and comfort, is greatly enhanced and heightened by the consideration of that previous state of misery in which they once lived, and of the greater misery to which they were justly exposed. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 74:10 NIVPsalm 74:10 NLTPsalm 74:10 ESVPsalm 74:10 NASBPsalm 74:10 KJV
Psalm 74:10 Commentaries
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