Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 44:13
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
13. Repeated almost verbatim in Psa 79:4; cp. Psa 80:6. The neighbouring nations, Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, were always jealous of Israel, and ready to rejoice with a malicious delight at Israel’s humiliation.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors – Compare the notes at Psa 39:8. The word neighbors here refers to surrounding people or nations. They were reproached, scorned, and derided as forsaken by God, and given up to their foes. They no longer commanded the admiration of mankind as a prosperous, favored, happy people. Surrounding nations treated them with contempt as inspiring no fear, and as having nothing to entitle them to respect.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
They contemn our persons, and sport themselves in our miseries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13, 14. (Compare Deu 28:37;Psa 79:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours,…. Which is the common lot of Christians: Christ and his apostles have given reason for the saints in all ages to expect it, and have fortified their minds to bear it patiently, yea, to esteem it an honour, and greater riches than the treasures of the antichristian Egypt;
a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us; being always represented as mean and despicable, and reckoned ignorant and accursed, and as the faith of the world, and the offscouring of all things.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(Heb.: 44:14-17) To this defeat is now also added the shame that springs out of it. A distinction is made between the neighbouring nations, or those countries lying immediately round about Israel ( , as in the exactly similar passage Psa 79:4, cf. Psa 80:7, which closely resembles it), and the nations of the earth that dwell farther away from Israel. is here a jesting, taunting proverb, and one that holds Israel up as an example of a nation undergoing chastisement (vid., Hab 2:6). The shaking of the head is, as in Psa 22:8, a gesture of malicious astonishment. In (as in Psa 38:18) we have both the permanent aspect or look and the perpetual consciousness. Instead of “shame covers my face,” the expression is “the shame of my face covers me,” i.e., it has overwhelmed my entire inward and outward being (cf. concerning the radical notions of , Ps 6:11, and , Psa 34:6). The juxtaposition of “enemy and revengeful man” has its origin in Psa 8:3. In Psa 44:17 and alternate; the former is used of the impression made by the jeering voice, the other of the impression produced by the enraged mien.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
13 Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbors Here the Psalmist speaks of their neighbors, who were all actuated either by some secret ill-will, or avowed enmity to the people of God. And certainly it often happens, that neighborhood, which ought to be the means of preserving mutual friendship, engenders all discord and strife. But there was a special reason in respect of the Jews; for they had taken possession of the country in spite of all men, and their religion being hateful to others, so to speak, served as a trumpet to stir up war, and inflamed their neighbors with rage against them. Many, too, cherished towards them a feeling of jealousy, such as the Idumeans, who were inflated on the ground of their circumcision, and imagined that they also worshipped the God of Abraham as well as the Jews. But what proved the greatest calamity to them was, that they were exposed to the reproach and derision of those who hated them on the ground of their worship of the true God. The faithful illustrate still farther the greatness of their calamity by another circumstance, telling us, in the last clause of the verse, that they were met by reproaches on all sides; for they were beset round about by their enemies, so that they would never have enjoyed one moment of peace unless God had miraculously preserved them. Nay, they add still farther, (verse 14,) that they were a proverb, a byword, or jest, even among the nations that were far off. The word משל, mashal, which is translated proverb, might be taken in the sense of a heavy imprecation or curse, as well as of a byword or jest; but the sense will be substantially the same, namely, that there were no people under heaven held in greater detestation, insomuch that their very name was bandied about every where in proverbial allusions, as a term of reproach. To the same purpose also is the wagging, or shaking of the head, which occurs in Psa 22:0, of which we have already spoken. There can be no doubt that the faithful recognised this as inflicted upon them by the vengeance of God, of which mention was made in the Law. In order to arouse themselves to the consideration of the judgments of God, they carefully compared with the threatenings of God all the punishments which he inflicted upon them. But the Law had declared beforehand, in express terms, this derision of the Gentiles, which they now relate as a thing that had come to pass, (Deu 28:3.) Moreover, when it is said, among the heathen, and among the people, the repetition is very emphatic and expressive; for it was a thing quite unseemly and intolerable, that the heathen nations should presume to torment with their scoffings the chosen people of God, and revile them by their blasphemies at their pleasure. That the godly complained not of these things without cause is abundantly obvious from a passage in Cicero, in his oration in defense of Flaccus, in which that heathen orator, with his accustomed pride, scoffs no less against God than against the Jews, asserting that it was perfectly clear that they were a nation hated of the gods, inasmuch as they had often, and, as it were, from age to age, been wasted with so many misfortunes, and in the end subjected to a most miserable bondage, and kept, as it were, under the feet of the Romans. (144)
(144) “ Et comme tenue sous les pieds des Romains.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13, 14) These verses become very suggestive, if we refer them to one of those periods under the Seleucid, when the Jews were so frequently attacked on the Sabbath, and from their scrupulous regard to it would make no resistance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 44:13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Ver. 13. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours ] This to a generous spirit is very grievous. The Cappadocians were noted for a servile people; and Tiberius said of his Romans, that they were homines ad servitutem parati men prepared for slavery, (Ammian. 1. 2). The Jews at this day hear ill among all nations for a nasty and sordid people. O Marcomanni, O Quades, O Sarmatae, tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni, said that emperor, O Marcomans, O Quades, O Sarmatians, I have at length found a more odious and contemptible people than you are any, meaning the Jews, with whose stench he was much annoyed.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a reproach. Compare Rab-shakeh’s harangue (2Ki 18:27-35) with verses: Psa 44:13, Psa 44:14. See App-67.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
makest: Psa 79:4, Psa 80:6, Psa 89:51, Jer 24:9, Eze 36:19-23
scorn: Psa 123:3, Psa 123:4, Jer 48:27
Reciprocal: Gen 21:9 – mocking Deu 28:37 – become 1Sa 17:26 – reproach Neh 2:17 – a reproach Neh 2:19 – they Neh 4:1 – mocked Psa 39:8 – make Psa 69:11 – I became Psa 89:50 – General Jer 30:17 – they Jer 33:24 – thus Jer 51:51 – shame Lam 3:14 – General Lam 3:46 – have Lam 5:1 – behold Eze 14:8 – a sign Eze 22:4 – have I Eze 36:3 – and ye Mic 6:16 – therefore Zec 8:13 – a curse
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Israel’s defeat had made her an object of ridicule among her neighbor nations. They laughed at God’s people because the Lord had not defended them.