Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 44:20
If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
20. stretched out ] R.V., spread forth: the gesture of prayer being not, as with us, folded hands, but the hands extended with open palms: the Lat. ‘manibus passis.’ Cp. Psa 143:6; 1Ki 8:22 ; 1Ki 8:38; 1Ki 8:54; Isa 1:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
If we have forgotten the name of our God – That is, if we have apostatized from him.
Or stretched out our hands to a strange god – Or have been guilty of idolatry. The act of stretching out the hands, or spreading forth the hands, was significant of worship or prayer: 1Ki 8:22; 2Ch 6:12-13; see the notes at Isa 1:15. The idea here is, that this was not the cause or reason of their calamities; that if this had occurred, it would have been a sufficient reason for what had taken place; but that no such cause actually existed, and therefore the reason must be found in something else. It was the fact of such calamities having come upon the nation when no such cause existed, that perplexed the author of the psalm, and led to the conclusion in his own mind Psa 44:22 that these calamities were produced by the malignant designs of the enemies of the true religion, and that, instead of their suffering for their national sins, they were really martyrs in the cause of God, and were suffering for his sake.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God] That name, Jehovah, by which the true God was particularly distinguished, and which implied the exclusion of all other objects of adoration.
Or stretched out our hands] Made supplication; offered prayer or adoration to any strange god – a god that we had not known, nor had been acknowledged by our fathers. It has already been remarked, that from the time of the Babylonish captivity the Jews never relapsed into idolatry.
It was customary among the ancients, while praying, to stretch out their hands towards the heavens, or the image they were worshipping, as if they expected to receive the favour they were asking.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In the place: or rather into, as others render it; which seems much more emphatical. And so this verb may be rendered, thou hast humbled, or brought us down, as all the ancients rendered it. Or this is a pregnant verb, as they call them, or one verb put for two; of which there are many instances, as hath been showed. So it may be rendered, thou hast sore broken us, casting us into; or, thou hast by sore breaking brought us into. By inflicting upon us one breach after another, thou hast at last brought us to this pass. The place of dragons; which signifies a place extremely desolate, such as dragons love, Isa 13:21,22; 34:13; 35:7, and therefore full of horror, and danger, and mischief. Thou hast thrown us among people as fierce and: cruel as dragons. With the shadow of death, i.e. with deadly horrors and miseries. See Poole “Job 3:5“; See Poole “Psa 23:4“.
The name of God, i.e. either God himself; or his worship and service; which we have denied that we have done, Psa 44:17.
Stretched out our hands, in way of prayer or adoration, whereof this is a gesture, Exo 9:29; 1Ki 8:22; Psa 143:6.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20, 21. A solemn appeal to Godto witness their constancy.
stretched out . . .handsgesture of worship (Exo 9:29;Psa 88:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If we have forgotten the name of our God,…. As antichrist, and the antichristian party did in those times, Da 11:36;
or stretched out our hands to a strange god; as not to any of the Heathen deities under the Pagan persecutions, so not to any images of gold, silver, brass, and wood, under the Papal tyranny; not to the Virgin Mary, nor to angels and saints departed; nor to the breaden God in the mass, never heard of before; see Da 11:38.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
20. If we have forgotten Compare Job 31
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Psalmist Now Admits That Possibly They Have Been At Fault ( Psa 44:20-22 ).
Psa 44:20-22
‘If we have forgotten the name of our God,
Or spread forth our hands to a strange god,
Will not God search this out?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Yes, for your sake are we killed all the day long,
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’
The Psalmist now admits the possibility that in a sense they have forgotten what God is, that is, they have forgotten ‘the Name of God’. He does it in the form of a question. If they have done so, or if they have worshipped a strange god, will not God search it out? Will He not be aware of what they have done? For after all He knows the secrets of the heart.
And his answer is, yes, that is what has happened. That is why some of His people are even now facing constant harrying, and are still being killed like sheep for the slaughter (compare Psa 44:11). It is clear now that God does have something against them. They have left their first love. They are no longer truly glorying in Him as their Sovereign Lord as they should. Psa 44:22 is cited in Rom 8:36 where the aim is to bring out that even though God loves His people, He still allows them to go through times of trouble..
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psa 44:20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
Ver. 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God ] i.e. Foregone our religion, as renegadoes, denying the Lord that bought us. In the time of the Maccabees many defected to Paganism; Demas, forsaking Paul, became an idolatrous priest at Thessalonica, saith Dorotheus; Julian turned Pagan; Damascen, Mahometan, as some write; Harding, an obstinate Papist. In the Palatinate, when, not forty years since, taken by the Spaniard, scarce one man in twenty stood out, but fell to Popery, as fast as leaves fall in antumn.
Or stretched out our hands to a strange god
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 44:20-26
20If we had forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our hands to a strange god,
21Would not God find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22But for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not reject us forever.
24Why do You hide Your face
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.
26Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
Psa 44:20 This is a specific denial of idolatry. They assert that if they were idolatrous, YHWH would surely have known (Psa 44:21, cf. Psa 7:9; Psa 17:3; Psa 26:2; Psa 66:10; Psa 139:23; Jer 11:20; Jer 17:10; Jer 20:12).
extended our hands This is literally spread forth (BDB 831, KB 975, Qal imperfect). This was a physical gesture of worship, usually denoting prayer (cf. Exo 9:29; 2Ch 6:12; Ezr 9:5; Job 11:13; Psa 28:2; Psa 88:9; Psa 134:2; Psa 141:2; Psa 143:6; Lam 2:19), but could include offering (i.e., lifting up) some type of sacrifice (animal, incense, vegetable, or wine).
Psa 44:22 This is a claim, like Psa 44:19, that YHWH has abandoned Israel (cf. UBS Handbook, p. 409). Paul makes use of this verse in Rom 8:36, and seems to indicate that God’s people face problems in a fallen world but He is with them and for them. Nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ (cf. Rom 8:38-39).
for Your sake Some have seen this phrase as the key theological thrust of the Psalm. God’s people are persecuted, not because of their sin, but because of their relationship to Him. This motif is clearly seen in the life of Jesus.
I am just not sure there is enough textual evidence from this Psalm to make this claim!
Psa 44:23-26 This is seen as a separate strophe by NKJV, NRSV. There is a series of prayer requests (imperatives and jussives).
1. arouse Yourself, Psa 44:23 BDB 734, KB 802, Qal imperative, cf. Psa 7:6; Psa 35:23
2. awake BDB 884, KB 1098, Qal imperative, cf. Psa 35:23
3. do not reject us forever BDB 276, KB 276, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense, cf. Psa 77:7
4. rise up BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal imperative, cf. Psa 3:7; Psa 7:6; Psa 9:19; Psa 10:12; Psa 17:13; Psa 74:22; Psa 82:8; Psa 132:8
5. redeem us BDB 804, KB 911, Qal imperative, cf. Psa 25:22; Psa 130:8 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: RANSOM/REDEEM )
Psa 44:23 why do You sleep, O Lord? This is an idiomatic anthropomorphic phrase (cf. Psa 78:65). YHWH (here called Adonai) does not sleep (cf. Psa 121:4), but at times because of Israel’s sin, He seems to remove Himself from fellowship with them (cf. Psa 44:24-25).
For a good brief discussion see Hard Sayings of the Bible, Does God Sleep? (pp. 268-269).
do not reject us forever Forever is another idiom referring to fellowship (cf. Psa 103:9). It seemed forever to them! But it was simply a period of disfellowship so as to engender repentance and restore long term fellowship.
Psa 44:25 This is imagery for people praying, either on their knees or prostrate on the ground. This was an unusual position of prayer, which was usually standing with hands lifted and eyes open, looking up. Solomon prayed on his knees (cf. 2Ch 6:13); Daniel prayed on his knees (cf. Dan 6:10); Jesus prayed on His face in Gethsemane (cf. Mat 26:39)! It is a way to denote intensity!
Psa 44:26 for the sake of Your lovingkindness YHWH acts for
1. His love for their fathers (i.e., the Patriarchs)
2. His promise to their fathers
3. His wider purpose of the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gen 12:3; see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH’s ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN )
4. His covenant loyalty, see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (HESED) to His word (cf. Psa 6:4; Psa 109:21; Psa 109:26; Psa 119:149)
It was not because of Israel’s goodness (cf. Deu 9:4-6; Eze 36:22-38).
SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH’s GRACE ACTS TO ISRAEL
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. What aspect of the covenant is brought into question in this Psalm?
2. What does this Psalm teach about the political structure of Israel?
3. Why has Israel been defeated?
4. Why is God asked to respond?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
name. See note on Psa 20:1.
GOD. Hebrew El. Quoted in App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
If we: Psa 44:17, Psa 7:3-5, Job 31:5-40
stretched: Psa 68:31, Exo 9:29, 1Ki 8:22, Job 11:13
Reciprocal: Deu 27:15 – and putteth Deu 32:18 – forgotten Job 13:23 – many Job 20:27 – heaven Job 31:7 – If my Psa 9:17 – forget Psa 69:5 – and my sins Psa 88:9 – stretched Psa 119:168 – for all my Psa 143:6 – stretch forth 2Co 6:14 – for 1Jo 3:20 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
44:20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a {p} strange god;
(p) They show that they honoured God correctly, because they trusted in him alone.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Their defeat and humiliation were not the consequences of apostasy. They suffered innocently for some unknown reason. It seemed as though God allowed Israel’s enemy to slaughter some of His sheep for purposes known only to Him.
The Apostle Paul quoted Psa 44:22 in Rom 8:36 as proof that even though God’s people suffer, God does not forsake them.