Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 44:23
Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast [us] not off forever.
23. Awake arise ] Bestir thyself awake. Cp. Psa 7:6, and many similar invocations. But nowhere else do we find so bold an expostulation as why sleepest thou? The nearest parallel is in Psa 78:65. The Psalmists do not shrink from using human language in reference to God, though they well knew that the Watchman of Israel was one who neither slumbered nor slept (Psa 121:3-4).
It is recorded in the Talmud that in the time of the high-priest John Hyrcanus (b.c. 135 107) certain Levites, called ‘Awakeners,’ daily ascended the pulpit in the Temple and cried, “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord”? He put a stop to the practice, saying, “Does Deity sleep? Has not the Scripture said, ‘Behold he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth?’ ”
cast us not off for ever ] Cp. Psa 74:1; Psa 77:7; Lam 3:31.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
23 26. An urgent appeal for immediate help.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Awake, why sleepest thou? – This is a solemn and earnest appeal to God to interpose in their behalf, as if he were asleep, or were regardless of their sufferings. Compare Psa 3:7, note; Psa 7:6, note; Psa 35:23, note.
Arise, cast us not off for ever – Do not forsake us always. Compare Psa 44:9. He had seemed to have cast them off; to have forgotten them; to have forsaken them utterly, and the psalmist, in the name of the people, calls on him not entirely to abandon them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?] That is, Why dost thou appear as one asleep, who is regardless of the safety of his friends. This is a freedom of speech which can only be allowed to inspired men; and in their mouths it is always to be figuratively understood.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
23-26. This style of addressingGod, as indifferent, is frequent (Psa 3:7;Psa 9:19; Psa 13:1,&c.). However low their condition, God is appealed to, on theground, and for the honor, of His mercy.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?…. Not that sleep properly falls upon God: the Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps; his eyes are always upon his people; he never withdraws them from them, and he watches over them night and day: but sometimes he seems and is thought to be asleep; as when wicked men flourish and triumph over the righteous, and go on in sin with impunity; when their judgment seems to linger, and their damnation to slumber, though it does not; and when the saints are under sore afflictions, and the Lord seems to disregard them, and does not appear for their deliverance; and when things are as when the disciples were in a storm, and Christ was asleep, to whom they said, “carest thou not that we perish?” and the Lord may be said to awake, and it is what is here prayed for, when he stirs up himself and takes vengeance on his enemies, as he will before long on antichrist and his followers; and when he takes in hand the cause and judgment of his people, and pleads it thoroughly, and delivers them out of the hands of all their oppressors, and gives them the dominion and kingdom under the whole heaven; see Isa 2:9;
arise; to revenge the blood of his people, and to have mercy on his Zion;
cast [us] not off for ever; as he might seem to do, by suffering their enemies to triumph over them; but in reality he does not; much less with loathing and abhorrence, as the word r used signifies, since his church is his Hephzibah, in whom he delights, Isa 62:4; and still less for ever, since his love to them is from everlasting to everlasting, and they shall be for ever with him; [See comments on Ps 43:2].
r “ne abjicias cum fastidio”, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
23 Arise, O Lord! why sleepest thou? Here the saints desire that God, having pity upon them, would at length send them help and deliverance. Although God allows the saints to plead with him in this babbling manner, when in their prayers they desire him to rise up or awake; yet it is necessary that they should be fully persuaded that he keeps watch for their safety and defense. We must guard against the notion of Epicurus, who framed to himself a god who, having his abode in heaven, (154) delighted only in idleness and pleasure. But as the insensibility of our nature is so great, that we do not at once comprehend the care which God has of us, the godly here request that he would be pleased to give some evidence that he was neither forgetful of them nor slow to help them. We must, indeed, firmly believe that God ceases not to regard us, although he appears not to do so; yet as such an assurance is of faith, and not of the flesh, that is to say, is not natural to us, (155) the faithful familiarly give utterance before God to this contrary sentiment, which they conceive from the state of things as it is presented to their view; and in doing so, they discharge from their breasts those morbid affections which belong to the corruption of our nature, in consequence of which faith then shines forth in its pure and native character. If it is objected, that prayer, than which nothing is more holy, is defiled, when some froward imagination of the flesh is mingled with it, I confess that this is true; but in using this freedom, which the Lord vouchsafes to us, let us consider that, in his goodness and mercy, by which he sustains us, he wipes away this fault, that our prayers may not be defiled by it.
(154) “ Lequel estant au ciel.” — Fr.
(155) “ C’est dire, en nostre sens naturel.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) Why sleepest.Comp. Psa. 7:6, and see refs.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. Awake An anthropomorphism. God appears to sleep when he withholds answer to prayer, and help from the distressed. The same impassioned language is used in Psa 44:24. Psa 44:23-26 are an earnest cry for help.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Awoken Himself To The True Situation He Now Calls On Their Sovereign Lord To Awaken And Rise Up And Help Them ( Psa 44:23-26 ).
Psa 44:23-26
‘Awake, why do you sleep, O Lord?
Arise, do not cast us off for ever.
Why do you hide your face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
For our soul is bowed down to the dust,
Our body cleaves to the earth.
Rise up for our help,
And redeem us for the sake of your covenant love.’
He now calls on God as their ‘Sovereign Lord’ to awaken out of sleep, and act on their behalf. He asks Him to arise so that they may not be cast off for ever. This is not a rebuke but a recognition that God may act when He will. He does not really think that God is asleep, but simply behaving as though He were. The change from ‘God’ to ‘Lord’ (adonai) may indicate a recognition of the need for a new change of heart. They have been neglecting His Lordship.
Remembering how he had previously described the light of God’s countenance as having been turned towards His people at the conquest (Psa 44:3), he asks why He is not doing the same now. Why does He now hide His face from them? Why does he forget their affliction and oppression? It is clear that the enemy are still active in the surrounding countryside, and that they are at the very end of their resources, for the soul bowed down to the dust, and the body cleaving to the earth are indications of total defeat. Compare the description of the serpent in Gen 3:14. Thus their only hope is in their God.
And so he prays that their Sovereign Lord will now rise up and give them aid, and will for the sake of His own covenant love (compare Exo 34:7-8) now redeem them. Their whole hope is in Him and they are looking to Him.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
These are the strong cries of faith: not that the Lord sleepeth, or is an inattentive spectator to the exercises of his redeemed: He seeth and knoweth all. The great Shepherd of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth. Psa 121:4 . Reader, mark it as a certain thing – The enemies of God and his Christ are never nearer destruction, than when they are most confident of success. Two causes secure this; the Lord’s honour, and the safety of his people: and both conspire to produce the desired end. Rom 8:28 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 44:23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast [us] not off for ever.
Ver. 23. Awake, why sleepest thou? ] Considering all the premises, stir up thyself, and come and save us? carest thou not that we perish?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 44:23-26
Psa 44:23-26
THEIR RESPONSE
“Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?
Arise, cast us not off forever.
Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
And forgettest our afflictions and oppression?
For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
Our body cleaveth unto the earth.
Rise up for our help,
And redeem us for thy lovingkindness’ sake.”
This is a precious response, limited though it is. In the dark and tragic hours of undeserved suffering, they did not turn away from the Lord, but simply laid their sorrows upon his infinite bosom. They knew, of course, that, “He that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psa 121:4); but they still used the old anthropomorphic metaphor of “God’s being asleep” to express their distress.
During the times of the Maccabees, there was a group of singers who had as their theme song, “Awake, Why Sleepest thou, O Lord?” These singers were called “The Wakers,” indicating their purpose of waking up God. Such things as this, no doubt, influenced Calvin in accepting the times of the Maccabees as the date of this psalm.
“Rise up for our help … Redeem us for thy lovingkindness’ sake” (Psa 44:26). Yes, they did exactly what every distressed soul should do; they brought the problem to God, pleading neither their innocence nor their merit, but basing their appeal upon the stedfast love and lovingkindness of God. In this particular, not even the blessed children of the Father “in Jesus Christ” today can do anything better.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 44:23. This verse is a plea for the mercy of God. It is similar to many other passages which we have been considering.
Psa 44:24. This is more along the same line. When the enemy gets forward with his program of persecutions, it would seem that God was hiding his face from the scene.
Psa 44:25. The terms in this verse are used figuratively and refer to the state of humiliation to which the enemy had brought God’s people.
Psa 44:26. David did not make any special claim for help on the basis of merit, but asked for it on the ground of mercy.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Awake: Psa 7:6, Psa 12:5, Psa 35:23, Psa 59:4, Psa 59:5, Psa 78:65, Isa 51:9, Mar 4:38
cast: Psa 44:9, Psa 74:1, Psa 88:14
Reciprocal: 1Ki 18:27 – must be awaked Est 7:4 – to be destroyed Job 8:6 – he would Psa 3:7 – Arise Psa 9:19 – Arise Psa 17:13 – Arise Psa 42:9 – Why hast Psa 74:3 – Lift Psa 74:11 – pluck it out Psa 80:2 – stir up Psa 83:1 – Keep Jer 14:9 – cannot Dan 9:19 – defer Mat 8:25 – and awoke Luk 8:23 – he fell
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4. A prayer requesting divine intervention 44:23-26
The psalmist cried out to God to act for His people. He pictured God as asleep and in need of arousing (cf. Mar 4:38). Yahweh could not be angry because His people had not sinned by turning to another god (Psa 44:18; Psa 44:20). Israel had come to the end of her rope and was almost dead. Since Yahweh had pledged to protect His people, the writer concluded with an appeal to His loyal love.
Sometimes believers suffer through no apparent fault of their own. In such situations we should maintain our trust and obedience, and we should call on God to deliver us as He has promised to do. Even if He allows us to perish in this life, we should still remain faithful to Him (cf. Job 13:15).