Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 74:10
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?
10. How long ] Taking up the last words of Psa 74:9, the Psalmist begins the second division of the Psalm with an appeal parallel to that in Psa 74:1-3. There he entreats God to have pity on His people’s need, here to have regard to His own honour.
reproach blaspheme ] In act and word. Like the Assyrians, Isa 10:7 ff; Isa 37:23 ff.; and Syrians, Dan 7:8; Dan 7:25; Dan 11:36 ; 1Ma 2:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
10, 11. Once more the Psalmist expostulates with God for His inaction.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?… – How long shall this state of things be allowed to continue? Is there to be no end to it? Are these desolations never to be repaired – these ruins never to be rebuilt? It seemed so; and hence, this earnest appeal. So to us it often appears as if our trials were never to come to an end. One calamity succeeds another; and there comes no relief. Yet there is relief. Deliverance may come, and soon come, in the present life; or if not in the present life, yet to all those who are the children of God it will soon come by their removal to a world where trial will be forever unknown.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 74:10-11
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?
shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?
The long forbearance of God
1. Mens patience is much short of Gods longsuffering and forbearance; for here it is the speech of a suffering people: O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? when with God it is not yet time to fall upon them.
2. The Lords longsuffering patience doth greatly harden the adversaries in their insolent mocking of Gods people; for instead of saying, Lord, how long wilt Thou bear with them? he saith, O God, how long shall the adversaries reproach?
3. The truly godly can endure their own troubles better than they can bear the open dishonouring and blaspheming of God by occasion of their trouble. Therefore this expression, from the deepest sense of his heart, doth break forth, Shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?
4. Albeit tentations from carnal sense do represent God as if He were idle when He suffers His enemies to trample on His people, and on His glorious Name; yet faith will not admit of such a thought, but dealeth with God by prayer, to let His strength and power be so manifest, that the world may not think His hand is in His bosom; Why withdrawest thou thy hand? etc. This he believeth the Lord shall do, and giveth reasons for his hope, in that which followeth. (D. Dickson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Reproach; understand here thy name, which is expressed in the next clause of the verse, by saying that thou art either unkind to thy people, or unfaithful in thy covenant, or unable to deliver thine out of their miseries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. (Compare Ps31:1).
how long . . . reproach?us,as deserted of God.
blaspheme thy nameor,”perfections,” as power, goodness, &c. (Ps29:2).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?…. The name of God, as in the next clause, the divine Persons and perfections, the purposes and providence of God, his people, ways, worship, truths, and ordinances:
shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? The “adversary” and “enemy” being in the singular number, may intend some particular one, as antichrist; who is emphatically and eminently “the enemy” of God, he opposing himself to, and exalting himself above, all that is called God; and the adversary of Christ, as his name shows; not only setting himself in his room and stead, but undermining him in all his offices; changing his laws as a King, dishonouring his sacrifice and intercession as a priest, and doing injury to his word and ordinances as a Prophet; and who has a mouth speaking blasphemies against God, his name, and tabernacle, heaven, and they that dwell therein, angels and saints, Re 13:5. He reproaches and blasphemes God himself, by showing himself to be God, by suffering himself to be so called, and to be worshipped as if he was God; by taking infallibility to himself, and setting up image worship, and obliging persons to it: he reproaches and blasphemes the Son of God, in whom the name of God is, by pretending to be his vicar on earth, and head of the church; to transubstantiate the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ; and to offer him up again in the blasphemous service of the mass: he reproaches and blasphemes his Gospel, which is his name, Ac 9:15, by introducing doctrines contrary to it, as the doctrines of merit, of works of supererogation, and justification by works; and the Scriptures, which bear the name and authority of God, by making them a nose of wax, taking upon himself to be the infallible interpreter of Scripture, and sole judge of controversies; by setting up his own unwritten traditions upon an equality with them, and forbidding the use of them to the people in their mother tongue: and he reproaches and blasphemes his name and authority by assuming it to himself in civil things, deposing and setting up kings at his pleasure; in religious affairs, dispensing with the laws of God, and teaching for doctrines the commandments of men; yea, in matters of salvation, giving out pardons and indulgences, pretending to open and shut heaven at pleasure. Moreover, these terms may be understood of many enemies and adversaries, even of all the enemies of the grace of God, and person of Christ; such reproach and blaspheme the name of God the Father; by denying some of his perfections, as his sovereignty, omniscience, and punitive justice, and by charging his decrees with injustice, insincerity, and cruelty; they reproach and blaspheme the name of Christ, by denying his deity, eternal sonship, and distinct personality, and by speaking contemptuously of his righteousness, blood, and sacrifice; and they do despight unto the Spirit of grace, and speak evil of his person, and the operations of his grace on the souls of men; and such a day of rebuke and blasphemy is the present one: and these things give good men that observe them a great concern for the name of God, who are ready to fear there will be no end to these reproaches and blasphemies; but there will, the time is coming when the name of the Lord will be excellent in all the earth, and the Lord alone shall be exalted; but it is not known how long it will be to it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. How long, O God! shall the adversary reproach? Here it is intimated that nothing inflicted upon them greater anguish than when they saw the name of God blasphemed by the ungodly. By this manner of praying, the object of the inspired writer was to kindle in our hearts a zeal for maintaining the Divine glory. We are naturally too delicate and tender for bearing calamities; but it is a decided proof of genuine godliness, when the contumely which is cast upon God grieves and disquiets our minds more than all our own personal sufferings. The poor Jews, there can be no doubt, were assailed with more kinds of reproach than one under a most cruel tyrant, and amongst a barbarous nation. But the prophet, speaking in the person of the whole Church, makes almost no account of the reproaches cast upon the people in comparison of the execrable blasphemies directed against God; according to the statement contained in Psa 69:9, “The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” The phrase for ever is again added; for when the ungodly continue long unpunished, this has a hardening effect, and renders them more audacious, especially when the revilings which they pour forth against God seem to pass unnoticed by him. It is, therefore, added immediately after in the 11th verse,
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10-15) ln the true prophetic spirit, as Moses brought the cries of distress by reason of their bondage from the oppressed Israelites to God (Exo. 5:22), so this poet carries to the same God the pathos of this later cry, How long? how long? In answer, the deliverances of old rush into his mind. He recalls the right hand once stretched out to save (now thrust in inaction into the bosom), the wonders at the Red Sea, and all the long-continued providential guiding. Surely the same God will do the same wonders now!
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. See note under Psa 74:4
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
Ver. 10. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? ] When they had none to tell them how long their miseries should last, they could turn them to God to inquire (such is the boldness of faith), and withal to require of him speedy help, since himself else were likely to suffer in his glory, as a God not able to help and befriend his people.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
how long . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. Compare Psa 74:1. Figure of speech Ellipsis, “how long [this shall last]”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 13:1, Psa 13:2, Psa 79:4, Psa 79:5, Psa 89:46, Psa 89:50, Psa 89:51, Dan 12:6, Rev 6:10
Reciprocal: Lev 24:16 – blasphemeth 2Sa 12:14 – by this deed 2Ki 19:14 – spread it Psa 7:9 – Oh Psa 10:13 – contemn Psa 35:17 – how Psa 89:41 – he is Psa 94:3 – Lord Isa 6:11 – Lord Isa 37:14 – and Hezekiah went Isa 37:17 – hear Isa 52:5 – my name Isa 64:12 – General Lam 5:1 – behold Eze 7:22 – face Eze 36:6 – General Joe 2:17 – and give Hab 1:2 – how Zec 1:12 – how Tit 2:5 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 74:10-12. How long shall the adversary reproach Namely, thy name, (which is expressed in the next clause,) by saying that thou art either unkind to thy people, or unfaithful in thy covenant, or unable to deliver us out of our miseries. Why withdrawest thou thy hand? Why dost thou suspend or forbear the exercise of that power which thou hast so often exerted in behalf of thy people? Pluck it out of thy bosom In which thou now seemest to hide it, as idle persons used to do. This is spoken after the manner of men. It means, Why art thou an inactive spectator of our miseries? Why dost thou not put forth thy power and deliver us? For God is my king of old In a singular manner. It belongs to thine office to protect and save us; working salvation in the midst of the earth In the view of the world: saving thy people so eminently and gloriously, that all the nations around observed and admired it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3. An appeal for divine help 74:10-17
The psalmist pleaded for God to help His people and to subdue their enemy. The Lord’s reputation fell with the sanctuary in the eyes of Israel’s neighbors. Ancient Near Easterners regarded a god’s temple as the reflection of his glory. Now that the temple on Mt. Zion had suffered damage, the nations would have concluded that Yahweh was unable to defend His people.
Asaph recalled God’s mighty acts in the past in order to motivate Him to act for His people by defeating their enemy in the present (Psa 74:12-17). Psa 74:13-14 describe the crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus.
". . . the language of Psa 74:12-14, while tailored to reflect the redemptive character of the Exodus event, also alludes to God’s victory over chaos at creation." [Note: Chisholm, "A Theology . . .," p. 260.]
The sea monsters refer to Pharaoh’s soldiers, and Leviathan was a mythical monster that the writer used to describe Egypt here. The creatures of the wilderness are the Israelites. Psa 74:15 recalls events in the wilderness wanderings and the crossing of the Jordan. Psa 74:16-17 go back to God’s creation of the cosmos.
"The point here is that what Baal had claimed in the realm of myth, God had done in the realm of history-and done for His people, working salvation." [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 268.]