Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 44:22
Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
22. Yea, for thy sake ] Or, Nay, but for thy sake. Not only have we not been unfaithful to Thee, but we are actually suffering as martyrs for Thy sake. Such a protest was no doubt particularly true in the persecution of Antiochus, but not in that period only. Cp. the complaints of Psa 69:7; Jer 15:15.
This verse is quoted by St Paul in Rom 8:36, to encourage his converts in view of the possibility that they might have to face even death for Christ’s sake. If the saints of old time had to suffer persecution even to the death, they need not be surprised if a like fate should befall them. And the quotation is doubtless intended (as so often) to carry with it the thought of its context, and to remind them of the steadfastness of the Old Testament saints under the sharpest trial of their faith.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long – That is, we are continually or constantly subjected to these calamities. It is not a single defeat, but it is a continued slaughter. This verse contains, in the apprehension of the psalmist, the true cause of the calamities which had come upon the nation. The emphasis in the passage lies in the phrase for thy sake. The meaning is, It is on thy account; it is in thy cause; it is because we are thy friends, and because we worship thee. It is not on account of our national sins; it is not because there is any prevalent idolatry, but it is because we are the worshippers of the true God, and we are, therefore, martyrs. All these calamities have come upon us in consequence of our attachment to thee. There is no evidence that there was any self-glorying in this, or any intention to blame God as if he were unjust or severe, but it is the feeling of martyrs as suffering in the cause of religion. This passage is applied by the apostle Paul to Christians in his time, as fitly describing their sufferings, and the cause of the calamities which came upon them. See the notes at Rom 8:36.
We are counted as sheep for the slaughter – We are reckoned like sheep designed for the slaughter. That is, It is not because we are guilty, but we are regarded and treated as innocent sheep who are driven to be slaughtered. See the notes at Rom 8:36. Their attachment to the true religion – their devotion to Yahweh as the true God – was the secret cause of all the calamities which had come upon them. As a nation they were his friends, and as such they were opposed by the worshippers of other gods.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. For thy sake are we killed all the day long] Because of our attachment to thee and to thy religion, we are exposed to continual death; and some of us fail a daily sacrifice to the persecuting spirit of our enemies, and we all carry our lives continually in our hands. In the same state were the primitive Christians; and St. Paul applies these words to their case, Ro 8:36.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Yea; or, but. We do not suffer for our apostacy, but because we will not apostatize from thee.
For thy sake; because we are thy people, and continue constantly and resolutely in the profession and practice of thy worship, which they abhor, and from which they seek to draw or drive us.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. Their protracted sufferingsas God’s people attests the constancy. Paul (Ro8:36) uses this to describe Christian steadfastness inpersecution.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long,…. These words are cited by the Apostle Paul in Ro 8:36; and are applied to his times, showing the then close attachment of the saints to Christ, and their strong love and affection for him; and they have the same sense here, being an instance and proof of the church’s integrity and faithfulness in the cause of God, amidst the sorest afflictions and persecutions; for the truth of which she appeals to the searcher of hearts; and had their accomplishment in the ten persecutions under the Heathen emperors, and under the Papal tyranny; and may be understood of their being threatened with death, being in danger of it, and exposed unto it continually, 1Co 15:31; or of their being in such troubles and afflictions, which may be called death, 2Co 1:8; or of the actual slaying them: and what was done to many of the members of the church she attributes to herself, because of the union between them; and for the sake of the worship of the true God, because they would not worship the gods of the Heathens, nor the image of the beast, multitudes of them were put to death; and that all the day long, and every day, and that for a long series and course of time, or continually; and indeed, ever since the Gospel day or dispensation began, this killing work has been more or less; and it will continue during the reign of antichrist, until the measure of his iniquity is filled up, and the afflictions of the saints are accomplished;
we are counted as sheep for the slaughter; or “as sheep of slaughter” q; see Zec 11:4; that is, either as sheep to be slaughtered for food, their enemies delighting to eat their flesh and drink their blood; [See comments on Ps 44:11], or for sacrifice, they reckoning it doing God good service to take away their lives, as though they sacrificed a lamb or a sheep unto him; and which, like sheep, they have patiently endured: this is the account made of them, not by the Lord, in whose sight their death is precious; nor by the saints, with whom their memory is dear; but by their furious persecutors, among whom they are as sheep among wolves; see 1Co 4:13.
q “ut pecus mactationis”, Montanus, Vatablus; so Musculus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis, Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(Heb.: 44:23-27) The church is not conscious of any apostasy, for on the contrary it is suffering for the sake of its fidelity. Such is the meaning intended by , Psa 44:23 (cf. Psa 37:20). The emphasis lies on , which is used exactly as in Psa 69:8. Paul, in Rom 8:36, transfers this utterance to the sufferings of the New Testament church borne in witnessing for the truth, or I should rather say he considers it as a divine utterance corresponding as it were prophetically to the sufferings of the New Testament church, and by anticipation, coined concerning it and for its use, inasmuch as he cites it with the words . The suppliant cries and are Davidic, and found in his earlier Ps; Psa 7:7; Psa 35:23; Psa 59:5., cf. Psa 78:65. God is said to sleep when He does not interpose in whatever is taking place in the outward world here below; for the very nature of sleep is a turning in into one’s own self from all relationship to the outer world, and a resting of the powers which act outwardly. The writer of our Psalm is fond of couplets of synonyms like in Psa 44:25; cf. Psa 44:4, . Psa 119:25 is an echo of Psa 44:26. The suppliant cry (in this instance in connection with the which follows, it is to be accented on the ultima) is Davidic, Psa 3:8; Psa 7:7; but originally it is Mosaic. Concerning the ah of , here as also in Psa 63:8 of like meaning with , Psa 22:20, and frequently, vid., on Psa 3:3.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
22 Surely for thy sake we are killed all the day. Here the faithful urge another reason why God should show mercy to them, namely, that they are subjected to sufferings not on account of crimes committed by themselves, but simply because the ungodly, from hatred to the name of God, are opposed to them. “This,” it may be said, “seems at first sight a foolish complaint, for the answer which Socrates gave to his wife was apparently more to the purpose, when, upon her lamenting that he was about to die wrongfully, (153) he reproved her saying, That it was better for him to die innocently than from any fault of his own. And even the consolation which Christ sets forth
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Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,’ Mat 5:10,
seems to differ widely from the language here expressed by the people of God. It seems also opposed to what Peter says,
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Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.’ —1Pe 4:16,
“
To this I answer, That although it is the greatest alleviation of our sorrow that the cause for which we suffer is common to us with Christ himself, yet it is neither in vain nor out of place that the faithful here plead with God that they suffer wrongfully for his sake, in order that he may the more vigorously set himself for their defense. It is right that he should have respect to the maintenance of his glory, which the wicked endeavor to overthrow, when they insolently persecute those who serve him. And from this it appears the more clearly that this psalm was composed when the people languished in captivity, or else when Antiochus laid waste the Church, because religion was at that time the cause of suffering. The Babylonians were enraged by the constancy of the people, when they perceived that the whole body of the Jews, vanquished and routed as they were, ceased not on that account to condemn the superstitions of the country; and the rage of Antiochus was wholly bent upon extinguishing entirely the name of God. Moreover, what made the thing appear more strange and difficult to bear was, that God, so far from repressing the insolence and the wrongs inflicted by the wicked, left them, on the contrary, to continue in their cruelty, and gave them, as it were, loose reins. Accordingly, the godly declare that they are killed all the day long, and that they are counted of no more value than sheep for slaughter It is, however, proper always to bear in mind, what I have already remarked, that they were not so free from all blame as that God, in afflicting them, might not justly chastise them for their sins. But whilst in his incomparable goodness he fully pardons all our sins, he yet allows us to be exposed to unmerited persecutions, that we may with greater alacrity glory in bearing the cross with Christ, and thereby become partakers with him in his blessed resurrection. We have already said, that there was no other reason why the rage of the enemy was so inflamed against them, but that the people would not revolt from the law, and renounce the worship of the true God. It now remains for us to apply this doctrine to our own circumstances; and, first, let us consider that it becomes us, after the example of the fathers, patiently to submit to the afflictions by which it is necessary to seal the confession of our faith; and, secondly, that even in the deepest afflictions we must continue to call upon the name of God and abide in his fear. Paul, however, in his Epistle to the Romans, chapter 8:36, proceeds still farther; for he quotes this not only by way of example, but also affirms that the condition of the Church in all ages is here portrayed. Thus, then, we ought to regard it as a settled point, that a state of continual warfare in bearing the cross is enjoined upon us by divine appointment. Sometimes, it is true, a truce or respite may be granted us; for God, has compassion upon our infirmity: but although the sword of persecution is not always unsheathed against us, yet, as we are the members of Christ, it behoves us always to be ready to bear the cross with him. Lest, therefore, the severity of the cross should dismay us, let us always have present to our view this condition of the Church, that as we are adopted in Christ, we are appointed to the slaughter. If we neglect to do this, the same thing will befall us which happens to many apostates; for as it is in their judgment too severe and wretched a state, even while they live, to be continually dying, to be exposed to the mockery of others, and not to have one moment free from fear, — to rid themselves of that necessity they shamefully forsake and deny Christ. In order, therefore, that weariness, or dread of the cross, may not root up from our hearts true godliness, let us continually reflect upon this, that it behoves us to drink the cup which God puts into our hands, and that no one can be a Christian who does not dedicate himself to God.
(153) “ Quand elle se lamentant de ce qu’on le faisoit-mourir a tort.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) For thy sake.For St. Pauls quotation of this verse (Rom. 8:36), see Note, N. Test. Commentary.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. For thy sake Because of thee we are killed. The issue was a religious one, and the cause was Jehovah’s. The war had come upon Hezekiah because he had renounced allegiance to the king of Assyria, which Ahaz, his father, had impiously tendered for political ends, having first declined the offered help of the Lord. See 2Ki 16:7; Isaiah 7; Isaiah 8; 2Ki 18:7. In this Hezekiah had acted in the integrity of a theocratic king, but it drew down upon him the wrath of Sennacherib.
Counted as sheep for the slaughter That is, counted out of, and set apart from, the flock for slaughter. See on Psa 44:11
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 44:22. Yea, for thy sake are we killed i.e. As professing thy religion, and not willing to have any inter-community with the false gods of the heathen; for it is well known, that the Jews were exposed to a variety of evils from their conquerors, on account of their strict adherence to the Mosaic law. Houbigant observes, that as this and the like passages in this Psalm may be applied primarily to the captive and persecuted Jews, so do they, in a secondary sense, refer to suffering Christians, and their persecutions from heathen and unbelieving adversaries; and accordingly St. Paul so accommodates the present verse, Rom 8:36.
REFLECTIONS.1st, The church of God is the same in all ages, saved by the same blood, strengthened by the same grace, opposed by the same enemies, and expecting the same deliverances. Here we behold her prostrate under the feet of her enemies, but calling to mind former days, and hoping still in God.
1. In their distress the people of God look back to their fathers’ mercies; the wonders that God had wrought of old, casting out the Canaanites before them, and giving them their land for an inheritance; and this not by any prowess or might of their own, but by such repeated miracles as convinced them of the hand from whence all their victories came, and of the great good-will of God therein manifested towards them. Note; Not by human power, but divine, was the glorious gospel of Jesus made at first triumphant over the powers of darkness and heathenism: and he who once made bare his arm to plant, will not fail to preserve it; and every anti-christian foe, however tyrannous and persecuting, shall fall at last before it.
2. They profess their confidence in God for present salvation, and join their prayers that he would complete it in his time. God is their king, therefore he will protect his faithful subjects: renouncing all human confidences, they rest their cause with him, to tread down their enemies, and cover them with shame; knowing that it is but for him to speak, and the work is done: Command deliverances for Jacob; deliverances of all kinds, spiritual, temporal, eternal, from men, devils, sin, and death. Note; (1.) While we pray for ourselves as individuals, the church of Christ, and especially the persecuted members of it, should ever be remembered by us. (2.) They who would prevail against their spiritual enemies, must first renounce themselves, that God may be glorified. When I am weak, then am I strong.
3. They boast themselves in God, not in themselves, unless they glory in their infirmities, that the power and grace of God may more abundantly appear: God is their glory and praise. Note; The work of eternity will be everlasting praise; when with unutterable transport the golden crowns of the faithful redeemed shall be cast at the Redeemer’s feet, and all their great salvation ascribed to his power, grace, and love.
2nd, We have the deep complaints of the persecuted church of God: to the eye of sense they seemed cast off, disowned, and dishonoured. Note; (1.) Reproach and sufferings are more or less our appointed cross; let us not shrink under them. (2.) Though we may foolishly wonder why God permits his foes and ours to trample on his people, we shall know hereafter, and admire the dispensation. (3.) The dishonour cast upon God, is a greater grief to the spirit of the Christian than the injury done himself.
3rdly, “Lord, to whom shall we go,” may the church and every suffering member well say, “but unto thee?” for there is salvation in no other: hither therefore they fly, and,
1. Plead their own steady adherence to God’s pure word and worship, amidst all the evils that they endured for the sake of them; and for this they appealed to the heart-searching God: they neither could be compelled to worship the gods of the heathen, nor the strange idol images of antichristian invention; no, not though fire and rack were the instruments of their torture, and dark prisons, inquisitorial dungeons, and every hellish device, had been used to shake their constancy: they loved not their lives unto death, and rather chose to be butchered all the day long, than comply with these abominations; their heart cleaved to Christ and his truth, and therefore faithfully endured his cross, and continued steadfast in his covenant. Note; (1.) Though we are not called to the sufferings of martyrs, we shall have that cross which nothing but Almighty grace can enable us to endure. (2.) They who, to shun troubles, comply with sin, only exchange the sufferings of time for the torments of eternity. (3.) When we have to deal with a heart-searching God, we may well tremble at the thought of insincerity.
2. They present their supplications for help and deliverance; and, with moving representations and expostulations, urge their suit. Awake; not that God sleeps; but, like one regardless of them, he seemed to have forsaken them; but they plead, let it not be for ever; wherefore hidest thou thy face? as though disregarding their affliction, when their souls were sunk in despondence, and their bodies made as the dung of the earth under the feet of their insulting foes. Arise; they repeat the cry, their distress made them importunate; redeem us for thy mercy’s sake; not because we have any desert to plead, but because of thy rich mercy in Christ, wherein thou hast caused us to put our trust. Note; (1.) If God seems to disregard our danger, as Jesus in the storm slept, it is only to awaken our importunity, and to magnify the more his mercy in our deliverance. (2.) The greatest saints of God have the lowest opinion of themselves: they, who could appeal to God for their simplicity, go forth with no other plea than his mercy.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 44:22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Ver. 22. Yea, for thy sake are we killed, &c. ] q.d. Thou knowest that for thy sake, and not for vain glory, or out of pertinace, &c., we are killed. It is the cause, and not the punishment, that maketh the martyr. Some suffer as malefactors rather, Potes videre hominem morte affici, quare mortificetur nescis (Aug.).
We are counted as sheep for the slaughter
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Yea = Surely. Quoted in Rom 8:36.
LORD *. Primitive text read “Jehovah”. Altered by the Sopherim to “Adonai”. See App-32. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read “Jehovah”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Yea: Rom 8:36
killed: Psa 44:11, Psa 79:2, Psa 79:3, 1Sa 22:17-19, 1Ki 19:10, Mat 5:10-12, Joh 15:21, Joh 16:2, Joh 16:3, 1Co 4:9, 1Co 15:30, 1Co 15:31, Rev 11:3-9, Rev 17:6
Reciprocal: 1Sa 22:22 – I have occasioned Est 7:4 – to be destroyed Job 9:23 – he will Psa 69:7 – Because Psa 94:5 – break Psa 141:7 – bones Jer 12:3 – the day Jer 51:40 – General Mat 5:11 – for Mat 8:25 – and awoke 2Co 4:11 – are alway
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 44:22. Yea, or but, for thy sake we are killed all the day We do not suffer for our apostacy, but because we will not apostatize from thee. We are persecuted and put to death because we are thy people, and continue constantly and resolutely in the profession and practice of thy worship, which they abhor, and from which they seek to draw or drive us. It is well known that the Jews were exposed to a variety of evils from their conquerors, on account of their strict adherence to the Mosaic law. And it is well observed by a learned writer, that as this and the like passages of this Psalm may be applied primarily to the persecuted Jews; so do they, in a secondary sense, refer to suffering Christians, and their persecutions from heathen and unbelieving adversaries; and, accordingly, St. Paul so accommodates the present verse, Rom 8:36.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
44:22 Yea, for thy sake {r} are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
(r) The faithful take comfort in this, that the wicked punish them not for their sins, but for because of God, Mat 5:10, 1Pe 4:14.