Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 44:3
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them.
3. The thought of the preceding verse is still further emphasised.
For not by their own sword gat they possession of the land,
Neither did their own arm give them victory:
But thy right hand, &c.
Cp. Psa 60:5; Jos 4:24.
the light of thy countenance ] Cp. Psa 4:6; Psa 31:16; Psa 80:3; Psa 80:7; Psa 80:19; and the Aaronic benediction in Num 6:24 ff.
hadst a favour unto them ] God’s free choice, not Israel’s merit, was the ground of His intervention on their behalf. Cp. Deu 4:37; Deu 8:17-18; Deu 9:4; Deu 9:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For they got not the land in possession – The land of Canaan. The design of this verse is to illustrate the sentiment in the previous verse, that they owed their establishment in the promised land wholly to God. The fact that He had interposed in their behalf; that He had shown that he was able to discomfit their enemies, is appealed to as a reason why he should now interpose in a time of national danger and calamity. He who had driven out the nations in the days of their fathers; he who had established his people peaceably in the land from which the former inhabitants had been expelled, was able to interpose now and save them. The prominent thought in all this is, that it was God who had accomplished all that had been done. That same God was able to save them again.
By their own sword – That is, it was not owing to their valor, but to the divine power: Deu 8:10-18; Deu 9:3-6; Jos 24:12.
Neither did their own arm save them – Not their own strength or prowess.
But thy right hand – The right hand is mentioned because it is that which is employed in wielding the sword or the spear in battle.
And the light of thy countenance – Thy favor. It was because thou didst lift upon them the light of thy countenance, or because thou didst favor them. See the notes at Psa 4:6.
Because thou hadst a favor unto them – Thou didst desire to show them favor; thou hadst pleasure in them. The idea in the Hebrew word is that of delighting in anything, or having pleasure in it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 44:3
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them.
God the source of all success
The subject of this verse is the conquest of Canaan by Israel. It teaches that–
I. The co-operation of God is essential to the success of all right work. See this in husbandry; in the spread of the Gospel.
II. The spirit of true godliness will ever be ready to own this.
III. Such recognition helps our own success. Praise, like prayer, helps us as it honours God. Our success in all good work depends partly on using our own sword, upon using our arm and making it bare; but it equally depends on our trusting in neither. Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in, etc. Apply the text retrospectively to all success we have had; prospectively to all we hope for, and let us rely upon Gods love, for without that we have no strong confidence. (S. Martin, M. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 3. For they got not the land] Neither by their valour, nor cunning, nor for their merit; yet, they were obliged to fight. But how did they conquer? By the right hand of the Lord, and by his arm; by his strength alone, and the light of his countenance-his favour most manifestly shown unto them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By their own sword, i.e. by their arms or valour.
The light of thy countenance, i.e. thy favour, as the next words explain it; thy gracious and glorious presence, which went along with us.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1-3. This period is that of thesettlement of Canaan (Jos 24:12;Jdg 6:3).
have toldor, “related”(compare Ex 10:2).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword,…. There were many things which show that the possession of the land of Canaan was not of the Israelites themselves, but of the Lord; as their passing over into it through Jordan as on dry land; the manner in which Jericho, the first city of it, was taken, and the smiting of the Israelites by the men of Ai;
neither did their own arm save them; from their enemies, and deliver them into their hands: they were too apt to ascribe things to their own righteousness, merit, and power; but such methods were taken by the Lord as to prevent such attributions to themselves; see De 8:16;
but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance; the mighty power of God, his outstretched arm in their favour, and which arose from his pure good will to them;
because thou hadst a favour unto them; was well pleased, and took delight in them; chose them to be a special people to himself, above all people on the face of the earth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 For they got not possession of the land by their own sword. Here the sacred writer confirms by contrast what he has just said; for if they obtained not possession of the land by their own power and skill, it follows that they were planted in it by the hand of another. The multitude of men who went out of Egypt was very great; but not being trained to the art of war, and accustomed only to servile works, they would soon have been defeated by their enemies, who far excelled them in numbers and strength. In short, there were not wanting evident signs by which the people were made to know as well their own weakness as the power of God; so that it was their bounden duty to confess that the land was not conquered by their own sword, and also, that it was the hand of God which had preserved them. The Psalmist, not content with mentioning thy right hand, adds, thy arm, to amplify the matter, and give greater weight to his discourse, that we may know that they were preserved in a wonderful manner, and not by any ordinary means. The light of thy countenance is here taken, as in other places, for the manifestation of the divine favor. As, on the one hand, when God is afflicting us severely, he seems to frown upon us, and to overshadow his face with thick clouds; so, on the other, when the Israelites, sustained by his power, overthrew their enemies without any great difficulty, and pursued them in every direction far and near, it is said, that then they beheld the face of God serene and placid, just as if he had manifested himself in a visible manner near them. Here it is necessary to observe the mode of reasoning which the prophet employs, when he argues that it is by the free gift of God that the people obtained the land in heritage, seeing they had not acquired it by their own power. We then truly begin to yield to God what belongs to him, when we consider how worthless our own strength is. And certainly, the reason why men, as it were through disdain, conceal and forget the benefits which God has conferred on them, must be owing to a delusive imagination, which leads them to arrogate somewhat to themselves as properly their own. The best means, therefore, of cherishing in us habitually a spirit of gratitude towards God, is to expel from our minds this foolish opinion of our own ability. There is still in the concluding part of the verse another expression, which contains a more illustrious testimony to the grace of God, when the Psalmist resolves the whole into the good pleasure of God: Thou hadst a favor for them. The prophet does not suppose any worthiness in the person of Abraham, nor imagine any desert in his posterity, on account of which God dealt so bountifully with them, but ascribes the whole to the good pleasure of God. His words seem to be taken from the solemn declaration of Moses,
“
The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; (for ye were the fewest of all people;) but because the Lord loved you,” (Deu 7:7.)
Special mention is here made of the land of Canaan; but the prophet has stated the general principle why it was that God vouchsafed to reckon that people for his flock and peculiar heritage. And certainly, the source and origin of the Church is the free love of God; and whatever benefits he bestows upon his Church, they all proceed from the same source. The reason, therefore, why we are gathered into the Church, and are nourished and defended by the hand of God, is only to be sought in God. Nor does the Psalmist here treat of the general benevolence of God, which extends to the whole human race; but he discourses of the difference which exists between the elect and the rest of the world; and the cause of this difference is here referred to the mere good pleasure of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) The light of thy countenance.Notice the contrast to this in Psa. 44:24; in times of distress Gods face seemed hidden or averted.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Because thou hadst a favour unto them The ultimate reason of this favour to Israel was not personal merit, but because they were chosen nationally for certain great purposes of divine wisdom in the historic unfolding of the plan of redemption.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 44:3. The light of thy countenance This expression here seems to signify the special, the majestic presence of God, visibly presiding over the army of the Israelites, by a light shining cloud going before them and conducting them; so that the words here will be best rendered by the light of thy presence, and not by the light of thy countenance; which is the same with God’s favour, the mention whereof follows in the next words, as the ground or reason of this his shining presence, and not as the thing itself.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 44:3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
Ver. 3. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, &c. ] Men are apt to arrogate to themselves, and say, as Luther hath it, Hoc ego feci. I made this, Sesostris, king of Egypt, when he had conquered any country, was wont to set up pillars, and thereupon to engrave these words, This land I got in possession by my own power, he was afterwards slain by his own servants (Herod. lib. 2).
But thy right hand
And the light of thy countenance
Because thou hadst a favour unto them
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
But = For; giving the reason. See Structure above. Hebrew. ki, “for”.
a favour. Compare Deu 4:37; Deu 7:7-8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
For: Deu 4:37, Deu 4:38, Deu 8:17, Deu 8:18, Jos 24:12, Zec 4:6, 2Co 4:7
thy right: Psa 17:7, Psa 20:6, Psa 74:11, Exo 15:16, Isa 63:12
light: Psa 42:5, Psa 42:11, Psa 80:16
because: Num 14:8, Deu 7:7, Deu 7:8, 1Sa 12:22, Mal 1:2, Mal 1:3, Rom 9:10-15
Reciprocal: Gen 14:20 – which Exo 15:6 – right hand Num 21:1 – then Deu 2:36 – not Deu 3:22 – for the Lord Deu 7:1 – the Lord Deu 31:3 – thy God Jos 3:10 – drive out from Jos 8:1 – I have Jos 10:10 – the Lord Jos 10:42 – because Jos 14:12 – if so be Jos 21:43 – General Jos 23:3 – for the Jdg 3:15 – lefthanded Jdg 6:9 – drave them Jdg 8:3 – God 1Sa 25:26 – avenging thyself 1Ch 14:11 – God 1Ch 17:21 – by driving Neh 9:24 – thou subduedst Job 40:14 – that Psa 4:6 – lift Psa 10:16 – heathen Psa 30:7 – by thy Psa 33:16 – no king Psa 78:54 – his right Psa 80:19 – cause Psa 89:15 – in the light Psa 105:44 – gave Psa 118:15 – the right Psa 135:10 – smote Psa 136:21 – General Psa 138:7 – and thy right Psa 144:1 – teacheth Isa 63:5 – mine own Jer 32:23 – possessed Hos 1:7 – by bow Joh 12:38 – the arm
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
44:3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a {f} favour unto them.
(f) God’s free mercy and love is the only fountain and beginning of the Church, De 4:37.