Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 74:23
Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
23. thine enemies ] Thine adversaries, as in Psa 74:4.
increaseth ] Rather, ascendeth (R.V.), to heaven, challenging Thee to act. Cp. Isa 37:29.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Forget not the voice of thine enemies – The voice of thine enemies clamoring for the destruction of thy people. Compare Psa 137:7. The prayer is, that God would bring deserved chastisement upon them for their purposes and their aims against his people. It is not necessarily a prayer for vengeance; it is a prayer for just retribution.
The tumult of those that rise up against thee – Of those that make war on thee, and on thy people. The word tumult here means clamor or shout – as the shout of battle. The reference is to the movement of a host pressing on to conquest, encouraging and exciting each other, and endeavoring to intimidate their enemies by the loud clamor of the war-cry. It is a description of what had occurred among the main events referred to in the psalm, when the enemy came in to lay waste the capital, and to spread desolation throughout the land.
Increaseth continually – Margin, as in Hebrew, Ascendeth. That is, it seems to go up; it is the swelling clamor of a great multitude of warriors intent on conquest. A cry or clamor thus seems to swell or rise on the air, and (as it were) to ascend to God. The prayer here is, that God would regard that cry, not in the sense that he would grant them the fulfillment of their wishes, but in the sense that he would recompense them as they deserved. It is in this sense that the clamors of the wicked ascend to heaven – in this sense that God will regard them, as if they were a prayer for just retribution.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. Forget not the voice] While we pray to thee for our own salvation, we call upon thee to vindicate thy injured honour: and let all the nations see that thou lovest thy followers, and hatest those who are thy enemies. Let not man prevail against thee or thine.
ANALYSIS OF THE SEVENTY-FOURTH PSALM
This Psalm divides itself into two parts: –
I. The Psalmist’s complaint, Ps 74:1-10.
II. His prayer, Ps 74:10-23.
Both the complaint and petition are summarily comprised in the three first verses; and afterwards amplified throughout the Psalm.
I. He expostulates with God about their calamity.
1. From the author of it: “Thou, O God.”
2. From the extremity of it: “Cast us not off.”
3. From the duration of it: “For ever.”
4. From the cause: “Thy anger smokes against us.”
5. From the object of it: “The sheep of thy pasture.”
To his complaint he subjoins his petition; in which every word has the strength of an argument.
1. “Remember thy congregation:” Thy chosen people.
2. “Whom thou hast purchased: ” By a mighty hand from Pharaoh.
3. “Of old:” Thy people ever since thy covenant with Abraham.
4. “The rod of thine inheritance;” dwelling in that land which thou didst measure out to them.
5. “Whom thou hast redeemed:” From the Canaanites, c.
6. “This Mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt:” Where we gave thee the worship which belonged to the true God and thou wert pleased with our sacrifices and services. Remember this people, and all these engagements; and “cast us not off for ever.”
7. Lift up thy feet:” Consider thy own dishonour; they are thy enemies as well as ours. See what they have done against thee, thy temple, thy ordinances. Look at their blasphemies, and avenge the quarrel of thy covenant, Ps 74:3-11.
Consider what thou hast done for our fore-fathers.
1. Thou hast been long our King and Deliverer. See the proofs, Ps 74:12-16.
2. Thy general providence respects all men. Thou hast given them light; the sun and moon, the vicissitude of seasons, c., Ps 74:16-17.
II. The psalmist’s prayer: –
1. That God would remember the reproaches of his enemies, Ps 74:18.
2. That he would deliver the souls of his children, Ps 74:19.
3. That he would not forget “the congregation of the poor,” Ps 74:19.
4. That he would remember his covenant with Abram, to make them an innumerable people, and a blessing to all mankind, Ps 74:20.
5. That, when they did return, they might not be a diminished people for their enemies were determined to destroy them, Ps 74:21.
6. That they might be led from all considerations to praise his name, Ps 74:21.
At the conclusion he urges his petition: –
1. “Arise, – plead thine own cause.”
2. “Remember the foolish.”
3. “Forget not thine enemies.”
4. They make a tumult, and their partisans daily increase, Ps 74:22-23.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The voice; their insulting and reproachful expressions against time, as well as against us.
The tumult, i.e. the tumultuous noise of the loud clamours.
Increaseth, Heb. ascendeth, to wit, into heaven, being either directed thither by them; their mouth being set against heaven, as theirs was, Psa 73:9; or at least being perceived there by God, whose ears were pierced with the loud cry of their sins. See Gen 4:10; 18:20. Or ascending may be here put for increasing, as it is Isa 55:13; Jer 46:7. So the sense is, They grow worse and worse, encouraging and hardening themselves in their wicked courses by their continual success and prosperity, and by thy patience extended to them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Forget not the voice of thine enemies,…. Their roaring in the midst of the sanctuary and the congregation, Ps 74:4, their reproaching and blaspheming voice, Ps 74:10,
the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually, or “ascendeth” i; goes up to God, and is taken notice of by him; the cry of their sins, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the city of Nineveh, Ge 18:20, was continually going up to God; wherefore it might be hoped and expected that vengeance in a little time would come down; see Re 18:5, the Septuagint, and the versions that follow that, render it, “the pride of those”, c. all these petitions are prayers of faith, and are, or will be, heard and answered upon which will follow thanksgivings, with which the next psalm begins.
i “ascendens semper”, Montanus; “ascendit semper”, V. L. Musculus, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
REFLECTIONS
READER, behold in this Psalm, the best and strongest arguments for the church to plead in sad times, namely, God’s great name, and the security of his own honour in the salvation by Jesus. Let the enemies of the church seem to triumph as they may, with a high hand; and though they but too often derive success to their cause from the unworthiness and backsliding of the Lord’s people; yet their triumph is short, and the church’s down-falling not long to be continued; God will be gracious for his name’s sake, and will make his mighty power to be known. The Lord will have respect unto his covenant: God hath taken his people into covenant relations with himself; he hath received a ransom for their deliverance, from their glorious Surety; he hath engaged for their salvation; and he will fulfil it. Oh! precious consideration, amidst all the Pharaohs of the present hour, and all the remains of indwelling corruption, under which the people of God groan.
Precious Lord Jesus! it was thou that didst break the head of Leviathan in pieces! It was thou that didst divide the sea before thy people, to make thyself a glorious name! It was thou that didst supply thy people through all the wilderness dispensation, in cleaving the hard rock, and in drying up mighty waters! Oh! do thou now, blessed Jesus, perform all that is needful for thy redeemed: for thou art the same Jesus yesterday, and today, and forever. Break down, and break through, all the power of the enemy, and make thy people more than conquerors, through thy grace helping them. Be thou, Lord, the all in all to them in every situation and circumstance; for then thy poor and thy needy will never go away ashamed, but will sing aloud praises to thy name.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 74:23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
Ver. 23. The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth daily ] Heb. ascendeth, viz. up to heaven, as Joh 1:2 , there is no ho with them. Mundi laetitia est impunita nequitia, If the Lord take them not a link lower, as we say, they will grow intolerably insolent.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
To the chief Musician. See App-64. Al-taschith = Destroy not. See App-65.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Forget: Psa 10:11, Psa 10:12, Psa 13:1
tumult: Psa 74:4, Psa 2:1, Psa 2:2, Isa 37:29, Lam 2:16, Rev 17:14
increaseth: Heb. ascendeth, Jon 1:2
Reciprocal: 2Ki 19:6 – the servants 2Ki 19:22 – Whom 2Ki 19:28 – thy tumult Psa 7:9 – Oh Psa 9:19 – Arise Psa 44:16 – For the Psa 44:24 – forgettest Psa 83:2 – lo Psa 139:20 – for they speak Isa 37:23 – Whom hast Isa 52:5 – my name Lam 1:9 – for Eze 36:6 – General 2Th 1:6 – General