1 A Psalme to give instruction, committed to Asaph. O God, why hast thou put vs away for euer? why is thy wrath kindled against the sheepe of thy pasture?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Wherefore have You repelled us, O God, unto the end?" [Psalm 74:1]. "Have repelled unto the end," in the person of the congregation which is properly called Synagogue. "Wherefore have You repelled us, O God, unto the end?" He censures not, but inquires "wherefore," for what purpose, because of what have You done this? What have You done?
2 Thinke vpon thy Congregation, which thou hast possessed of olde, and on the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Remember Thou Thy congregation, which Thou hast possessed from the beginning" (ver. 2). Can this by any means be the voice of the Gentiles? Hath He possessed the Gentiles from the beginning?
3 Lift vp thy strokes, that thou mayest for euer destroy euery enemie that doeth euill to the Sanctuarie.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Lift up Thine hand upon their pride at the end" (ver. 3). As Thou didst repel us at the end, so "lift up Thine hand upon the pride of them at the end." The pride of whom? Of those by whom Jerusalem was overthrown. But by whom was it, but by the kings of the Gentiles? Well was the hand of Him lifted up upon the pride of them at the end: for they too have now known Christ.
4 Thine aduersaries roare in the middes of thy Congregation, and set vp their banners for signes.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And all they have boasted, that hate You" [Psalm 74:4]. Observe the servants of demons, the servants of idols: such as at that time the Gentiles were, when they overthrew the temple and city of God, "and they boasted." "In the midst of Your festival." Remember what I said, that Jerusalem was overthrown at the time when the very festival was being celebrated: at which festival…
5 He that lifted the axes vpon the thicke trees, was renowmed, as one, that brought a thing to perfection:
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "They have set signs, their own signs, and they have not known" [Psalm 74:5]. They had signs to place there, their standards, their eagles, their own dragons, the Roman signs; or even their statues which at first in the temple they placed; or perchance "their signs" are the things which they heard from the prophets of their demons.
6 But nowe they breake downe the carued worke thereof with axes and hammers.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Now let us hasten over the verses following after the destruction of Jerusalem, for the reason that they are both evident, and it does not please me to tarry over the punishment even of enemies. "As if in a forest of trees with axes, they have cut down the doors thereof at once; with mattock and hammer they have thrown Her down" [Psalm 74:6].
7 They haue cast thy Sanctuarie into the fire, and rased it to the grounde, and haue defiled the dwelling place of thy Name.
8 They saide in their hearts, Let vs destroy them altogether: they haue burnt all the Synagogues of God in the land.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "They have said in their heart (the kindred of them is in one)"— Have said what? "Come ye, let us suppress the solemnities of the Lord from the land" [Psalm 74:8]. "Of the Lord," has been inserted in the person of this man, that is, in the person of Asaph. For they raging would not have called Him the Lord whose temple they were overthrowing.
9 We see not our signes: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with vs that knoweth howe long.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Let us see therefore in this place now the understanding of Asaph, let us see if he profiteth by tribulation. Observe what he saith: "Our signs we have not seen, no longer is there prophet, and us He will not know as yet" (ver. 9).
10 O God, howe long shall the aduersarie reproche thee? shall the enemie blaspheme thy Name for euer?
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "How long, O God, shall the enemy revile?" [Psalm 74:10]. Cry out as if forsaken, as if deserted: cry out like a sick man, who hast chosen rather to smite the physician than to be made whole: not as yet does He know you. See what He has done, who does not know you as yet.
11 Why withdrawest thou thine hand, euen thy right hand? drawe it out of thy bosome, and consume them.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Why do You turn away Your hand, and Your right hand from the midst of Your bosom unto the end?" [Psalm 74:11]. Again, another sign which was given to Moses. For in like manner as above from the rod was a sign, so also from the right hand now.
12 Euen God is my King of olde, working saluation in the middes of the earth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Asaph hath understood, because on the Title of the Psalm there is, "understanding of Asaph." And what saith he? "But God, our King before the worlds, hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth" (ver. 12).
Cassiodorus · AD 585 "You strengthened the sea in your power; you crushed the heads of dragons on the waters." And truly it would show what he said earlier—namely, that the Lord the Savior was king before the ages, who deigned to suffer for us, so that he would destroy death by dying, bestow freedom to the captives and recompense to the guilty—so he repeats the miracles which he had once done among…
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Christ was such a Center in His crucifixion. "God is our king before ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth." The earth is clearly the center, and hence it is the lowest, and of modest size; and because the lowest and of modest size, it receives all the heavenly influences, and brings forth a marvelous multiplication of beings.
13 Thou didest deuide the sea by thy power: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Perhaps my Savior becomes a roe according to contemplation (θεωρία), a hart according to works. And what are these works? He himself slays serpents, when he cuts the throats of the opposing powers. Therefore I will say to him: You have crushed the heads of the dragons upon the water.
Jerome · AD 420 [Daniel 7:2-3] "And during the night I saw in my vision, and behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea, and four great beasts were coming up out of the sea, differing from one another." The four winds of heaven I suppose to have been angelic powers to whom the principalities have been committed, in accordance with what we read in Deuteronomy: "When the Most Hig…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Now therefore, O Asaph, amend yourself according to your understanding, tell us what sort of Salvation God has wrought in the midst of the earth. When that earthly Salvation of yours was overthrown, what did He do, what did He promise? "You confirmed in Your virtue the sea" [Psalm 74:13].
14 Thou brakest the head of Liuiathan in pieces, and gauest him to be meate for the people in wildernesse.
Cyril of Jerusalem · AD 386 Jesus sanctified Baptism by being Himself baptized. If the Son of God was baptized, what godly man is he that despiseth Baptism? But He was baptized not that He might receive remission of sins, for He was sinless; but being sinless, He was baptized, that He might give to them that are baptized a divine and excellent grace.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 What more after the heads of dragons? For those dragons have their chief, and he is himself the first great dragon. And concerning him what hath He done that hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth? Hear: "Thou hast broken the head of the dragon" (ver. 14). Of what dragon?
15 Thou brakest vp the fountaine and riuer: thou dryedst vp mightie riuers.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "You have dried up the rivers of Etham" [Psalm 74:15]....What is Etham? For the word is Hebrew. What is Etham interpreted? Strong, stout. Who is this strong and stout one, whose rivers God dries up? Who but that very dragon?
16 The day is thine, and the night is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sunne.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Your own is the day and Your own is the night" [Psalm 74:16]. Who is ignorant of this, seeing that He has Himself made all these things; for by the Word were made all things?
Desert Fathers · AD 500 A brother asked one of the hermits, 'If I happen to over-sleep, and am late for the hour of prayer, I am ashamed that others will hear me praying so late, and so I become reluctant to keep the rule of prayer.' He said, 'If ever you oversleep in the morning, get up when you wake, shut the door and the windows, and say your psalms.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Thou hast made all the ends of the earth" (ver. 17). ...Behold in what manner He hath made the ends of the earth, that hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth. "Thou hast made all the ends of the earth. Summer and spring Thou hast made them." Men fervent in the Spirit are the summer.
18 Remember this, that the enemie hath reproched the Lord, and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Mindful be Thou of this Thy creature" (ver. 18). Of what creature of Thine? "The enemy hath reviled the Lord." O Asaph, grieve over thine old blindness in understanding: "the enemy hath reviled the Lord." It was said to Christ in His own nation, "a sinner is this Man: we know not whence He is:" we know Moses, to him spake God; this Man is a Samaritan.
19 Giue not the soule of thy turtle doue vnto the beast, and forget not the Congregation of thy poore for euer.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But what sayest thou, O Asaph, now in understanding? "Deliver not to the beasts a soul confessing to Thee" (ver. 19). ...To what beasts, save to those the heads whereof were broken in pieces upon the water? For the same devil is called, beast, lion, and dragon. Do not, he saith, give to the Devil and his Angels a soul confessing to Thee.
20 Consider thy couenant: for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of the cruell.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Have regard unto Thy Testament" (ver. 20). Fulfil that which Thou hast promised: the tables we have, for the inheritance we are looking.
21 Oh let not the oppressed returne ashamed, but let the poore and needie prayse thy Name.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let not the humble man be turned away confounded" (ver. 21). For them pride hath confounded. "The needy and helpless man shall praise Thy name." Ye see, brethren, how sweet ought to be poverty: ye see that poor and helpless men belong to God, but "poor in spirit, for of them is the Kingdom of Heaven." Who are the poor in spirit?
22 Arise, O God: mainteine thine owne cause: remember thy dayly reproche by the foolish man.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Arise, O Lord, judge Thou my cause" [Psalm 74:22]....Because I am not able to show my God, as if I were following an empty thing, they revile me. And not only Heathen, or Jew, or heretic; but sometimes even a Catholic brother does make a grimace when the promises of God are being preached, when a future resurrection is being foretold.
23 Forget not the voyce of thine enemies: for the tumult of them, that rise against thee, ascendeth continually.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Forget not the voice of them that implore You" [Psalm 74:23]. While they groan for and expect now that which You have promised from the New Testament, and walk by that same Faith, "do Thou not forget the voice of them imploring You." But those still say, "Where is Your God? Let the pride of them that hate You come up always to You." Do not forget even their pride.
Cassiodorus · AD 585 Next comes "May the haughtiness of those who hate you always ascend to you." We note that this has been aptly spoken concerning the Romans, about whom he says earlier, "In the middle of your hall they have placed their standards," in order to move the Almighty Judge most vehemently against the enemies of Jerusalem.