Psalms 44 · The Lantern

To the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. A maskil. God, with our ears we have heard; our fathers have recounted to us the work you worked in their days, in the days of old.

Listen to this, all you who are heedless of your children, who ignore their singing diabolical songs, while you pay no attention to the divine stories. Those people were not like that; on the contrary, they passed their life without interruption in stories of God's great deeds and achieved a double advantage.

"O God, we have heard with our ears; our fathers have told us the work that You did in their days, and in the days of old" [Psalm 44:1].

Above, the Psalmist showed his desire for God; here, however, he proceeds to pray against the affliction of the whole people. The title: "Unto the end, a Psalm for the sons of Korah, unto understanding." The sons of Korah are the sons of the Passion of Christ; and these are properly the martyrs, because they imitate Christ. 1 Pet. 2: "Christ suffered for us," etc.

Redeem Us, O God

You with your hand dispossessed nations and planted them; you broke peoples and sent them out.

So which triumphs is he recalling? Which successes? Some in Egypt, some in the desert, some in the land of promise, but especially those in the promised land.… They had no need of weapons; instead, they captured cities by a mere shout, and crossing the Jordan they overran the first city that stood in their way, Jericho, as though by dancing rather than fighting.

You, O Lord, he is saying, drove out from here the Canaanites along with the other nations, settling our ancestors in their place: it was not by trusting in strength or depending on armor that they emerged stronger that such people, but led by your grace they felled some and took others into slavery, since you accorded them a special relationship with you—the meaning of "you to…

"Your hand." Here he sets forth the benefit itself. Second he sets forth the order of the benefit, and the cause of the benefit. In the benefit we consider the work and the fruit of the work. The work of divine power is that he drove out the nations before them; hence he says, "Your hand," that is, your power.

For not by their sword did they inherit the land, and their arm did not save them; but your right hand and your arm and the light of your face, for you were pleased with them.

Our ancestors, as heirs and next of kin of the patriarchs, were planted in the promised land. They did not gain this by any merits of their own. It was not Moses who led them in, for fear they should attribute it to the Law and not to grace. For the Law examines our merits; but grace looks to faith.

"For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your countenance" [Psalm 44:3]. Your "right hand" is Your Power: Your "arm" is Your Son Himself.

"For not by their own sword did they possess the land." Here is set forth the cause of the benefit. And first he excludes the supposed cause; second he sets forth the true cause. The supposed cause could be the strength of the people, that they had driven them out; and therefore, removing this, he says, "Not by their own sword," etc.

You are he, my King, God; command the salvations of Jacob.

"What? Was He then other than now He is?" Away with the supposition. For what follows? "You are Yourself my King and my God." [Psalm 44:4]. "You are Yourself;" for You are not changed. I see that the times are changed; but the Creator of times is unchanged. "You are Yourself my King and my God." You are wont to guide me: to govern me, to save me.

You are the same even now, Lord, he is saying, ruling in similar fashion, overpowering in a similar fashion, exercising the same force, your nature undergoing no change. For you simply a word suffices for salvation: give the nod, and the people will enjoy it.

"You yourself are." Here is set forth the hope he has for a greater benefit, which arises from hope in God himself. And therefore he does three things. First he proposes the cause of hope; second, confidence, at "Through you we shall push back our enemies"; third, thanksgiving, at "In God we shall glory." Concerning the first he does three things.

Through you we push down our foes; through your name we trample those who rise against us.

But perhaps it is only what is past that has been described to us: but nothing of the kind is to be hoped for by us for the future. Nay indeed, it is still to be hoped for. "Through Thee will we winnow away our enemies" (ver. 5).

In the Scriptures it is often the custom for horns to designate the eminence of faith and of the virtues with which we ought to strike out against and overcome the hostile advances of our ancient enemy, joining the prophet in saying to the Lord, "Through you we will fight against our enemies with the horn."

"Through you we shall push back our enemies." Here he sets forth the confidence he has in God. And first he proposes what he hopes; second he shows that he attributes this to God; third he sets forth the cause.

For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not save me.

For you have saved us from our foes, and those who hate us you have put to shame.

In God we have boasted all the day, and your name we will give thanks to forever. Selah.

The rich glory in their wealth; the luxurious in their dinner parties; the impure glory in night and darkness; the powerful glory in this life that has nights. But the just does not glory in this life but in the Lord God whom he strives to please in all that he does.

"In God will we boast all the day long" [Psalm 44:8]. Observe how he intermingles words expressive of a future time, that you may perceive that what was spoken of before as in past time was foretold of future times. "In God will we boast all day long; and in Thy name will we confess for ever." What is, "We shall boast"? What, "We shall confess"?

"In God." Here thanksgiving is set forth. And first he sets forth the praise by which they themselves shall be praised. Second he sets forth the praise by which they themselves shall praise. For in the first they shall both praise and be praised; therefore he says, "all the day," that is, for eternity. And this praise is holy, because it is not in themselves but in God. Jer.

Yet you have rejected and humiliated us, and you do not go out with our armies.

You make us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have plundered for themselves.

One who is carried off by people is not necessarily conquered. Take, for example, Paul. He rejoices in his sufferings. He glories in being let out through a window and lowered in a basket. Look at holy Jeremiah, holy Ezekiel, holy Daniel. These were led into captivity and plundered by the Assyrians. But their own personal faith was never taken captive.

"You have turned us away backward in presence of our enemies" [Psalm 44:10], so that they are, as it were, before; we, behind; they are counted as conquerors, we as conquered. "And they which hate us spoiled for themselves." What did they "spoil" but ourselves?

"You have turned us back." Here is set forth the order of the adversity of holy men, with respect to two things: namely, with respect to the consolation they do not have, and with respect to the affliction they suffer. Men who go to battle flee, are captured, are killed, are scattered, and are sold.

You give us like sheep for food, and among the nations you have scattered us.

What is the meaning of "like sheep for slaughter"? Making us vulnerable to attack, presenting us as insignificant. Some sheep, you see, those suited to breeding are for purchase; others, … whether from age or sterility, are useful only for eating.

"You have given us like sheep appointed for meat, and hast scattered us among the nations" [Psalm 44:11]. We have been "devoured" by "the nations." Those persons are meant, who, through their sufferings, have by process of assimilation, becomes part of the "body" of the Gentile world. For the Church mourns over them, as over members of her body, that have been devoured.

As to the third he says, "We have been made a reproach," and this because they killed us bodily. As to the fourth he says, "And among the nations you have scattered us," because literally this happened to the Jews. Deut. 28: "You shall be scattered to every wind," etc. Similarly, the holy martyrs were scattered.

You sell your people for no wealth, and you did not increase by their price.

It is our custom, remember, to give away even without cost things that are worthless and insignificant, whereas what we put great store by we sell at a high price, should we sell at all, but make available even gratis what we put little store by.… Now, if disposing of something below cost demonstrates its lack of value, much more so to take nothing for it, no charge.

"You have sold Your people for no price" [Psalm 44:12]. For we see whom You have made over; what You have received, we have not seen. "And there was no multitude in their jubilees." For when the Christians were flying before the pursuit of enemies, who were idolaters, were there then held any congregations and "jubilees" to the honour of God?

As to the fifth he says, "You have sold your people for no price," because the martyrs were killed for no price, that is, no great price. In this it is shown that they were held as worthless. Is.

You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us.

You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

All the day my humiliation is before me, and the shame of my face has covered me,

at the voice of the one who reproaches and reviles, before the enemy and the avenger.

All this has come upon us, and we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant.

Our heart has not turned back, and our steps have not swerved from your path,

though you have crushed us in the place of jackals and covered us over with the shadow of death.

If we had forgotten the name of our God and spread out our hands to a strange god,

would not God search this out? For he knows the hidden things of the heart.

To judge rashly of the secrets of another's heart is sin; and it is unjust to reprove him on suspicion whose works seem not other than good, since God alone is Judge of those things that are unknown to people. He alone "knows the secrets of the heart," and not another.

"Shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart" (ver. 21). He "knows," and yet He "searches them out"? If He knows the secrets of the heart, what do the words, "Shall not God search it out," do there? He "knows" it in Himself; He "searches it out" for our sakes.

And if we have done these things, the judgment of God will seek it out. And the judgment of God is sufficient for seeking this out; hence he says, "Shall not God search out these things?" As if to say: indeed he will, because he knows all things. Hence it follows, "For he knows the hidden things of the heart." Jer.

But for your sake we are killed all the day; we are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?

"For, for Your sake we are killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter" [Psalm 44:22]. For you may see a man being put to death; you do not know why he is being put to death. God knows this. The thing in itself is hid.

Likewise he proves this through a clear sign, because if they had wished to withdraw, the saints would suffer no evils in this world, as they now suffer. And first he sets forth the reason why they suffer, because the cause makes the martyr; and therefore he says, "For your sake we are put to death all the day long." 1 Pet.

Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

Why do you hide your face and forget our affliction and our oppression?

We cannot see God's face. But there is a place where, by faith, God shows himself to us. The place is with God; and if we were to stand on the rock—that is, in awareness of this flesh and in firmness of faith—we will see as much as can be allowed to us to see. We cannot see the fullness, but we can, in a certain sense, drink in some remnant of his light.

"Wherefore hidest Thou Your face:" as if You were not present; as if you had forgotten us? "And forgettest our misery and trouble?" [Psalm 44:24].

"Why do you turn away your face?" The defect of knowledge happens in two ways: either because he does not see, and therefore he says, "You turn away." When God helps, he seems to look upon us; when he does not, he seems to turn away. Ex. 3: "Seeing I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt," etc. Ps.

For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the earth.

Rise as a help for us, and redeem us for the sake of your loyal love.

If we are judged unworthy of gaining mercy for all these things mentioned, he is saying, nevertheless be faithful to yourself; Lord, on account of your name conferred on us, free us from the enemy.

"Arise, O Lord, help us" [Psalm 44:26]. And indeed, dearly beloved, He has arisen and helped us. For when he awoke (i.e. when He arose again, and became known to the Gentiles) on the cessation of persecutions, even those who had cleaved to the earth were raised up from the earth, and on performing penance, have been restored to Christ's body, feeble and imperfect though they we…

Against his forgetting he says, "Help us." Against his sleeping he says, "Arise." Against the evils he says, "And redeem us for the sake of your name."

Psalms44

Redeem Us, O God