Psalm 74:12-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 74:12-17

The lamenting church fastens upon something here which she calls to mind, and therefore hath she hope (as Lam. 3:21), with which she encourages herself and silences her own complaints. Two things quiet the minds of those that are here sorrowing for the solemn assembly:? I. That God is the God of Israel, a God in covenant with his people (Ps. 74:12): God is my King of old. This comes in both as a plea in prayer to God (Ps. 44:4; thou art my King, O God!) and as a prop to their own faith and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 74:12

For God is my King of old ,.... Or "but God", or "verily God", &c.; F4 ואלהים "atqui Deus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "at Deus" Vatablus, Cocceius; "equidem", Tigurine version; "certe", Schmidt. ; for these words contain the church's consolation under all the above melancholy circumstances, taken from what God was, and had been to her, even Christ, who is God over all; he was her King by the constitution and designation of his Father, and so he had been of old, even from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 74:13

Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength ,.... This and the following instances from hence to Psalm 74:18 are proofs of God's working salvation in the midst of the earth; some of them seem peculiar to the people of Israel, and others are benefits common to mankind in general; which the church makes use of to encourage her faith and hope, in expectation of salvation, and deliverance out of her present distressed and melancholy circumstances. This seems to refer to the Lord's dividing of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 74:14

Thou breakest the heads of leviathan in pieces ,.... A large fish, generally thought to be the whale, by some the crocodile, described in Job 41:1 to which the king of Egypt or Babylon is compared, Isaiah 27:1 and so the Romish antichrist in one of his characters is represented as a sea beast with many heads, which will all be broken in pieces in due time, Revelation 13:1 , as here is one "leviathan" with heads in the plural number. Aben Ezra thinks the word כל is wanting, and may be... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 74:12

For God is my King of old - We have always acknowledged thee as our sovereign; and thou hast reigned as a king in the midst of our land, dispensing salvation and deliverance from the center to every part of the circumference. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 74:13

Thou didst divide the sea - When our fathers came from Egypt. Thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters - Pharaoh, his captains, and all his hosts were drowned in the Red Sea, when attempting to pursue them. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 74:14

The heads of leviathan - Leviathan might be intended here as a personification of the Egypttan government; and its heads, Pharaoh and his chief captains. To the people inhabiting the wilderness - Probably meaning the birds and beasts of prey. These were the people of the wilderness, which fed on the dead bodies of the Egyptians, which the tides had cast ashore. The Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic read, "Thou hast given him for meat to the Ethiopians," or Abyssinians. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 74:12

Verse 12 12.But God is my King from the beginning. In this verse, as we have often seen to be the case in other places, the people of God intermingle meditations with their prayers, thereby to acquire renewed vigor to their faith, and to stir up themselves to greater earnestness in the duty of prayer. We know how difficult it is to rise above all doubts, and boldly to persevere in a free and unrestrained course of prayer. Here, then, the faithful call to remembrance the proofs of God’s mercy... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 74:13

Verse 13 13.Thou hast divided the sea by thy power. The prophet now collects together certain kinds of deliverances highly worthy of remembrance; all of them, however, belonging to the first deliverance by which God emancipated his people from the tyranny of Egypt. We will find him afterwards descending to the general commendation of the goodness of God which is diffused through the whole world. Thus from the special grace which God vouchsafes to his Church, he passes on to speak of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 74:1-23

In favour of the first is the ascription of the psalm in the "title" to Asaph. But all other considerations are against it. There is no evidence that Shishak ever entered Jerusalem. He certainly did not break down the carved work of the temple, or set the temple on fire, much less "cast it down to the ground." His invasion was a mere raid, and Rehoboam seems to have bought his retreat by the sacrifice of the temple treasury ( 2 Kings 14:25-28 ; 2 Chronicles 12:2-12 ). The circumstances... read more

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