Introduction
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil.
The internal evidence refers the occasion of this psalm to the reign of Hezekiah, and is the counterpart of Psalms 46:0. No other hypothesis is tenable. It was written in a time of great and prolonged trouble. Multitudes of the northern and eastern tribes had been carried into captivity, Psalms 44:11-13. The kingdom of Israel, though crushed and bleeding, and its extinction threatened, was yet in existence, with a hope of success in the pending struggle if they returned to God, Psalms 44:4-8. The kingdom of Judah, which had also suffered greatly, was at this time faithful, and the judgments were not to them a punishment for present defection from the law of Moses, Psalms 44:17-21. The distress is not treated by the author as local, but general to the whole Hebrew family, (Psalms 44:11; Psalms 44:22;) and the enemy was insolent and blasphemous, Psalms 44:16. Now if the reader will compare the effects of the Israelitish-Syrian war, (2 Chronicles 28:1-15,) in the reign of Ahaz, preceding that of Hezekiah the invasion and re-subjugation of the kingdom of Israel in the beginning of the reign of Hoshea, (2 Kings 17:3) the pious but abortive attempt of Hezekiah to rouse and reclaim it (2 Chronicles 30:1-12) the final invasion of Shalmaneser and the overthrow of the kingdom of Israel, (2 Kings 17:4, seq.,) and the invasion of the kingdom of Judah by Sennacherib, eight years later, (2 Kings 18:13-37, and chapter 19, and Isaiah 36, 38,) he will find all the conditions fully and literally met for the above probable date of the psalm.
The argument of the psalm naturally falls into five divisions. In the midst of the perils and devastations of war the poet reverts to God’s ancient care and protection of his people, and how he fought their battles and gave them the land, Psalms 44:1-3. By this he is inspired still to confess God as the deliverer of Israel, and to hope for success, Psalms 44:4-8. But the land is wasted, the people are in distress and reproach, and many are already sent into exile, Psalms 44:9-16. Yet have they not forgotten God, nor dealt falsely in his covenant, Psalms 44:17-22. The psalmist, therefore, calls loudly upon God to awake for their help, Psalms 44:23-26. Thus we have a reminiscence, a profession of trust, a complaint, an avowal of fidelity, and an earnest and plaintive prayer.
TITLE: See note on title of Psalms 43:0
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