Psalm 44, Awake, O Lord!

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil

This song, a "maskil", comes from the Sons of Korah. This is one of at thirteens psalms with this attribute.

Psalm 44: 1-3, Days long ago

We have heard with our ears, O God; 

our fathers have told us what you did in their days, 

in days long ago.

 With your hand you drove out the nations 

and planted our fathers; 

you crushed the peoples 

and made our fathers flourish.

 It was not by their sword that they won the land, 

nor did their arm bring them victory; 

it was your right hand, your arm, 

and the light of your face, 

for you loved them.

The psalm begins with a review of God's mighty work in the old days, when he pulled them out of Egypt or gave them victory in Canaan. The psalmist, looking back to the Exodus or the time of the judges, resolves to trust in God alone.

Psalm 44: 4-8, "I do not trust my bow"

 You are my King and my God, 

who decrees victories forJacob.

 Through you we push back our enemies; 

through your name we trample our foes.

 I do not trust in my bow, 

my sword does not bring me victory;

 but you give us victory over our enemies, 

you put our adversaries to shame.

 In God we make our boast all day long, 

and we will praise your name forever.

Selah

In current times, the psalmists still relies on God and not their own weapons. Motyer suggests that this passage is antiphonal, with the king speakings verses 4 and 6 and the people speaking verses 5 and 7.  Then both king and people respond with the last verse of devotion to God.

Psalm 44: 9-16, Disgrace

 But now you have rejected and humbled us; 

you no longer go out with our armies.

 You made us retreat before the enemy,

 and our adversarie shave plundered us.

 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep

and have scattered us among the nations.

 You sold your people for a pittance, 

gaining nothing from their sale.

 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, 

the scorn and derision of those around us.

 You have made us a byword among the nations; 

the peoples shake their heads at us.

 My disgrace is before me all day long,

 and my face is covered with shame

 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, 

because of the enemy, 

who is bent on revenge.

But things have changed!  Despite their trust in God, they are defeated, plundered, disgraced.  

The psalmist argues that God has gained nothing by selling His people away so cheaply. 

Psalm 44: 17-19, "We did not forget you!"

 All this happened to us,

though we had not forgotten you 

or been false to your covenant.

 Our hearts had not turned back; 

our feet had not strayed from your path.

 But you crushed us 

and made us a haunt for jackals 

and covered us over with deep darkness.

In this passage the psalmist pleads the innocence of his people.  They have not turned away from God, yet they have been defeated! These are the complaints of one who has watched Israel in a time where the nation does seem to be following the law and sacrifices. (This complaint is from a time before the Babylonian captivity; it is not the complaint of a captive in Babylon who recognizes his country's defeat as just punishment.)

Psalm 44: 20-22, Sheep to be slaughtered

 If we had forgotten the name of our God 

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

 would not God have discovered it, 

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; 

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

In verse 20, the Hebrew word tannim is translated "jackals" by the NIV but Strong's concordance routinely translates this word as "dragons". Alter's translation has "sea monster", a mythological creature hiding deep in the darkness of the wild sea.

The Christian apostle Paul cites this last verse in his letter to the Romans (Romans 8: 31-39) where he claims that these common defeats are embedded in a much larger victory.

Psalm 44: 23-26, "Awake!"

 Awake, O Lord! 

Why do you sleep? 

Rouse yourself! 

Do not reject us forever.

 Why do you hide your face 

and forget our misery and oppression?

 We are brought down to the dust; 

our bodies cling to the ground.

 Rise up and help us; 

redeem us because of your unfailing love.

In this plaintive cry, the psalmist pleads for God to awake, rise up, protect His people as he had done in olden times.