Psalms 74:3

3 Hurry your steps to these endless ruins, to the sanctuary devastated by the enemy.

Psalms 74:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 74:3

Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations
That is, arise, hasten, move swiftly, and in the greatness of strength, and come and see the desolations made by the enemy, which look as if they would remain for ever; meaning either the desolations made in the city and temple of Jerusalem, either by Nebuchadnezzar, or by Titus; or the havocs and devastations made in the church of God by the tyranny and persecutions of antichrist; which have continued so long, that an end of them has been almost despaired of. So Jacob is said to "lift up his feet"; which we render went on his way, ( Genesis 29:1 ) . Some take these words in a different sense, as a prayer for the destruction of the church's enemies; so the Targum,

``lift up thy feet or goings, to make desolate the nations for ever;''

and Kimchi makes but one sentence of this and the following clause, and reads it thus,

``lift up thy feet, to make desolate for ever every enemy that does wickedly in the sanctuary:''

but the accent "athnach", which divides propositions, and is upon the word (xun) , forbids such a reading. The former sense is best, and most agreeable to the context;

even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary;
by profaning and destroying the temple, as did Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus, and Titus; or by antichrist sitting in the temple and church of God, setting up idolatrous worship in it, and blaspheming the tabernacle of God, and those that dwell therein, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ) ( Revelation 13:6 ) .

Psalms 74:3 In-Context

1 A maskil of Asaf: Why have you rejected us forever, God, with your anger smoking against the sheep you once pastured?
2 Remember your community, which you acquired long ago, the tribe you redeemed to be your very own. Remember Mount Tziyon, where you came to live.
3 Hurry your steps to these endless ruins, to the sanctuary devastated by the enemy.
4 The roar of your foes filled your meeting-place; they raised their own banners as a sign of their conquest.
5 The place seemed like a thicket of trees when lumbermen hack away with their axes.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.