Psalms 79:5

5 How long do we have to put up with this, God? Do you have it in for us for good? Will your smoldering rage never cool down?

Psalms 79:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 79:5

How long, Lord, wilt thou be angry? for ever?
&c.] That is, how long wilt thou be angry? shall it be for ever? see ( Psalms 85:4 Psalms 85:5 ) , for though what was done, or to be done, as before related, was or will be done by the enemies of the Lord's people, yet by his permission, and as a token of his anger and displeasure against them: at least it might be so understood, both by them and by their enemies; and hence this expostulation,

shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
so jealousy does; its coals are coals of fire, ( Song of Solomon 8:6 ) , there were, at the times referred to, such among the people, who did evil things, and provoked the Lord to jealousy and wrath: see the Apocrypha:

``And there was very great wrath upon Israel.'' (1 Maccabees 1:64)

``When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.'' (2 Maccabees 8:29)

Psalms 79:5 In-Context

3 They dumped out their blood like buckets of water. All around Jerusalem, their bodies were left to rot, unburied.

4 We're nothing but a joke to our neighbors, graffiti scrawled on the city walls.

5 How long do we have to put up with this, God? Do you have it in for us for good? Will your smoldering rage never cool down?

6 If you're going to be angry, be angry with the pagans who care nothing about you, or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.

7 They're the ones who ruined Jacob, who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.