Psalms 44:12

12 Thou hast sold thy people without price; and multitude there was not in the (ex)changings of them. (Thou hast sold thy people for nothing; and there was no profit from their sale.)

Psalms 44:12 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 44:12

Thou sellest thy people for nought
So God, when he is said to deliver up his people into the hands of their enemies, is said to sell them to them; see ( Judges 2:14 ) ( 3:8 ) ( 4:2 ) ; and selling them for nought suggests, that in their apprehensions he had no esteem of them and value for them; just as men, when they have any person or thing to dispose of they have no regard unto, but choose to be rid of, will part with it for nothing: and as it follows, and dost not increase [thy wealth] by their price;
get nothing by the bargain. This must be understood after the manner of men, and in the opinion of the church, and not as in reality; no otherwise than as it has been true, that God has suffered some of his people to be in the bondage and slavery of mystical Babylon, called Egypt, one part of whose wares and merchandises are slaves and souls of men, ( Revelation 11:8 ) ( 18:13 ) .

Psalms 44:12 In-Context

10 Thou hast turned us away behind after our enemies; and they, that hated us, ravished diversely to themselves. (Thou hast made us turn back, or run away, from our enemies; and those, who hate us, took for themselves what was ours.)

11 Thou hast given us as sheep of meats; and among heathen men thou hast scattered us. (Thou hast given us up like sheep for meat, or for food; and thou hast scattered us among the heathen.)

12 Thou hast sold thy people without price; and multitude there was not in the (ex)changings of them. (Thou hast sold thy people for nothing; and there was no profit from their sale.)

13 Thou hast set us (as a) shame to our neighbours; mocking and scorn to them that be in our compass. (Thou hast made us a shame, or a reproach, to our neighbours; a mockery, and scorned by those who be all around us.)

14 Thou hast set us into likeness to heathen men; and stirring of the head/wagging of (the) head among peoples. (Thou hast made us into a likeness, or a byword, to the heathen; and they shook their heads over us among the nations.)