Psalms 79:5

5 How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy keep burning like fire?

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 poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury [them].

4 We have become an object of reproach to our neighbors, a source of mockery and ridicule to those around us.

5 How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy keep burning like fire?

6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that don't acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that don't call on Your name,

7 for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 80:4; 89:46; Zch 1:12