Psalm 44:3

3 For they inherited not the land by their own sword, and their own arm did not deliver them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou wert well pleased in them.

Psalm 44:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 44:3

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword,
&c.] There were many things which show that the possession of the land of Canaan was not of the Israelites themselves, but of the Lord; as their passing over into it through Jordan as on dry land; the manner in which Jericho, the first city of it, was taken, and the smiting of the Israelites by the men of Ai;

neither did their own arm save them;
from their enemies, and deliver them into their hands: they were too apt to ascribe things to their own righteousness, merit, and power; but such methods were taken by the Lord as to prevent such attributions to themselves; see ( Deuteronomy 8:16 Deuteronomy 8:17 ) ( 9:3-6 ) ;

but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance;
the mighty power of God, his outstretched arm in their favour, and which arose from his pure good will to them;

because thou hadst a favour unto them;
was well pleased, and took delight in them; chose them to be a special people to himself, above all people on the face of the earth.

Psalm 44:3 In-Context

1 O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, the work which thou wroughtest in their days, in the days of old.

2 Thine hand utterly destroyed the heathen, and thou didst plant them: thou didst afflict the nations, and cast them out.

3 For they inherited not the land by their own sword, and their own arm did not deliver them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou wert well pleased in them.

4 Thou art indeed my King and my God, who commandest deliverances for Jacob.

5 In thee will we push down our enemies, and in thy name will we bring to nought them that rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow, and my sword shall not save me.

7 For thou hast saved us from them that afflicted us, and hast put to shame them that hated us.

8 In God will we make our boast all the day, and to thy name will we give thanks for ever. Pause.

9 But now thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and thou wilt not go forth with our hosts.

10 Thou hast turned us back before our enemies; and they that hated us spoiled for themselves.

11 Thou madest us as sheep for meat; and thou scatteredst us among the nations.

12 Thou hast sold thy people without price, and there was no profit by their exchange.

13 Thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision them that are round about us.

14 Thou hast made us a proverb among the Gentiles, a shaking of the head among the nations.

15 All the day my shame is before me, and the confusion of my face has covered me,

16 because of the voice of the slanderer and reviler; because of the enemy and avenger.

17 All these things are come upon us: but we have not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt unrighteously in thy covenant.

18 And our heart has not gone back; but thou hast turned aside our paths from thy way.

19 For thou hast laid us low in a place of affliction, and the shadow of death has covered us.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search these things out?

21 for he knows the secrets of the heart.

22 For, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for slaughter.

23 Awake, wherefore sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, and do not cast us off for ever.

24 Wherefore turnest thou thy face away, and forgettest our poverty and our affliction?

25 For our soul has been brought down to the dust; our belly has cleaved to the earth.

26 Arise, O Lord, help us, and redeem us for thy name’s sake.