Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 79

Jerusalem in Ruins

The nations have invaded. The dead lie unburied. How long, Lord? Will Your anger burn forever? A psalm prayed at every national catastrophe since.

King James Version BSB KJV

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1O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.

2The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

3Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

4We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

5How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

6Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

8O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.

9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.

10Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.

11Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

12And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

13So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Understand This

Psalm 79, explained

What Psalm 79 is saying

A communal lament of raw grief, Psalm 79 describes the desecration of Jerusalem's temple by invading nations, the slaughter of God's servants, and the shame of becoming a mockery to surrounding peoples. The psalmist appeals for divine intervention on the basis of God's own reputation—'Why should the nations say, Where is their God?' The prayer for vengeance is specifically directed at nations that have not acknowledged God.

The background behind it

The psalm's vivid description of temple destruction, unburied bodies, and blood flowing like water strongly suggests the Babylonian conquest of 586 BC. It became a liturgical text for commemorating national catastrophe, and Jewish tradition associates it with the Ninth of Av.

Themes running underneath

The psalm's theology of appeal centers on God's own honor—the destruction of His people reflects on His name. The request for sevenfold vengeance on the nations employs covenant curse language. The interplay between confession of sin and appeal for compassion reflects a community that accepts responsibility while still crying out for mercy.

Why it still matters

Psalm 79 models communal lament that holds together honest acknowledgment of sin, appeal to divine compassion, and concern for God's reputation among the nations. It legitimizes corporate grief as a vital spiritual practice.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.