Psalm 74 Study Notes

Ps 74 title On Asaph, see note at Ps 50 title.

74:1 Sheep of your pasture depicts the Lord as the shepherd of Israel (100:3; see note at 23:1).

74:2 On remember, see note at 25:6-7. Purchased and possession denote the Lord’s ownership of Israel (see note at 28:8-9).

74:3 Perpetual ruins is used elsewhere to describe the annihilation of an enemy (9:6).

74:4 Roared depicts enemies as wild animals who have entered the sanctuary (22:13). Emblems are likely related to banners that were used in military campaigns to identify the armies (see note at 20:5).

74:5-6 The men with axes portray highly energized destructive activity without thought or concern.

74:7 The dwelling place of your name refers to the promise that the Lord made to Israel about his presence among them (Dt 12:11). “Name” is sometimes used for the Lord and often represents his presence among his people (see note at 20:1).

74:8 The allusion to multiple meeting places in the land probably does not refer to high places, which had been abolished by Josiah. Rather, it probably includes the various locations in history where the sanctuary had been located—such as Shiloh (Jos 18:1; 1Sm 1:3), Mizpah (Jdg 20:1), Bethel (Gn 12:8; 1Sm 7:16), Gilgal (1Sm 10:8), and now Jerusalem.

74:9 Signs is parallel with prophet. It indicates that the Lord was no longer speaking to his people—an indication of abandonment. The signs the people were apparently looking for were those that would answer their “why” (vv. 1,11) and “how long” (v. 10) questions.

74:10 How long emphasizes God’s delay in intervening (see note at 13:1-2). Enemies are often depicted as mocking and insulting those whom they oppress, who in this case was the nation of Israel (44:13-14).

74:11 The right hand was the place of the Lord’s power (see note at 16:8).

74:12 God’s authority was demonstrated by his saving acts toward his people (see note at 66:7).

74:13 Sea monsters (Hb tanninim) is used elsewhere for serpents (91:13; Ex 7:10,12; Dt 32:33). It is parallel to “sea” in Jb 7:12 and to “Rahab” in Is 51:9. It probably refers to the great creatures of the sea that were untamable, but there could also be some connection to Canaanite beliefs. Baal was supposed to have defeated the seas, represented by seven-headed sea monsters; but in response to that mythology, Yahweh is depicted as the one who defeats these creatures by his power.

74:14 Leviathan also appears in other biblical texts (104:26; Jb 3:8; 41; Is 27:1). He represents the most fierce and powerful sea creature. Whether this creature can be linked to a specific animal in the known world is uncertain, although suggestions range from a crocodile to a dinosaur. There certainly is a connection in Canaanite mythology that links this creature with chaos. Therefore, God defeated chaos and fed him to the creatures of the desert, which could mean wild beasts.

74:15 Drying up ever-flowing rivers could be a reference to God’s saving acts at the Red Sea (Ex 14:21-22) or the Jordan River (Jos 3:15-17), the latter of which makes more sense for “rivers.” Some have also suggested mythological imagery here, since Baal was supposed to have defeated the rivers by drying them up.

74:16 God’s sovereignty extends to the heavens.

74:17 The boundaries of the earth could refer to the boundary between land and sea established at creation (Gn 1:9-10), but it is more likely the regularity of the seasons (Gn 1:14) since it is parallel to summer and winter.

74:18 In his plea for divine intervention, he points out that the enemy has also mocked the Lord and insulted his name. Such foolish behavior is also cited in v. 22.

74:19 Dove was a term of affection (Sg 6:9). It is used as a designation for Israel here.

74:20 Dark places of the land may be metaphorical for evil, or it could refer to places where enemies hid to attack the unsuspecting.

74:21 The words poor and needy often represent those who are faithful to the Lord (see notes at 34:6; 35:9-10).

74:22 Rise up is used to call God to act (see note at 7:6-8). The Lord’s cause is the same as Israel’s, and he should act on behalf of his reputation.