Theologa | Psalms 74:74:1

מַשְׂכִּיל לְאָסָף לָמָה אֱלֹהִים זָנַחְתָּ לָנֶצַח יֶעְשַׁן אַפְּךָ בְּצֹאן מַרְעִיתֶךָ׃

Maschil of Asaph. Why, O God, hast Thou cast us off for ever? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the flock of Thy pasture?

²

זְכֹר עֲדָתְךָ קָנִיתָ קֶּדֶם גָּאַלְתָּ שֵׁבֶט נַחֲלָתֶךָ הַר־צִיּוֹן זֶה שָׁכַנְתָּ בּוֹ׃

Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast gotten of old, Which Thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of Thine inheritance; And mount Zion, wherein Thou hast dwelt.

¹

הָרִימָה פְעָמֶיךָ לְמַשֻּׁאוֹת נֶצַח כָּל־הֵרַע אוֹיֵב בַּקֹּדֶשׁ׃

Lift up Thy steps because of the perpetual ruins, Even all the evil that the enemy hath done in the sanctuary.

¹

שָׁאֲגוּ צֹרְרֶיךָ בְּקֶרֶב מוֹעֲדֶךָ שָׂמוּ אוֹתֹתָם אֹתוֹת׃

Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy meeting-place; They have set up their own signs for signs.

¹

יִוָּדַע כְּמֵבִיא לְמָעְלָה בִּסֲבָךְ־עֵץ קַרְדֻּמּוֹת׃

It seemed as when men wield upwards Axes in a thicket of trees.

¹

ועת [וְעַתָּה] פִּתּוּחֶיהָ יָּחַד בְּכַשִּׁיל וְכֵילַפֹּת יַהֲלֹמוּן׃

And now all the carved work thereof together They strike down with hatchet and hammers.

¹

שִׁלְחוּ בָאֵשׁ מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ לָאָרֶץ חִלְּלוּ מִשְׁכַּן־שְׁמֶךָ׃

They have set Thy sanctuary on fire; They have profaned the dwelling-place of Thy name even to the ground.

אָמְרוּ בְלִבָּם נִינָם יָחַד שָׂרְפוּ כָל־מוֹעֲדֵי־אֵל בָּאָרֶץ׃

They said in their heart: 'Let us make havoc of them altogether'; They have burned up all the meeting-places of God in the land.

¹

אוֹתֹתֵינוּ לֹא רָאִינוּ אֵין־עוֹד נָבִיא וְלֹא־אִתָּנוּ יֹדֵעַ עַד־מָה׃

We see not our signs; There is no more any prophet; Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

¹

עַד־מָתַי אֱלֹהִים יְחָרֶף צָר יְנָאֵץ אוֹיֵב שִׁמְךָ לָנֶצַח׃

How long, O God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?

לָמָּה תָשִׁיב יָדְךָ וִימִינֶךָ מִקֶּרֶב חוקך [חֵיקְךָ] כַלֵּה׃

Why withdrawest Thou Thy hand, even Thy right hand? Draw it out of Thy bosom and consume them.

¹

וֵאלֹהִים מַלְכִּי מִקֶּדֶם פֹּעֵל יְשׁוּעוֹת בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ׃

Yet God is my King of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

¹

אַתָּה פוֹרַרְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ יָם שִׁבַּרְתָּ רָאשֵׁי תַנִּינִים עַל־הַמָּיִם׃

Thou didst break the sea in pieces by Thy strength; Thou didst shatter the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.

¹

אַתָּה רִצַּצְתָּ רָאשֵׁי לִוְיָתָן תִּתְּנֶנּוּ מַאֲכָל לְעָם לְצִיִּים׃

Thou didst crush the heads of leviathan, Thou gavest him to be food to the folk inhabiting the wilderness.

¹

אַתָּה בָקַעְתָּ מַעְיָן וָנָחַל אַתָּה הוֹבַשְׁתָּ נַהֲרוֹת אֵיתָן׃

Thou didst cleave fountain and brook; Thou driedst up ever-flowing rivers.

¹

לְךָ יוֹם אַף־לְךָ לָיְלָה אַתָּה הֲכִינוֹתָ מָאוֹר וָשָׁמֶשׁ׃

Thine is the day, Thine also the night; Thou hast established luminary and sun.

¹

אַתָּה הִצַּבְתָּ כָּל־גְּבוּלוֹת אָרֶץ קַיִץ וָחֹרֶף אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּם׃

Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; Thou hast made summer and winter.

¹

זְכָר־זֹאת אוֹיֵב חֵרֵף יְהוָה וְעַם נָבָל נִאֲצוּ שְׁמֶךָ׃

Remember this, how the enemy hath reproached the LORD, And how a base people have blasphemed Thy name.

¹

אַל־תִּתֵּן לְחַיַּת נֶפֶשׁ תּוֹרֶךָ חַיַּת עֲנִיֶּיךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח לָנֶצַח׃

O deliver not the soul of Thy turtle-dove unto the wild beast; Forget not the life of Thy poor for ever.

¹

הַבֵּט לַבְּרִית כִּי מָלְאוּ מַחֲשַׁכֵּי־אֶרֶץ נְאוֹת חָמָס׃

Look upon the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

¹

אַל־יָשֹׁב דַּךְ נִכְלָם עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן יְהַלְלוּ שְׁמֶךָ׃

O let not the oppressed turn back in confusion; Let the poor and needy praise Thy name.

¹

קוּמָה אֱלֹהִים רִיבָה רִיבֶךָ זְכֹר חֶרְפָּתְךָ מִנִּי־נָבָל כָּל־הַיּוֹם׃

Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause; Remember Thy reproach all the day at the hand of the base man.

¹

אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח קוֹל צֹרְרֶיךָ שְׁאוֹן קָמֶיךָ עֹלֶה תָמִיד׃

Forget not the voice of Thine adversaries, The tumult of those that rise up against Thee which ascendeth continually.

1

@AD1

The sanctuary itself destroyed

This lament describes the sanctuary itself being destroyed, likely referring to either the Babylonian destruction of Solomon's temple or an earlier crisis. 'They have cast fire into thy sanctuary' is about as direct a description of religious catastr...

Historical & Cultural

1

@Rashi

Rashi on Psalms 74:1

<b>is Your wrath kindled</b> lit. do Your nostrils smoke. Whenever one is angry, the nostrils emit smoke.

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