Bible Commentaries

The final meaning of this psalm is discovered in its last four verses. It is a prayer for deliverance from defeat. Its strength of appeal lies in its recognition of the government of God. He is the Author of good and evil. Of course, evil is used here in the sense of disaster and calamity. The psalmist sings of the God of good first (verses Psalms 44:1-8). There is a double recognition of this. History attests it. The testimony of the fathers affirms it.

They had originally come into possession by the act of God (verses Psalms 44:1-3). Then there is personal recognition of it. Trust is to be reposed in nothing save God (verses Psalms 44:4-8). The word "but" indicates a change. The day is one of disaster, and this is recognized as the act of God, "Thou hast cast us off." "Thou makest us to turn back," and so on (verses Psalms 44:9-16). Yet there has been no apostasy. Nay, rather it has been a pathway of suffering for the sake of God and His name (verses Psalms 44:17-22). Light is thrown on this by Paul's use of the words in Romans 8:36.

Then follows the plea for help and deliverance. It is a perfectly honest and reasonable plea, yet the wonderful advance of Christian experience is nowhere more plainly shown than here. The apostle of the new covenant makes no appeal for deliverance, but rather declares that in all these things we are more than conquerors, and affirms that nothing can separate us from the love of God.