Out of the plaintive question how long? and whether endlessly God would be angry and cause His jealousy to continue to burn like a fire (Deuteronomy 32:22), grows up the prayer (Psalm 79:6) that He would turn His anger against the heathen who are estranged from the hostile towards Him, and of whom He is now making use as a rod of anger against His people. The taking over of Psalm 79:6-7 from Jeremiah 10:25 is not betrayed by the looseness of the connection of thought; but in themselves these four lines sound much more original in Jeremiah, and the style is exactly that of this prophet, cf. Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 2:3, and frequently, Psalm 49:20. The אל, instead of על, which follows שׁפך is incorrect; the singular אכל gathers all up as in one mass, as in Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 17:13. The fact that such power over Israel is given to the heathen world has its ground in the sins of Israel. From Psalm 79:8 it may be inferred that the apostasy which raged earlier is now checked. ראשׁנים is not an adjective (Job 31:28; Isaiah 59:2), which would have been expressed by עונותינו חראשׁנים, but a genitive: the iniquities of the forefathers (Leviticus 26:14, cf. Psalm 39:1-13). On Psalm 79:8 of Judges 6:6. As is evident from Psalm 79:9, the poet does not mean that the present generation, itself guiltless, has to expiate the guilt of the fathers (on the contrary, Deuteronomy 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6; Ezekiel 18:20); he prays as one of those who have turned away from the sins of the fathers, and who can now no longer consider themselves as placed under wrath, but under sin-pardoning and redeeming grace.

Psalm 79:11 Parallel Commentaries

sighing

Psalm 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, said the LORD...

Psalm 69:33 For the LORD hears the poor, and despises not his prisoners.

Psalm 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

Exodus 2:23,24 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage...

Isaiah 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

according

Psalm 146:6,7 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keeps truth for ever...

Numbers 14:17-19 And now, I beseech you, let the power of my LORD be great, according as you have spoken, saying...

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

thy power. Heb. thine arm

Isaiah 33:2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for you: be you their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

preserve thou those that are appointed to die. Heb. reserve the children of death

Psalm 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;