Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. New Living Translation O God, pagan nations have conquered your land, your special possession. They have defiled your holy Temple and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. English Standard Version O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Berean Standard Bible A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. Berean Literal Bible A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. King James Bible A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. New King James Version A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. New American Standard Bible A Psalm of Asaph. God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. NASB 1995 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. NASB 1977 O God, the nations have invaded Thine inheritance; They have defiled Thy holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Legacy Standard Bible A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Amplified Bible A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded [the land of Your people] Your inheritance; They have defiled Your sacred temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Berean Annotated Bible A Psalm of Asaph (gatherer). The nations, O God {Elohim}, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem (city of peace) to rubble. Christian Standard Bible A psalm of Asaph. † God, the nations have invaded your inheritance, desecrated your holy temple, and turned Jerusalem into ruins. Holman Christian Standard Bible A psalm of Asaph. God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance, desecrated Your holy temple, and turned Jerusalem into ruins. American Standard Version A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations are come into thine inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. Contemporary English Version Our God, foreign nations have taken your land, disgraced your temple, and left Jerusalem in ruins. English Revised Version A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. GOD'S WORD® Translation [A psalm by Asaph.] O God, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you. They have dishonored your holy temple. They have left Jerusalem in ruins. Good News Translation O God, the heathen have invaded your land. They have desecrated your holy Temple and left Jerusalem in ruins. International Standard Version God, nations have invaded your land to desecrate your holy Temple, to destroy Jerusalem, NET Bible A psalm of Asaph. O God, foreigners have invaded your chosen land; they have polluted your holy temple and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins. New Heart English Bible [A Psalm by Asaph.] God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. Webster's Bible Translation A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen have come into thy inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleA Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. World English Bible A Psalm by Asaph. God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionA PSALM OF ASAPH. O God, nations have come into Your inheritance, "" They have defiled Your holy temple, "" They made Jerusalem become heaps, Berean Literal Bible A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Young's Literal Translation A Psalm of Asaph. O God, nations have come into Thy inheritance, They have defiled Thy holy temple, They made Jerusalem become heaps, Smith's Literal Translation Chanting to Asaph. O God, the nations came into thine inheritance; they defiled thy holy temple; they set Jerusalem for ruins. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleA psalm for Asaph. O God, the heathens are come into thy inheritance, they have defiled thy holy temple: they have made Jerusalem as a place to keep fruit. Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. New Revised Standard Version O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleGOD, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated God, the Gentiles have entered your inheritance and they have defiled your holy temple; they have made Jerusalem desolate. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; They have defiled Thy holy temple; They have made Jerusalem into heaps. Brenton Septuagint Translation A Psalm for Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; they have polluted thy holy temple; they have made Jerusalem a storehouse of fruits. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Prayer for Deliverance1A Psalm of Asaph. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 2They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.… Cross References A Psalm of Asaph. Psalm 50:1 A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets. Psalm 73:1 A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. Psalm 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods: The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; Joel 3:2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land. Psalm 94:5 They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage. Ezekiel 36:5 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder. they have defiled Your holy temple Psalm 74:7 They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name. 2 Chronicles 36:14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. Daniel 11:31 His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation. and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. Micah 3:12 Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge. Jeremiah 9:11 “And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” 2 Kings 25:9-10 He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. / And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 2 Kings 25:8-10 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. / He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. / And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Jeremiah 52:12-14 On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. / He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. / And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. Lamentations 1:10 The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary—those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly. Lamentations 2:7 The Lord has rejected His altar; He has abandoned His sanctuary; He has delivered the walls of her palaces into the hand of the enemy. They have raised a shout in the house of the LORD as on the day of an appointed feast. Treasury of Scripture O God, the heathen are come into your inheritance; your holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. A. Psalm 74:1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? the heathen Psalm 74:3,4 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary… Psalm 80:12,13 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? … 2 Kings 21:12-16 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle… into Psalm 74:2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. Psalm 78:71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. holy Psalm 74:7,8 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground… 2 Kings 24:13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. Lamentations 1:10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. have laid 2 Kings 25:9,10 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire… 2 Chronicles 36:19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. Jeremiah 26:18 Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. Jump to Previous Asaph Asaph&Gt Broken Defiled Heaps Heathen Heritage Holy Inheritance Invaded Jerusalem Laid Mass Nations Psalm Reduced Rubble Ruins Temple Unclean WallsJump to Next Asaph Asaph&Gt Broken Defiled Heaps Heathen Heritage Holy Inheritance Invaded Jerusalem Laid Mass Nations Psalm Reduced Rubble Ruins Temple Unclean WallsPsalm 79 1. The psalmist complains of the desolation of Jerusalem8. He prays for deliverance 13. and promises thankfulness A Psalm of Asaph. Asaph was a prominent Levite musician appointed by King David to lead worship in the tabernacle. The Psalms attributed to him often reflect themes of lament and divine justice. This particular psalm is a communal lament, expressing the anguish of the Israelites over the destruction of Jerusalem. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe central figure to whom the psalmist cries out for help and intervention. Represents divine authority and sovereignty. 2. Nations Refers to the foreign powers that have invaded and desecrated the land of Israel, specifically targeting Jerusalem and the temple. 3. Inheritance Symbolizes the land of Israel, which God has given to His people as a heritage. It is a sacred trust that has been violated by the invaders. 4. Holy Temple The sacred place of worship in Jerusalem, representing God's presence among His people. Its desecration signifies a profound spiritual and national crisis. 5. Jerusalem The capital city of Israel, central to Jewish identity and faith. Its destruction is a symbol of the nation's downfall and suffering. Teaching Points The Reality of JudgmentThe invasion and destruction of Jerusalem serve as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. Believers are called to live in obedience and faithfulness to avoid spiritual desolation. The Sanctity of Worship The defilement of the temple highlights the importance of maintaining the purity and reverence of our places of worship. Christians are encouraged to honor God in their worship practices. God's Sovereignty in Crisis Even in the midst of devastation, God remains sovereign. Believers can trust in His ultimate plan and seek His guidance during times of trial. The Call to Intercession The psalmist's plea for divine intervention encourages believers to intercede for their communities and nations, asking God to restore and heal. Hope for Restoration Despite the immediate circumstances, there is hope for renewal and restoration. Christians are reminded of God's promises and the future redemption through Christ. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Psalm 79:1?2. How can Psalm 79:1 guide our response to spiritual devastation today? 3. What lessons from Psalm 79:1 apply to modern-day church challenges? 4. How does Psalm 79:1 connect with God's promises in the Old Testament? 5. How should believers react when God's "holy temple" is defiled today? 6. What actions can we take when facing situations like Psalm 79:1 describes? 7. Why did God allow the nations to invade His inheritance in Psalm 79:1? 8. How does Psalm 79:1 reflect on God's protection of His people? 9. What historical event is Psalm 79:1 referring to? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 79? 11. Is there archaeological evidence confirming the large-scale desecration described in Psalm 79:1–3? 12. Why does Psalm 79:6 call for God’s wrath on foreign nations when other passages emphasize God’s compassion for all peoples? 13. Why does Psalm 79 place sole blame on invading nations without acknowledging Israel’s own possible role in its downfall? 14. How do we reconcile the vengeance implied in Psalm 79:10 with the Bible’s overall teaching on mercy and forgiveness? What Does Psalm 79:1 Mean A Psalm of Asaph• The inscription tells us that Asaph (or his descendants) composed this lament. Asaph served as a chief musician under David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 15:17; 2 Chronicles 29:30). • Knowing the author roots the psalm in history and worship: a Levitical seer who witnessed both the glory of the temple and, generations later, its devastation. • Other Asaphic psalms share this honest cry when God’s people suffer (Psalm 74:1–3), so Psalm 79 fits a larger pattern of inspired lament. The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance • The opening plea recognizes that the land and people belong to God: “For the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). • Foreign powers plundering Israel is not merely political aggression; it is an assault on God’s own property (Joel 3:2; Psalm 74:2). • The psalmist therefore turns immediately to the covenant LORD—only He can vindicate what is rightfully His. They have defiled Your holy temple • The enemy’s desecration of the sanctuary fulfills warnings God gave through Moses and the prophets (Leviticus 26:31; Jeremiah 7:14). • Historical echoes include Nebuchadnezzar’s sacking of the temple in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:8–9) and Antiochus IV’s later profanation (Daniel 11:31). • Because the temple symbolized God’s dwelling among His people (1 Kings 8:10–11), its defilement signaled a broken fellowship that demanded repentance and divine intervention (Ezekiel 10:18–19). and reduced Jerusalem to rubble • The city that once “was full of people” (Lamentations 1:1) now lies in ruins, fulfilling Micah 3:12: “Zion will be plowed like a field; Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble.” • Destruction of the capital meant shattered security, economy, and identity; the covenant community stood exposed and humiliated (Nehemiah 2:3; Jeremiah 9:11). • The psalmist names the devastation so that, in line with God’s promises, restoration can be sought (Isaiah 62:6–7; Psalm 102:13–14). summary Psalm 79:1 captures the anguish of God’s people when pagan armies ravage the land, pollute the temple, and level Jerusalem. By addressing God directly, Asaph acknowledges that the crisis is first and foremost a spiritual breach: invaders have trespassed on what belongs to the Lord. The verse sets the tone for the entire psalm—a plea for divine justice, mercy, and restoration rooted in the certainty that God’s covenant faithfulness will prevail even when His inheritance lies in ruins. (1) Inheritance.--Probably intended to embrace both land and people. (Exodus 15:17; Psalm 74:2, &c.)Heaps--i.e., ruins. (Comp. Micah 3:12; Jeremiah 26:18; and in singular, Micah 1:6.) . . . Verse 1. - O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance (comp. Psalm 74:2; Psalm 78:62). Israel - alike the people and the land - is "God's inheritance." Thy holy temple have they defiled. The Babylonians defiled the temple by breaking into it, seizing its treasures and ornaments (Jeremiah 52:17-23), and finally setting fire to it (Jeremiah 52:13). They have laid Jerusalem on heaps. This was certainly not done either by Shishak or by Antiochus Epiphanes; but was done, as prophesied (Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 26:18; Micah 3:12), by the Babylonians.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew A Psalmמִזְמ֗וֹר (miz·mō·wr) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4210: Instrumental music, a poem set to notes of Asaph. לְאָ֫סָ֥ף (lə·’ā·sāp̄) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 623: Asaph -- 'gatherer', the name of several Israelites The nations, גוֹיִ֨ם ׀ (ḡō·w·yim) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts O God, אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים (’ĕlō·hîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative have invaded בָּ֤אוּ (bā·’ū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go Your inheritance; בְּֽנַחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ (bə·na·ḥă·lā·ṯe·ḵā) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 5159: Something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion they have defiled טִ֭מְּאוּ (ṭim·mə·’ū) Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean Your holy קָדְשֶׁ֑ךָ (qāḏ·še·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity temple הֵיכַ֣ל (hê·ḵal) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1964: A large public building, palace, temple [and] reduced שָׂ֖מוּ (śā·mū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם (yə·rū·šā·lim) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel to rubble. לְעִיִּֽים׃ (lə·‘î·yîm) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 5856: A ruin, heap of ruins Links Psalm 79:1 NIVPsalm 79:1 NLT Psalm 79:1 ESV Psalm 79:1 NASB Psalm 79:1 KJV Psalm 79:1 BibleApps.com Psalm 79:1 Biblia Paralela Psalm 79:1 Chinese Bible Psalm 79:1 French Bible Psalm 79:1 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Psalm 79:1 A Psalm by Asaph (Psalm Ps Psa.) |
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