1A psalm. Of Asaph. O God, nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of the heavens, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
3They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
4We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us.
A Plea for Vengeance and Deliverance
5How long, Yahweh? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?
6Pour out your wrath upon the nations that have not known you, and upon the kingdoms that have not called on your name,
7for they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.
8Do not hold against us the iniquities of former times; let your compassions come quickly to meet us, for we have been brought very low.
9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of your name; deliver us and make atonement for our sins, for the sake of your name.
10Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let it be known among the nations, before our eyes, the vengeance for the outpoured blood of your servants.
11Let the groaning of the prisoner come before you; according to the greatness of your arm, preserve those doomed to die.
12And return upon our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom the reproach with which they reproached you, O Lord.
13But we, your people and the flock of your pasture, will give you thanks forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.
A Lament Over Defiled Jerusalem
parallelPsalms 44:13— Same distinctive phrase of becoming a reproach, mockery, and derision to neighbors.
allusionDeuteronomy 28:26— Covenant curse of bodies becoming food for birds and beasts with none to frighten them away.
allusionJeremiah 7:33— Shared imagery of corpses given as food to the birds of the heavens and beasts of the earth with none to bury.
echoed inPsalms 44:9— Shared lament of becoming a reproach, mockery, and derision to surrounding neighbors.
thematicJeremiah 26:18— Both describe Jerusalem/the temple laid in ruins as a heap.
thematicJeremiah 50:21— The vengeance for Yahweh's temple recalls the lament over the defilement of the temple by Babylon.
thematicLamentations 1:10— Both lament nations/enemies entering and defiling the sanctuary of God.
thematicPsalms 123:1— Both describe the people as objects of mockery and scorn from the arrogant and those around them.
A Plea for Vengeance and Deliverance
quotationJeremiah 10:25— Near-verbatim shared petition to pour out wrath on the nations that do not know God and have devoured Jacob.
quoted byJeremiah 10:17— Nearly verbatim appeal to pour out wrath on nations that do not know God and have devoured Jacob.
echoed in1 Thessalonians 4:1— Shared phrase describing 'the Gentiles who do not know God' echoing OT language for nations ignorant of God.
allusionGenesis 4:15— Shared motif of sevenfold recompense returned into the bosom.
echoed inJoel 2:12— Shared taunt of the nations, 'Where is their God?'
echoed inNehemiah 4:1— Nehemiah prays that the enemies' reproach be turned back sevenfold on their own head, echoing the imprecatory plea against those who reproach God's people.
allusionPsalms 89:46— Shared lament formula 'How long, Yahweh? Will you be angry forever' with fire imagery.
allusionPsalms 42:3— Shared taunt of the nations, 'Where is their God?'
allusionPsalms 100:3— Shared covenant imagery of being God's people and the flock of his pasture.
allusionPsalms 95:7— Shared phrase describing Israel as the people and flock of God's pasture.
echoed inPsalms 85:1— Shared lament formula asking how long God's anger will endure forever.
echoed inPsalms 100:1— Both call God's people 'the sheep of your pasture.'
echoed inPsalms 102:12— Hearing the groaning of the prisoner and freeing those doomed to death.
echoed inPsalms 142:1— Shared plea 'for I am brought very low' in a cry for deliverance.
echoed inRevelation 6:9— The martyrs' cry to avenge their blood echoes the psalmist's plea 'why should the nations say... avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.'
thematicEzekiel 36:22— Both appeal to God to act for the sake of the glory of his name rather than merits.
thematicJeremiah 14:1— Both plead for God to act 'for the sake of your name' despite the people's sins.
thematicPsalms 25:1— Both plead that God not remember past sins but act according to his mercy.