Psalm 44 1

Psalm 44:1 kjv

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

Psalm 44:1 nkjv

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old:

Psalm 44:1 niv

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.

Psalm 44:1 esv

O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:

Psalm 44:1 nlt

O God, we have heard it with our own ears ?
our ancestors have told us
of all you did in their day,
in days long ago:

Psalm 44 verses

Psalm 44 1 Meaning

Psalm 44:1 serves as a foundational declaration by the people of Israel, articulating their deeply inherited faith and historical consciousness. It signifies a collective remembrance of God's powerful interventions and mighty works in the lives of their ancestors, particularly during formative historical events like the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan. This knowledge was not a mere rumor but was faithfully transmitted through oral tradition from generation to generation, forming the bedrock of their national identity and their understanding of God's character as an active, powerful deliverer. This verse sets the stage for the lament that follows, establishing a crucial contrast between God's past faithfulness and the community's present distress.

Psalm 44 1 Context

Psalm 44 is a communal lament, a unique type of psalm where an entire nation cries out to God in distress. It begins by grounding its appeal in the profound historical memory of God's past acts of deliverance for Israel (verse 1-3). This remembrance sets up a powerful contrast with their present suffering, military defeat, and perceived abandonment by God (verses 9-22). The psalm's central tension lies between the nation's steadfast trust in God (asserting their innocence and faithfulness, verse 17-22) and their desperate plea for divine intervention despite the current devastating circumstances. Historically, the psalm may reflect a period of national calamity, possibly a significant military defeat or exile, where the people feel bewildered by God's apparent silence after His historically undeniable active presence. Culturally, in ancient Israel, the oral tradition played a crucial role in shaping identity and faith, recounting how Yahweh, unlike the impotent gods of surrounding nations, demonstrably intervened in human history, shaping their destiny and land.

Psalm 44 1 Word analysis

• O God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): A general yet profound Hebrew term for God, commonly used in the Old Testament. In this context, it signifies a direct and solemn address to the one true God of Israel, acknowledging His ultimate authority and power as they initiate their lament.
• we have heard (שָׁמַעְנוּ - shama'nu): The first-person plural perfect tense, emphasizing a completed action by the entire community. In Hebrew thought, "to hear" (שָׁמַע - shama) implies more than just auditory perception; it carries the sense of listening intently, understanding, obeying, and internalizing. This implies a receptive and responsive communal reception of tradition.
• with our ears (בְאָזְנֵינוּ - b'ozneinu): This phrase redundantly emphasizes the physical act of hearing, ensuring that the message was received clearly, undeniably, and directly, rather than through vague rumor. It highlights the authenticity and vividness of their transmitted knowledge.
• our fathers (אֲבוֹתֵינוּ - avoteinu): Refers to the collective ancestors of the nation of Israel. This highlights the crucial role of intergenerational transmission of faith and history, asserting that their understanding of God's actions is not recent or speculative but rooted in an established, continuous tradition.
• have told us (סִפְּרוּ לָנוּ - sipp'ru lanu): The verb "sipper" means to recount, narrate, tell a story or explain in detail. It suggests a deliberate act of instruction, not just casual conversation, emphasizing the authoritative and structured way this history was conveyed from one generation to the next.
• the work (פֹּעַל - po'al): Refers to God's active accomplishments, deeds, or undertakings. This term typically denotes something substantial, significant, and effectively completed, particularly God's creative acts and redemptive interventions in history, such as the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan.
• you did (פָּעַלְתָּ - pa'alta): A direct second-person address to God, emphasizing His singular agency. It attributes all these mighty deeds explicitly to God's own will and power, reinforcing His sovereignty and active involvement in their historical narrative.
• in their days (בִּימֵיהֶם - biy'meiy'hem): "Their" refers back to "our fathers," denoting the specific historical period in which the ancestors lived. This grounds God's "work" in concrete, identifiable historical eras, affirming that these events were real, not mythical.
• in the days of old (בִּימֵי קֶדֶם - biy'mei kedem): "Qedem" signifies antiquity, primordial times, or earlier eras. This phrase provides further emphasis and confirms the deep historical roots and long-standing nature of the recounted deeds. It suggests that these works were not merely recent memories but foundational acts from deep in their history that shaped their identity.

• "we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us": This collective declaration highlights the cornerstone of Israelite faith transmission: a vibrant oral tradition where divine acts and instructions were carefully passed down across generations. It asserts that their knowledge of God is not abstract theology but a received history, giving their current lament historical weight.
• "the work you did in their days, in the days of old": This phrase underlines God's tangible, active intervention in specific historical moments in the distant past. It contrasts the common pagan reliance on nature gods or distant deities with the God of Israel who demonstrated His power through historical events, shaping the nation's existence and securing their land.

Psalm 44 1 Bonus section

The concept of "remembering" in the Bible (zakar) often carries the weight of not just intellectual recall but active reliving and commitment. Thus, "we have heard" implies an embracing of this historical memory as part of their living identity and faith. The oral transmission of these accounts, particularly foundational narratives like the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, ensured that the "works" of God were not mere facts but deeply embedded components of their communal psyche, shaping their worship, law, and understanding of covenant. This strong historical preface also distinguishes Israel's faith from other ancient Near Eastern religions, whose deities often lacked a dynamic, saving involvement in linear human history in the way Yahweh demonstrated.

Psalm 44 1 Commentary

Psalm 44:1 lays a crucial foundation for the entire psalm by asserting a profound, communal memory of God's historical faithfulness. It is a direct and poignant address to God, stating that the current generation's understanding of His character is rooted not in abstract philosophy, but in concrete, powerful "works" performed "in the days of old," faithfully transmitted by their ancestors. This verse is not merely an introduction; it's the very premise upon which the subsequent lament is built. The deep historical knowledge of God's past deliverances makes the current plight of the nation (their military defeat and suffering) even more perplexing and creates the theological tension of the psalm. It essentially says, "We know who You are based on what You've done; why then are we in this predicament?" This demonstrates a persistent faith, despite current experience, appealing to God's established character for intervention, thereby serving as an example of appealing to God's past faithfulness in times of present trial.