Psalm 74 18

Psalm 74:18 kjv

Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

Psalm 74:18 nkjv

Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.

Psalm 74:18 niv

Remember how the enemy has mocked you, LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name.

Psalm 74:18 esv

Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name.

Psalm 74:18 nlt

See how these enemies insult you, LORD.
A foolish nation has dishonored your name.

Psalm 74 verses

Psalm 74 18 Meaning

Psalm 74:18 is a desperate plea from the people of God to the Lord. It urges Him to take note of and act upon the grave insults and contempt shown by their adversaries. The core grievance is the public mockery and dishonoring of God's holy Name by a wicked and morally senseless people, implying a challenge to His very being and authority. The psalmist implores God to remember this desecration and intervene righteously.

Psalm 74 18 Context

Psalm 74 is a deeply emotive communal lament, one of the 'Psalms of Asaph.' It vividly describes the devastation of Jerusalem and the Temple, widely understood to be referring to the Babylonian destruction in 586 BC, or a similar cataclysmic event. The psalm portrays the desolation not merely as a national tragedy but as a direct assault on God's sanctuary and, more profoundly, on His Name and honor.

The surrounding verses highlight the enemies' actions: they have burst into God's sanctuary, burned it, broken down its carved work, and set fire to every sacred place in the land (vv. 3-8). This physical destruction is compounded by their defiant boasts against God (vv. 10-11). In sharp contrast to this present desolation, the psalmist recalls God's mighty deeds in creation and in saving His people from powerful enemies (vv. 12-17), a powerful reminder of God's eternal sovereignty and power, implicitly asking Him to manifest that power once more against those who defile His name. Verse 18 is therefore a poignant plea for God to connect His past power and identity with the urgent need for present intervention.

Psalm 74 18 Word analysis

• Remember (זָכַר - zakhar): This is more than merely recalling a fact. In biblical terms, for God to "remember" means to act decisively based on His past covenant promises, His character, and His justice. It implies active engagement and intervention. The plea is for God to cease His apparent inaction and intervene, based on what He observes.
• this (zo't): Refers directly to the specific egregious actions of the enemy detailed in the preceding verses – the destruction of the sanctuary, the mockery, and the reviling of God's name. It's an urgent appeal based on undeniable blasphemy.
• O LORD (אֲדֹנָי - Adonai): This title emphasizes God's sovereign authority and His rightful position as master. The use of Adonai (Master/Lord) rather than Yahweh (covenant Name) highlights His supreme power and rulership, appealed to in a situation where His authority seems challenged.
• how the enemy (oyev): "How" speaks to the manner and extent of the contempt. The "enemy" refers collectively to those who are hostile to God and His people, often in the context of foreign invaders (like the Babylonians in the suggested historical background) who act with deliberate malice.
• has scoffed (חֵרֵף - kherêf): This verb means to taunt, reproach, insult, or blaspheme. It describes a deep, cutting contempt, an open and defiant scorn that goes beyond simple mockery to challenge God's power and character directly. This is a severe act of disrespect and profanity.
• and how a foolish people (וְעַם נָבָל - ve'am naval): "How" again emphasizes the manner. "Foolish" (נָבָל - naval) denotes not mere lack of intelligence, but moral and spiritual perversity, utter senselessness, and godlessness. Such a person rejects God and acts contrary to divine wisdom, often with insolent pride and arrogance (cf. Ps 14:1, 53:1 where "the fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'"). This describes those who neither know nor acknowledge God.
• has reviled your name (נִאֲצוּ שְׁמֶךָ - ni'atsu shmekha): "Reviled" (נִאֲצוּ - ni'atsu) means to treat with contempt, despise, spurn, or blaspheme. "Your name" (שְׁמֶךָ - shmekha) in the biblical context is far more than a mere appellation; it represents God's very being, His revealed character, power, reputation, and authority. To revile His Name is the gravest offense, a direct attack on who He is. It's the ultimate act of defiling His glory and questioning His reality or omnipotence.

Words-group analysis:

• "Remember this, O LORD": This opening plea is the emotional heart of the verse. It is not an assertion that God literally forgot, but an urgent petition for God to act, to recall His commitment to His covenant, His power, and His honor, and to respond to the desecration taking place.
• "how the enemy has scoffed, and how a foolish people has reviled your name!": This dual phrasing underscores the severity and the public nature of the blasphemy. The repetition of "how" highlights the deliberate and brazen manner of their contempt. "Enemy" and "foolish people" likely refer to the same group or two facets of their nature (hostile opposition and moral perversity/godlessness), both converging in their ultimate affront to God's Name. The specific targeting of "your name" signifies that the core issue is God's own glory and reputation.

Psalm 74 18 Bonus section

• The appeal to God's "remembrance" is a common trope in laments (e.g., Ps 13:1, Lam 5:1), highlighting a desperate situation where God's active presence is earnestly sought. It frames the human perception of God's current non-intervention as a call for His "wake up" to justice.
• The "scoffing" and "reviling" of God's Name by the "foolish people" can be understood as spiritual warfare, not just physical. The enemy's taunts aim to undermine the faith of God's people by questioning God's power, presence, and faithfulness, asserting that their gods are superior or that God has abandoned His covenant.
• The profound connection between God's Name and His very being implies that an attack on His Name is an attack on Him. Therefore, His righteous response is intrinsically tied to His divine nature and holiness.
• This verse provides comfort and a model for prayer for believers facing similar situations of ridicule, persecution, or apparent triumph of ungodliness: the primary concern should be God's glory and the vindication of His Name, trusting that His honor will be upheld.

Psalm 74 18 Commentary

Psalm 74:18 encapsulates the core tension of the communal lament: God's people suffering atrocity and widespread blasphemy, while God appears inactive. The verse is a powerful plea for divine remembrance, not because God is forgetful, but because the suffering nation needs His active intervention, mirroring His mighty acts of old (vv. 12-17). The gravest offense cited is the enemies' "scoffing" and "reviling" of God's Name. This goes beyond personal injury to an affront against God's very being and identity. The adversaries are characterized as "foolish," denoting their spiritual blindness and moral perversion in rejecting the sovereign Lord. For God to remain silent in the face of such blasphemy would appear to validate the enemy's mockery and diminish His own glory among the nations. The psalmist implores God to act not just for His people, but pre-eminently for the vindication and honor of His own Name, echoing a consistent biblical theme that God's actions are ultimately for His glory (e.g., Isa 48:11, Ezek 36:22-23). The call is for a holy zeal from God to defend what is most sacred – His Name.