Psalm 74 19

Psalm 74:19 kjv

O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

Psalm 74:19 nkjv

Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.

Psalm 74:19 niv

Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

Psalm 74:19 esv

Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever.

Psalm 74:19 nlt

Don't let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
Don't forget your suffering people forever.

Psalm 74 verses

Psalm 74 19 Meaning

Psalm 74:19 is a passionate plea from a devastated people to God. It implores the Divine to protect His vulnerable and beloved "turtledove"—His people, Israel—from the savage "wild beast" representing the invading oppressors. The plea further asks God not to permanently forget or abandon the "life" of His "afflicted," emphasizing the depth and perceived perpetuity of their suffering and their utter dependence on His divine remembrance and intervention. It conveys a deep sense of a lost and broken covenant relationship, appealing to God’s previous acts of faithfulness and protection.

Psalm 74 19 Context

Psalm 74 is a deeply moving communal lament, likely composed during or immediately after the devastating destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, possibly during the Babylonian exile (c. 586 BC). The psalm portrays a people in shock and despair, witnessing the holy places defiled, symbols of their faith desecrated, and their nation overrun by an overwhelming foreign power. The previous verses (74:1-11) vividly describe the enemy's destructive actions, followed by a reminder of God's glorious acts in creation and history (74:12-17), reaffirming His supreme power and sovereignty. Verse 19 transitions back from proclaiming God's mighty acts to an urgent plea, asserting that this powerful God must intervene to protect His helpless people. It expresses the depth of their suffering and the perceived vulnerability of God's own "possession" in the face of brutal oppression, essentially asking, "Surely You, the all-powerful God, will not allow your special people to be utterly destroyed and forgotten by a pagan power?"

Psalm 74 19 Word analysis

• Do not deliver (אַל־תִּתֵּן al-tittēn): A strong negative command or prohibition. It is a desperate plea for God not to hand over or abandon. The verb carries the sense of giving into the power of another, yielding.
• the soul (נֶפֶשׁ nephesh): In Hebrew, nephesh refers not just to a spiritual entity but to the entire being, the very life, vitality, and personality of a living creature. Here, it signifies the vulnerable existence or essence of God's people.
• Your turtledove (תּוֹרְךָ tōr'ḵā): "Turtledove" (tōr) symbolizes innocence, vulnerability, smallness, purity, and gentleness. It was one of the birds acceptable for sacrifice, often chosen by the poor due to its humble nature. The possessive suffix "Your" (-ḵā) emphasizes God's ownership and intimate relationship with His people, identifying Israel as His cherished, gentle, and utterly defenseless beloved, not merely an anonymous group. This metaphor powerfully contrasts the helpless state of Israel with the brutal enemy.
• to the wild beast (לְחַיַּת leḥayyat): "Wild beast" (chayyah) denotes a dangerous, untamed, predatory creature that destroys indiscriminately. This vividly represents the brutal, uncontrolled, and destructive foreign army that attacked Israel, devoid of compassion and driven by brute force. It's a contrast to God's tender "turtledove."
• Do not forget (אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח al-tishkaḥ): Another urgent negative command, a plea to remember. Forgetting, in a biblical sense, is not just mental lapse but failure to act in accordance with a relationship or covenant. The psalmist implores God to remember His covenant promises and the plight of His people and thus act on their behalf.
• the life (חַיַּת ḥayyat): Similar to nephesh, this also denotes existence, vitality, and well-being. It is used synonymously with nephesh to intensify the plea for the very being of His people to be preserved.
• of Your afflicted (עֲנִיֶּיךָ 'aniyyeḵā): "Afflicted" ('aniy) describes those who are oppressed, humble, poor, lowly, or suffering. It often characterizes God's chosen people when they are in a state of distress and helplessness, relying solely on Him. The suffix "Your" once again highlights their special relationship with God despite their downtrodden state.
• forever (לָנֶצַח lānetsach): This word means eternally, permanently, or continuously. The plea is not just for temporary relief but for God to act decisively and definitively so that their suffering and their abandonment will not be a perpetual state.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "the soul of Your turtledove... to the wild beast": This striking metaphorical pairing vividly juxtaposes God's precious, vulnerable people with their brutal, destructive enemies. It creates an emotional appeal, drawing on the audience's understanding of gentle birds and savage predators, evoking pity and a call for protective intervention. It implicitly asks, "How can you let your gentle, chosen ones be devoured by such ruthless savagery?"
• "Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever": This second part reiterates the plea with different imagery but the same urgent message. It underscores the fear of permanent abandonment and calls upon God's covenant faithfulness. It acknowledges the ongoing suffering, seeking an end to the "forever" of their plight. The emphasis is on divine remembrance, which necessitates divine action.

Psalm 74 19 Bonus section

The metaphorical language in Psalm 74:19 holds a strong polemical edge. By portraying the enemies as "wild beasts" – uncontrolled, barbaric, and destructive – the psalmist implicitly contrasts them with Yahweh, the God of order, creation, and covenant. In the Ancient Near East, chaos was often personified by beasts or sea monsters, a motif God conquered in creation myths. Thus, asking God to deliver His "turtledove" from the "wild beast" is an appeal to His established cosmic order, challenging Him to reassert His sovereignty over the chaotic forces that threaten His covenant people and disrupt His creation. This aligns with other prophetic imagery where Gentile nations acting against Israel are depicted as beasts (e.g., in Daniel), reinforcing the idea that such nations operate outside the divine order unless sovereignly permitted. The tenderness of the turtledove contrasts not only with the enemy but also implicitly with the "people, land, light" from the previous verses, highlighting that God's people are unique, cherished, and require a different, more intimate form of preservation.

Psalm 74 19 Commentary

Psalm 74:19 is a deeply personal and emotionally charged appeal that shifts from acknowledging God’s sovereignty over creation (Ps 74:12-17) to a raw, desperate cry for His protective intervention. The psalmist frames God’s people as a vulnerable "turtledove," a metaphor that communicates their defenselessness, innocence, and profound need for divine care. This chosen imagery serves as a direct contrast to the "wild beast," which vividly represents the savage, uncontrolled, and godless oppressors who have wrought destruction upon God's sanctuary and people. The plea "Do not deliver" is an agonizing protest against the possibility of divine abandonment, an implicit question about God's honor and faithfulness if His beloved people are left to the mercy of such brutality.

Furthermore, the psalmist's petition, "Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever," underscores a crucial biblical understanding of remembrance. "Forgetting" for God does not mean a lapse in memory but a failure to act on behalf of those with whom He has a covenant relationship. The plea is thus an urgent call for God to recall His covenant, His promises, and His deep affection for His suffering people. The "afflicted" (aniyyeḵā) refers to those who are poor, oppressed, and lowly, relying solely on God for their deliverance, thus intensifying their vulnerability. The addition of "forever" reflects the psalmist's overwhelming despair, fearing that their suffering might become a permanent state unless God intervenes. This verse captures the essence of a people's pain and trust, appealing to God’s nature as a compassionate Protector and a faithful Covenant-Keeper, even in the midst of national catastrophe.

Examples of practical usage include:

• A believer suffering injustice and crying out to God, identifying themselves as God's "afflicted" seeking His divine intervention against oppressive forces.
• A community facing spiritual attack, appealing to God as their "turtledove" in need of His shelter from the "wild beast" of spiritual enemies.
• Individuals or groups praying against human trafficking or other forms of severe exploitation, seeing the victims as "afflicted" and asking God to remember and deliver them permanently from their plight.