Psalm 79:2 kjv
The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
Psalm 79:2 nkjv
The dead bodies of Your servants They have given as food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
Psalm 79:2 niv
They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.
Psalm 79:2 esv
They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
Psalm 79:2 nlt
They have left the bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of heaven.
The flesh of your godly ones
has become food for the wild animals.
Psalm 79 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:26 | "Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the sky..." | A curse for disobedience |
| 1 Kgs 14:11 | "...dogs shall eat him who dies in the city... birds of the air shall eat." | Judgment on Jeroboam's house |
| 1 Kgs 16:4 | "Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city, the dogs shall eat..." | Judgment on Baasha's house |
| 1 Kgs 21:24 | "Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs shall eat..." | Judgment on Ahab's house |
| Jer 7:33 | "The corpses of this people will be food for the birds... and for beasts." | Desolation as divine judgment |
| Jer 8:2 | "...shall be like manure on the face of the earth." | Consequence of idolatry |
| Jer 16:4 | "They shall not be lamented nor buried; they shall be as manure..." | Profound lack of burial |
| Jer 19:7 | "I will make their corpses food for the birds... and for the beasts." | Breaking of the covenant |
| Jer 34:20 | "...I will give them to their enemies... their dead bodies for food..." | Betrayal of covenant by Zedekiah |
| Ps 44:22 | "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are considered as sheep..." | God's people as suffering victims |
| Lam 2:20-21 | "The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets..." | Unspeakable suffering during siege |
| Dan 11:33-35 | "...be laid low for a time, even by sword and by flame, by captivity..." | Persecution of God's people |
| Rom 8:36 | "As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are..." | Christian identification with suffering |
| Heb 11:37-38 | "...killed with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins..." | Faithfulness amidst extreme hardship |
| Rev 6:9-10 | "I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain..." | Souls of martyrs crying out |
| Ex 19:5-6 | "...a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." | Identity of God's chosen people |
| Deut 7:6 | "...the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His special..." | Israel as a peculiar treasure to God |
| Is 43:10 | "'You are My witnesses,' declares the LORD, 'And My servant whom I..." | Israel as God's chosen servant |
| Joel 2:27 | "...My people will never be put to shame." | Prophetic promise of vindication |
| Deut 32:35 | "Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip." | God's attribute of vengeance |
| Rom 12:19 | "...'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." | Believers urged to leave vengeance to God |
| Ps 94:1-3 | "O LORD, God of vengeance, shine forth!" | Plea for divine retribution |
| Is 64:10-11 | "Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness." | Desolation of sanctuary and cities |
| Lam 1:10 | "The adversary has stretched out his hand over all her precious things." | Desecration of the Temple |
| Job 19:26-27 | "And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh..." | Hope of future bodily resurrection |
| Is 26:19 | "Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise." | Prophetic hope of resurrection |
| Ezek 37:11-14 | "...These bones are the whole house of Israel... I will open your graves." | Restoration and national revival of Israel |
| John 5:28-29 | "...all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out..." | Christ's teaching on resurrection |
Psalm 79 verses
Psalm 79 2 Meaning
Psalm 79:2 describes a horrific scene of utter desolation and desecration: the dead bodies of God's faithful servants lie unburied, serving as carrion for scavenging birds and wild animals. This imagery conveys extreme shame, defeat, and lack of human dignity, as proper burial was paramount in ancient Near Eastern culture. It depicts a deep spiritual trauma, where the enemies' triumph extended to violating the very remains of those devoted to the Almighty.
Psalm 79 2 Context
Psalm 79 is a lament composed in the aftermath of a catastrophic national disaster, almost certainly the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by Babylon in 586 BC. The first verse immediately establishes this context by mourning the desolation of God's inheritance and the defilement of His holy temple. Verse 2 amplifies the horrors by focusing on the fate of the people themselves. It portrays a scene of mass death and profound indignity, where the bodies of the covenant people, those explicitly chosen and loyal to Yahweh, are not only killed but denied the essential dignity of burial. This serves as a testament to the enemies' absolute power and a profound questioning of God's protective presence amidst such devastation.
Psalm 79 2 Word analysis
- They have given: Refers to the foreign invaders, Babylon, and their allies. This highlights the active agency of the oppressors in carrying out this heinous act.
- the bodies (נִבְלַת - nivlat): This Hebrew term specifically means "corpse" or "carcass," often used for dead animals. Its application to human bodies emphasizes the dehumanizing and degrading manner in which the fallen were treated. It points to a total lack of respect and a complete loss of dignity for God's people.
- of Your servants (עֲבָדֶיךָ - avadëykha): Denotes those bound to God by covenant, loyal in their devotion, acknowledging God's ownership and their willing servitude. It deepens the tragedy, as these were not just random casualties but those committed to the Lord, making their desecration an offense against God Himself.
- as food (מַאֲכָל - ma'akhal): Implies deliberate abandonment for consumption. The term carries the basic meaning of "something eaten," underscoring the horrific nature of the bodies being treated as mere sustenance for creatures, rather than treated with respect.
- for the birds of the heavens (עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם - ʿōf haššāmayim): Refers to carrion birds, common scavengers. Their presence indicates an unburied, exposed state for the deceased, a curse foretold in judgment passages of the Torah (Deut 28:26).
- the flesh (בְּשַׂר - bāśar): A parallel term to "bodies," emphasizing the physical remains and their decomposition. It denotes the perishable material of living beings, now laid bare and decaying.
- of Your godly ones (חֲסִידֶיךָ - ḥăsîdeykha): From the Hebrew root ḥesed (loyal love, covenant faithfulness), this term identifies God's devoted, righteous, and faithful people. The destruction of "Your godly ones" directly challenges God's protective love and implies an affront to His own reputation among the nations, as those dedicated to Him have been so terribly undone.
- to the beasts of the earth (חַיְתוֹ אָרֶץ - ḥayyaṯô ʾāreṣ): Refers to wild predatory animals. This completes the gruesome picture of utter vulnerability and the abrogation of natural order, where the human dead are indistinguishable from fallen animals.
- Words-group analysis: The parallelism between "bodies of Your servants" and "flesh of Your godly ones," along with "birds of the heavens" and "beasts of the earth," intensifies the impact of the verse. It confirms the totality of the disaster and the complete desecration of every part of the victim, by every type of scavenger, whether aerial or terrestrial. The emphasis on "Your servants" and "Your godly ones" repeatedly points to the fact that these are God's people, making the calamity a direct affront to His name and honor.
Psalm 79 2 Bonus section
The scene described in Psalm 79:2 not only speaks of physical destruction but also implicitly portrays a state of spiritual vulnerability and a temporary disruption of the divine covenant relationship. The bodies, usually viewed as sacred vessels, are reduced to common carrion, signifying the enemy's perceived victory over God's protective hand. This also foreshadows the complete spiritual exile and abandonment of national identity felt during the Babylonian captivity, highlighting how fundamental communal well-being and honor were intertwined with God's manifest presence.
Psalm 79 2 Commentary
Psalm 79:2 paints a harrowing picture of war's ultimate degradation, going beyond mere death to the ultimate indignity of the unburied. This verse serves as a visceral lament for the national humiliation endured by Israel at the hands of its enemies. The horrific imagery of bodies being left to scavengers violated one of the most fundamental tenets of human dignity and Jewish tradition, where proper burial was crucial. For God's "servants" and "godly ones" to suffer such a fate was not merely a physical defeat but a profound spiritual wound, raising questions about God's justice and faithfulness. It underscores the severity of the judgment that had fallen upon them and sets the stage for the psalmists' urgent cry for divine intervention and vindication, reflecting the deep trust that despite this seemingly insurmountable defeat, God remains sovereign and capable of vengeance and restoration.