Psalm 79 5

Psalm 79:5 kjv

How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

Psalm 79:5 nkjv

How long, LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

Psalm 79:5 niv

How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

Psalm 79:5 esv

How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?

Psalm 79:5 nlt

O LORD, how long will you be angry with us? Forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

Psalm 79 verses

Psalm 79 5 Meaning

Psalm 79:5 is a passionate cry of despair and desperate plea to God from a people who feel under His persistent and overwhelming judgment. It expresses the deep anguish and theological struggle of a community devastated by catastrophe (likely the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple), questioning the duration and intensity of God's wrath and zealous anger. The verse posits a direct, agonizing question to the Lord: "How long will this righteous anger continue, feeling as though it will never cease? Will Your consuming jealousy against our transgressions eternally burn us?" It highlights the overwhelming sense that God's holy indignation, intended for their discipline, has become an enduring, fiery punishment.

Psalm 79 5 Context

Psalm 79 is a communal lament (a dirge for the community) believed to have been composed in response to the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, most notably by the Babylonians in 586 BC. This historical context reveals a horrific scenario: the Holy City lay in ruins, the sacred Temple was desecrated, and the bodies of God's servants were unburied, food for wild beasts (v. 1-3). The remaining Israelites faced reproach and mockery from surrounding nations (v. 4), challenging the very name and power of their God.

Within this framework of immense suffering and national shame, verse 5 represents the turning point from describing the catastrophe to directly addressing God with an urgent, questioning appeal. It verbalizes the collective spiritual and emotional crisis: the people felt utterly forsaken by Yahweh, as if His covenantal anger, though righteous, had become an interminable and all-consuming fire. Their plea is not one of disbelief, but of profound bewilderment and desperate hope, calling upon God to remember His covenant, His people, and especially His own honor among the gentiles who now scoffed at His perceived impotence.

Psalm 79 5 Word analysis

• How long (עַד-מָה – ad-mah): This phrase signifies an earnest and anguished appeal, not just to duration but to the unbearable continuance of a painful situation. It is a quintessential expression found in lament psalms, conveying extreme distress, perceived divine delay or inactivity, and an urgent desire for divine intervention and an end to suffering.
• Lord? (יְהוָה – Yahweh): This is God's sacred, covenant name. Addressing God by Yahweh highlights the psalmist's appeal based on His unique relationship with Israel, His faithfulness to His covenant promises, and His unchanging character, even when His actions seem contradictory to these understandings. It is a plea to the God who is personal, mighty, and true to His word.
• Will You be angry (תֶּאֱנַף – te'enaf): Derived from the root אָנַף (anaph), meaning to be displeased, indignant, or wrathful. It describes God's righteous displeasure and indignation toward sin, a deliberate and purposeful expression of His holy character against unrighteousness. This anger is not a volatile human emotion but a just response.
• forever? (לָנֶצַח – lanetzakh): This term conveys perpetuity or eternity. The psalmist asks if the period of divine wrath, manifested in their devastating circumstances, will never end. This extreme expression conveys the depth of their suffering and the crushing weight of what felt like unending divine judgment. It underscores a feeling of absolute abandonment and hopelessness.
• Will Your jealousy (קִנְאָתֶךָ – qin'ateka): Derived from קָנָא (qana), this is God's zealous, intense passion for His exclusive relationship with His people and for His own holiness and glory. Unlike human jealousy which is often selfish or envious, divine jealousy is pure and righteous. It motivates God to protect His honor, covenant, and people. In this context, it has turned against Israel due to their sin, consuming them like fire as a disciplinary judgment for their spiritual infidelity. It is the righteous zeal that demands loyalty and punishes infidelity.
• burn (תִּבְעַר – tiv'ar): From בָּעַר (ba'ar), meaning to kindle, burn, or consume. It depicts the destructive and intense nature of the divine attribute described, suggesting an unquenchable force that devastates.
• like fire? (כְּמוֹ-אֵשׁ – k'mo-esh): This vivid simile reinforces the consuming, purifying, and destructive power of God's jealousy/wrath. Fire in biblical imagery often represents God's holiness, His judgment, and His presence (e.g., in the burning bush, at Sinai). Here, it portrays the overwhelming intensity of divine discipline.

Words-group analysis:

• "How long, Lord?": This urgent pair of words immediately sets the tone of lament, signaling an appeal from deep suffering and a challenge to God’s timing or apparent inaction, addressed to His covenant name. It demonstrates faith still present amidst questioning.
• "Will you be angry forever?": This clause expresses the intense despair of the supplicant, feeling that divine wrath is perpetual and unending. It highlights a crisis of faith regarding the duration and boundary of God’s disciplinary anger.
• "Will Your jealousy burn like fire?": This phrase emphasizes the severity and destructive nature of God's holy passion when directed against His own people's unfaithfulness. It illustrates divine zeal consuming, rather than protecting, them due to their sin.

Psalm 79 5 Bonus section

The concept of divine "jealousy" is a uniquely biblical attribute. Unlike human jealousy, which often stems from insecurity or envy, God's jealousy (קִנְאָה - qin'ah) is an expression of His uncompromising demand for exclusive devotion and His fervent passion for His own holiness and honor. He is "a jealous God" (Deut 4:24), meaning He will not tolerate rivals, idolatry, or unfaithfulness from those who claim to be His. This holy zeal explains His furious reaction to His people's covenant breaking.

Furthermore, lament psalms like Psalm 79 are vital theological tools in Scripture. They demonstrate that it is permissible, even vital, for believers to express profound pain, confusion, and even accusation towards God in times of extreme suffering. Such honesty, though startling, paradoxically affirms faith. The questions posed ("How long?", "forever?") are not expressions of unbelief, but wrestling prayers that lean into God's character, ultimately seeking His mercy and intervention based on His past faithfulness and His glory. This psalm’s transition from raw anguish to a plea for divine intervention based on God’s reputation among the nations highlights a crucial aspect of Israel's covenant with Yahweh: their destiny was intertwined with His Name among the gentiles. If Israel was continually destroyed and disgraced, God's Name would be dishonored.

Psalm 79 5 Commentary

Psalm 79:5 captures the heart of communal lament, where deep distress meets robust theology. The psalmist is not questioning God's existence or righteousness but struggling with the duration and intensity of His righteous judgment. The triple questions—"How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?"—underscore the profound agony and perplexity of a people who know God is holy and just, yet find themselves consumed by the very attributes meant to protect them.

God's anger (anaph) and jealousy (qin'ah) are expressions of His immutable holiness and absolute commitment to His covenant. They are never capricious or unjust, but always righteous responses to human sin and infidelity. In this psalm, Israel, through its idolatry and disobedience, had provoked the very zeal that once defended them, causing it to turn inward as a purifying or chastening fire. The lamenting cry asks if this necessary purification will cease to be disciplinary and become eternally punitive. The people’s desperation stems from the sense that divine judgment has not only brought immediate catastrophe but appears boundless. This prayer is an act of continued faith, however anguished, implicitly asking God to remember His covenant mercies and His own glorious Name, which was being mocked by the surrounding nations (as noted in later verses of Psa 79). It appeals to God's steadfast love that endures beyond anger, anticipating a moment when His righteous indignation gives way to redemptive grace and zealous restoration.