Psalm 89 51

Psalm 89:51 kjv

Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.

Psalm 89:51 nkjv

With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

Psalm 89:51 niv

the taunts with which your enemies, LORD, have mocked, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

Psalm 89:51 esv

with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.

Psalm 89:51 nlt

Your enemies have mocked me, O LORD;
they mock your anointed king wherever he goes.

Psalm 89 verses

Psalm 89 51 Meaning

Psalm 89:51 is a profound cry of anguish and distress, representing the climax of a long lament. It expresses the psalmist's deep sorrow and indignation over the widespread and intense scorn brought upon God Himself through the public humiliation of His anointed king (the Davidic monarch) and everything associated with his reign. The verse laments that enemies have mocked the king's authority, path, and very existence, which is perceived as a direct affront to God's honor, faithfulness, and the covenant He established.

Psalm 89 51 Context

Psalm 89 is a Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. The psalm opens with an expansive affirmation of God's steadfast love and covenant faithfulness, especially highlighting the eternal Davidic covenant (vv. 1-37), which promised a perpetual dynasty for David's descendants. However, there is a dramatic and wrenching turn at verse 38. The psalmist shifts abruptly from joyous praise to a bitter lament, describing how God appears to have spurned and cast off His anointed king, allowing him to suffer humiliation and defeat. The verses preceding 51 detail the stripping of the king's glory, the apparent breaking of the covenant, and the national disgrace (vv. 38-50). Psalm 89:51 then climaxes this lament, expressing the profound distress over the ongoing taunts of enemies directed at both God and His seemingly defeated chosen one. Historically, this psalm likely reflects a period of national catastrophe for Judah, such as the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of the Davidic monarchy (586 BC), where the grand promises of the Davidic covenant appeared to be utterly shattered in the face of overwhelming enemy power.

Psalm 89 51 Word analysis

• How (עַד-מָה, ʿad-mah): Literally "How long?" or "To what extent?" It functions as an exclamation of intense and prolonged distress, bewilderment, and grief over the continuation and severity of the scorn.
• you are scorned (חֵרְפוּ, ḥērəpū from חָרַף, ḥārap): The verb means "to reproach," "taunt," "revile," "put to shame." It is used twice for emphasis, underlining the overwhelming and pervasive nature of the scorn. The enemies' actions are perceived as directly shaming God, suggesting His inability to protect His covenant people and His anointed.
• O Lord (אֲדֹנָי, ʾAdonai): A title for God, emphasizing His sovereign authority and mastership. The psalmist addresses God directly in the midst of the crisis, appealing to His ultimate power and responsibility for the current state of affairs and for ultimate vindication.
• your enemies (אוֹיְבֶיךָ, ʾōyəḇeyḵā): Refers to the nations or internal adversaries who oppose God's people and, by extension, God's divine plan and covenant. Their actions are explicitly anti-God.
• the footsteps (עִקְבוֹת, ʿiqqəḇōṯ from עָקֵב, ʿaqeb): This term is multifaceted. It can refer to:
  1. The actual movements or path taken by the anointed one.
  2. The "heel," as the lowliest or most vulnerable part, symbolizing the complete debasement.
  3. The "tracks," "wake," or "legacy," implying that everything associated with the anointed—his influence, authority, reign, destiny, and even his very existence—is being scorned. It speaks to a deep, fundamental dishonor.
• of your anointed (מְשִׁיחֶךָ, mĕšîḥeḵā from מָשִׁיחַ, mashiach): "Your Messiah" or "Your Anointed One." In the Old Testament, this primarily refers to the Davidic king, set apart by anointing oil as God's representative ruler. His humiliation is therefore seen as an attack on God's chosen instrument and, ultimately, on God Himself. This title powerfully prefigures the ultimate Anointed One, Jesus Christ.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "How you are scorned, O Lord, how you are scorned!": This dramatic double utterance underscores the depth of the psalmist's pain and the severity of the perceived indignity suffered by God. It’s an outcry that emphasizes God's apparent dishonor through the plight of His people and king. This isn't merely a complaint but a plea for God to address a situation that challenges His very character and name before the nations.
• "By the taunts of your enemies, they have scorned the footsteps of your anointed.": This phrase specifies the means by which God is "scorned" and further clarifies the object of that scorn. The enemies, in their derision of the king's path or every aspect of his kingship—which is rooted in God's divine election and promises—are essentially reviling God's faithfulness and power. The phrase "footsteps of your anointed" suggests an attack on the very core and progression of God's redemptive plan unfolding through His chosen one.

Psalm 89 51 Bonus section

• Rhetorical Devices: The repetition of "scorned" (Hebraism for emphasis) intensifies the emotion and underlines the persistent nature of the disgrace. The use of rhetorical question ("How...?") at the beginning of the previous verse (v. 49) and implied here in v. 51 ("How...") reflects deep perplexity and earnest appeal.
• Intercessory Lament: Despite the severe complaint, the psalmist continues to address God ("O Lord"), demonstrating that this is not a renunciation of faith but an earnest intercession, pleading for divine intervention in a world where God's reputation is at stake. The very act of bringing this raw lament before God is an act of trust.
• Divine Passive: While "you are scorned" in English sounds like a passive action on God, the Hebrew verbs in the earlier part of the lament (e.g., Ps 89:38 "you have cast off," "you have rejected") often convey God permitting the shame or being involved in the king's humbling as a form of discipline, even if painful for the psalmist.
• From Historical King to Eschatological Hope: The profound theological crisis in Psalm 89, stemming from the apparent failure of the historical Davidic monarchy to fulfill the covenant promises, inadvertently sharpens the longing for a future, perfect Anointed One—the Messiah, Jesus Christ—whose reign will be truly eternal and invincible, ultimately fulfilling God's unwavering word. His path was scorned, but that scorn led to salvation.

Psalm 89 51 Commentary

Psalm 89:51 stands as a powerful expression of existential anguish in the face of profound national and spiritual crisis. It concludes the psalmist's lament by identifying the perceived scorn endured by God Himself through the utter humiliation of His divinely chosen and anointed king. The enemies' relentless taunts, not merely directed at the human ruler, but at "the footsteps of your anointed," signify a comprehensive contempt for the king's entire realm of authority, his God-given destiny, and by extension, the sovereign power of YHWH who appointed him. This direct assault on the Davidic covenant challenged the core of Israel's understanding of God's unyielding promises. The psalm's ability to vocalize such a desperate plea, even doubting God's immediate upholding of His covenant, ultimately demonstrates a deep faith that is willing to wrestle honestly with God's perceived inactivity. This human outcry finds its ultimate resonance in the life of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who endured far greater scorn, rejection, and crucifixion by His enemies, which humanly speaking, appeared to be the ultimate scorn of God's Anointed. Yet, God's ultimate answer to that scorn was resurrection and triumph.

• Practical usage example: When the work of God or the lives of believers are publicly ridiculed or face opposition from the world, this verse offers a way to articulate that pain. It encourages us to lament to God, not only for the suffering experienced but for the perceived dishonor brought to His name, trusting that He will ultimately vindicate His character and His purposes.