Introduction to Psalm 79
Psalm 79 Text and Commentary: Asaph's National Lament after the Fall of Jerusalem
The Psalm 79 is a collective lament (qinah) attributed to Asaph — 13 verses documenting the devastation of the Jerusalem Temple, the profanation of the sanctuary and the massacre of the community (Ps 79:1-4 MT). The heading places the psalm in the genre of the national lament (qinah leAsaf): not individual prayer but the voice of the whole community before historical catastrophe. The Jewish tradition has always read Ps 79 in relation to the destruction of the Temple — both the first (586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar) and the second (70 AD, Titus) — as a liturgical expression of Israel's collective grief. The Book of Lamentations (Lam 1:1-5; 2:1-9) is the closest OT text: both describe the fall of Zion with qinah terminology, and the Jewish liturgical tradition places them alongside each other in the commemoration of the Ninth of Av.
The structure of Psalm 79 is articulated in three movements: the description of the catastrophe (vv.1-4), the supplication to YHWH (vv.5-9), and the demand for justice and vow of praise (vv.10-13). Verse 5 introduces the central theological question: ad matai YHWH tignaf lanetzach — "how long, YHWH, will you be angry forever?" (Ps 79:5 MT). The formula ad matai ("how long?") is a key structure of biblical lament (Ps 13:2; 74:10; 94:3) — not blasphemy but trust that divine anger is temporary and that YHWH remains bound to his people by the covenant.
The central motivation of the supplication is not Israel's merit but the glory of the divine Name: "Why should the nations say: 'Where is their God?'" (Ps 79:10 MT). The logic is that of Ezek 36:20-23 — the profanation of YHWH's Name among the nations calls God to act for his own glory, not for the merits of the people. Revelation takes up this cry: Rev 6:10 takes up the verse of Ps 79 ("How long, O Lord, before you judge and avenge our blood?") placing it on the lips of the martyrs under the heavenly altar — establishing the continuity between OT lament and Christian eschatological hope.
| Lament | MT Text | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Description of catastrophe | Ps 79:1-4 | Temple profanation, blood shed |
| Divine supplication | Ps 79:5-9 | Ad matai? Forgiveness of sins |
| Justice and vow | Ps 79:10-13 | Vengeance for blood, perpetual praise |
The Mishnah Berakhot codifies the theological principle that the Psalm 79 commentary presupposes: "One does not rise to pray unless with kavvanah (concentration of the heart toward God)." The lament of Ps 79 is not disorganized emotional outpouring: it is structured prayer with full kavvanah — the chasidim rishonim (early pious ones) would wait a full hour before praying. The rabbinic tradition (Talmud Bavli Yoma 9b) identifies in sinat chinam (gratuitous hatred) the theological cause of the destruction of the Second Temple: Ps 79 denounces the external aggression, but Jewish exegetical tradition does not forget internal responsibility — the community is co-responsible for its own ruin through division.
- The destruction of Jerusalem is read by Yoma 9b as a consequence of sinat chinam: the opposite, ahavat chinam (gratuitous love), is the condition for reconstruction
- Verse 13 ("we, your people and the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever") transforms the lament into a permanent liturgical vow, building the bridge toward future praise