The big picture
Psalms 79 opens in verse 1 with “O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.”, and closes in verse 13 with “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew…” Repeated or prominent terms include heathen, blood, Jerusalem, known, laid. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 13Psalms 79:1-7
1–7: O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have…
Psalms 79:1–7 opens with “O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have…” and reaches “For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by heathen, Jerusalem, laid.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on…” Naming Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 79:1-7
King James Version1O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
2The 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.
3Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.
4We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5How long, LORD ? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
6Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
7For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.
Psalms 79:8-13
8–13: O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies…
Psalms 79:8–13 opens with “O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we…” and reaches “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by heathen, appointed, blood.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.” The line’s distinctive content terms include former, iniquities, mercies. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 79:8-13
King James Version8O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.
10Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
11Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
12And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
13So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 79:1 begins with “O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 79:5 forms a natural hinge: “How long, LORD ? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?”
The final note
Psalms 79:13 leaves the reader with “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words heathen, blood, Jerusalem, known, laid, LORD help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- wherefore
- for that reason
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.