Psalm 79
Theme
How Long, O Lord?
Outline
1-5, The Nations Defiled Jerusalem 6-9, Judge Them and Forgive Us 10-13, They Mock but We Will Praise
Key Verse
(79:9) Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your name's sake! (79:1) O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
Notes
Psalm 79 is structured around two key questions: "how long?" and "why?" It consists of three parts: the first (79:1–4) describes the defilement of Jerusalem and the slaughter of God’s people; the second (79:6–9) is a plea for divine judgment against the nations and a call for forgiveness; the third (79:10b–13) seeks vengeance for the blood of God’s servants. Common themes of nations, blood, and reproach unify the sections, leading to a chiastic structure that emphasizes the psalmist's faith and hope in God’s justice.