Psalms 44: Yet We Have Not Forgotten
Remembering God's mighty deeds of old, the people cry out in bewildered faith over a present defeat they have not deserved, and beg God to rise and redeem.
Psalms 44 (WEB)
1 We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us, what work you did in their days, in the days of old.
2 You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
3 For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.
4 You are my King, God. Command victories for Jacob!
5 Through you, will we push down our adversaries. Through your name, will we tread them under who rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.
8 In God we have made our boast all day long, we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah.
9 But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.
11 You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,
16 At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,
19 Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god;
21 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Psalms 44 (KJV)
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.
Psalms 44 (ASV)
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, What work thou didst in their days, In the days of old.
2 Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand; But them thou didst plant: Thou didst afflict the peoples; But them thou didst spread abroad.
3 For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them.
4 Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverance for Jacob.
5 Through thee will we push down our adversaries: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, Neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And hast put them to shame that hate us.
8 In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. [Selah
9 But now thou hast cast us off, and brought us to dishonor, And goest not forth with our hosts.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary; And they that hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast made us like sheep appointed for food, And hast scattered us among the nations.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, And hast not increased thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All the day long is my dishonor before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, By reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back, Neither have our steps declined from thy way,
19 That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, Or spread forth our hands to a strange god;
21 Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up for our help, And redeem us for thy lovingkindness’ sake.
Summary
This is a communal lament, the prayer of a people stunned by a defeat they cannot explain. They begin by remembering what God did in the days of old, how their fathers told them of how he drove out the nations and planted Israel, for it was not their own sword but God's right hand and the light of his face that saved them. From this memory they confess present faith: through God they push down adversaries, and they will not trust in their own bow. But then the psalm turns sharply: "But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor." They feel made like sheep for slaughter, scattered among the nations, a byword and a reproach. What makes this lament unusual is its protest of innocence—they insist they have not forgotten God or been false to his covenant, their hearts have not turned back, even though they have been crushed in the haunt of jackals. They confess, "Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long," a verse Paul quotes in Romans 8 to describe the suffering of Christians. The psalm ends not in despair but in bold pleading: "Wake up!... Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness' sake." It teaches the faithful how to bring undeserved suffering honestly to God while still resting on his steadfast love.
Voices
- The covenant people (sons of Korah) — The faithful community that remembers God's past deeds, laments present defeat, and pleads for redemption.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who gave victories of old and who is now beseeched to wake, rise, and redeem for his loving kindness' sake.
- The fathers of old — The earlier generation through whom God drove out nations and planted Israel by his right hand.
- The triumphant enemies — The adversaries who plunder, scatter, taunt, and shame God's people in their defeat.
Key Verse
Psalm 44:22 (WEB)
Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
Lessons Learned
- Remembering God's past faithfulness anchors faith when the present is bewildering.
- Not all suffering is the result of personal sin; sometimes the faithful suffer for God's sake.
- We can bring honest, even bold, complaint to God while still trusting his loving kindness.
- When we have done nothing to deserve our trouble, we may still appeal to God's mercy, not our merit.
- Victory has always been God's gift. "For they didn't get the land in possession by their own sword... but your right hand" (Psalm 44:3, WEB). What God's people enjoy, they receive from his hand, not their own strength.
- Faith can voice bewilderment. "But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor" (Psalm 44:9, WEB). Honest lament that names confusion before God is an act of faith, not unbelief.
- The faithful may suffer for God's sake. "Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long" (Psalm 44:22, WEB). Paul quotes this in Romans 8 to describe suffering Christians who are nonetheless more than conquerors.
- Integrity can be honestly affirmed. "All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you" (Psalm 44:17, WEB). They have not abandoned the covenant, so they appeal as the wronged, not the guilty.
- Plead on God's loving kindness, not our merit. "Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness' sake" (Psalm 44:26, WEB). The final ground of rescue is God's steadfast love, not our deserving.
- How does remembering God's past deeds shape the people's prayer in their present trouble?
- Why is this lament unusual in its protest that the people have not forgotten God?
- What does it mean to be "killed all day long" for God's sake (verse 22), and how does Paul use it?
- On what basis do the people finally appeal to God in verse 26?
- How might you bring honest complaint to God while still trusting his steadfast love?
- They begin with what God did of old—driving out nations and planting Israel by his right hand (44:1-3)—and that memory frames the whole prayer. Remembering past faithfulness keeps their bewildering present from collapsing into despair; it gives them grounds to appeal to the same God now.
- Unlike many laments that confess sin, this one insists the people have stayed faithful: "yet have we not forgotten you" (44:17-18). Their suffering is not obvious discipline, which makes it more agonizing. The psalm gives voice to undeserved suffering, teaching that not every trial is punishment.
- Being "killed all day long" and "regarded as sheep for the slaughter" describes persecution endured for belonging to God (44:22). Paul quotes it in Romans 8:36, right before declaring that in all these things we are more than conquerors. Suffering for God's sake does not mean God's love has failed.
- They appeal not to their own worthiness but to God's loving kindness: "Redeem us for your loving kindness' sake" (44:26). Even while affirming their integrity, they rest their final hope on God's steadfast love. Mercy, not merit, is the surest ground of prayer.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to consider a hardship that feels undeserved, and to bring it to God honestly while still resting on his loving kindness. As leader, affirm that lament is a faithful language, and point to Christ, the true innocent sufferer, in whom even sheep for the slaughter are more than conquerors.