O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
Parallel translations
- WEB A contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
- BSB A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?
- NKJV O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
- NASB God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
- NLT O God, why have you rejected us so long? Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Asaph cries out, asking why God has seemingly rejected his people forever and why his anger burns against the sheep of his pasture.
Overview
This lament arises from the devastation of the sanctuary, likely the destruction of the temple. Asaph appeals to God on the basis of covenant: these are 'the sheep of your pasture,' God's own flock. The image of God as Shepherd both deepens the cry and grounds the hope, fulfilled in Christ the Good Shepherd who does not finally forsake his sheep (John 10:11).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 22
- Deut 29:20The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.
- Ps 100:3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
- Ps 79:13So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.
- John 10:26–30But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
- Ezek 34:31And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.
- Ps 44:9But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
- Jer 23:1Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
- Jer 31:37Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
- Ps 42:11Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
- Luke 12:32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
- Ps 95:7For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
- Rom 11:1–2I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
- Ps 79:5How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
- Ps 42:9I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
- Ps 60:10Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
- Ps 60:1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
- Ps 10:1Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
- Jer 33:24–26Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
- Ps 77:7Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
- Ezek 34:8As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
- Ps 18:8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
- Ps 78:1Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 74:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.