It is a sobering reminder that total devastation can come when people forsake the Lord, but His compassion invites them to turn back to Him.
They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them (v.3). This lament describes the gruesome aftermath of enemy invasion, where fallen Israelites lay unburied around their homeland. The psalm is attributed to Asaph, a worship leader who served in or near the time of King David (around 1000 BC), though many scholars believe its final composition arose from the era when the Babylonians ravaged Jerusalem (586 BC). Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah—a pivotal center of worship and political life for God’s chosen people—so seeing it defiled and its inhabitants disgraced created a profound sense of shame and despair (Psalm 79:9-10).
By portraying the blood of the people as being poured out “like water,” the psalmist emphasizes the horrifying magnitude of the suffering. In ancient times, failing to bury the dead was considered one of the worst indignities, symbolizing total defeat and destitution (1 Samuel 31:9-13). This verse thus shows how devastating the conquest was for Israel. In the broader psalm, the psalmist cries out for the Lord’s intervention, appealing to God’s honor and reputation among the nations (Psalm 79:9-10). The verse also foreshadows the later longing for a Messiah who would heal the land and restore what was lost, pointing ultimately to God’s redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 19:41).
This verse underscores the deep sorrow of Israel’s humiliating defeat, calling readers to remember that even in the darkest times, there is a hope in God’s mercy.
Set to dark mode
Psalms 79:3 meaning
They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them (v.3). This lament describes the gruesome aftermath of enemy invasion, where fallen Israelites lay unburied around their homeland. The psalm is attributed to Asaph, a worship leader who served in or near the time of King David (around 1000 BC), though many scholars believe its final composition arose from the era when the Babylonians ravaged Jerusalem (586 BC). Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah—a pivotal center of worship and political life for God’s chosen people—so seeing it defiled and its inhabitants disgraced created a profound sense of shame and despair (Psalm 79:9-10).
By portraying the blood of the people as being poured out “like water,” the psalmist emphasizes the horrifying magnitude of the suffering. In ancient times, failing to bury the dead was considered one of the worst indignities, symbolizing total defeat and destitution (1 Samuel 31:9-13). This verse thus shows how devastating the conquest was for Israel. In the broader psalm, the psalmist cries out for the Lord’s intervention, appealing to God’s honor and reputation among the nations (Psalm 79:9-10). The verse also foreshadows the later longing for a Messiah who would heal the land and restore what was lost, pointing ultimately to God’s redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 19:41).
This verse underscores the deep sorrow of Israel’s humiliating defeat, calling readers to remember that even in the darkest times, there is a hope in God’s mercy.