Psalm 74 (73):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Cry out as if left desolate, as if cast aside: cry out like an ailing individual who would rather strike the healer than receive restoration: He has not yet come to know you. Observe what He, who remains unknown to you, has accomplished. For those who have never received a proclamation of Him will perceive, and those who have not listened will comprehend; and yet you lament, There is no longer a prophet, and He has yet to acknowledge us. Where is your wisdom? In the end, the adversary incites Your name. The adversary stirs Your name at the end, so that, stirred to indignation, You may bring rebuke, and by rebuking, You may ultimately recognize them, or assuredly at the conclusion, even to the very last.

How long, O God, will the adversary mock? After detailing the siege of the city by its foes, the psalmist turns to divine compassion, seeking to understand the extent to which this situation grieves the Lord, articulating this sentiment with the phrases, “in the midst of Thy feast” (Psalms 73:11), “Thy holy place, the habitation of Thy name” (Psalms 73:7), “the feasts of the Lord” (Psalms 73:8), and “Thy name to the end.”

For how long will you allow us to be subjected to their wickedness and endure their profane utterances with long-suffering?

O God! He asks, How long will the Romans, an adversarial nation, scoff at and dishonor us and You, as feeble and ineffective? As long as this antagonistic group continues to speak ill of Your name, expressing harmful words against it, and You remain patient, permitting this for our transgressions.

The faithful persist in their prayers to the Sovereign Lord, asking Him to remember them and direct His anger toward those who mock Him with their frailty, despite the fact that He appears unable to rescue His chosen ones. It seems that the Prophet alludes to Nicanor, the general of King Antiochus, who scornfully derided the people of God, thus profaning the name of the Almighty, as recounted in the first book of the Maccabees, specifically in 1 Macc. 7:34. This could also pertain to King Antiochus himself, or perhaps to King Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, along with his commanders, who were all adversaries of Israel, as indicated in the first and second books of Maccabees.

Ultimately, through Christ, the Fulfillment of all that is good, we find ourselves singing praises of gratitude, honoring Him eternally. This Psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit, was given to David and conveyed to Asaph, the leader of the singers, so that he could declare a joyful prophecy to the people of Israel regarding the impending victory over Sennacherib, the king of Assyria (4 Sam. 19:35). This event symbolizes the triumph of the Holy Church over all adversaries, bestowed upon her by God through the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).

Observing the tragic condition of Israel, the prophet inquires, seemingly provoking God to take action against His adversaries: How long, O God, shall the foe disdain?