Psalms 79:5

"How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?"

Key Reflection

In Psalms 79:5, the psalmist expresses profound anxiety and wonder at God's enduring anger towards His people. The imagery of "jealousy burning like fire" evokes a sense of God’s intense yet potentially destructive wrath, highlighting both the duration of God's displeasure and its formidable power. This verse reflects a common biblical theme where the Israelites seek to understand why God remains angry for so long, even as they continue to pray for His mercy and intervention.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

How long, Lord? -SeePsalms 74:1, note;Psalms 74:10, note; andPsalms 77:7-9, notes. This is the language, not of impatience, but of anxiety; not of complaining, but of wonder. It is language such as the people of God are often constrained to employ under heavy trials - trials which continue so long that it seems as if they would never end. Shall thy jealousy, burn like fire? -That is, Shall it continue to burn like fire? Shall it utterly consume us? On the word jealousy, see the notes atPsalms 78:58.

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