In times that feel like defeat, don’t quit the faith.

Psalm 44 is a lament psalm that expresses not just the author’s crisis of faith but the entire nation of Israel. They have heard of God’s divine activities in the past and have been faithful and loyal to His name. However, their current defeats have led them to believe that God has rejected them.

vv. 1–8—The people of Israel recount the victories that God has given their ancestors and continue to pledge fealty to Him. Perhaps these verses were recited before battle and even led by the king.

—Throughout the psalm, there is an interchange between first person plural (We) and first person singular (I).

v. 2—The Lord was the one who cleared the land and planted Israel, a common theme throughout the Psalms and the prophets.

v. 4—The psalmist declares his loyalty to God as king. This pledge would be significant if the psalmist were a king. He would then be saying that the Lord’s kingship was greater than his own and would place Israel’s king on the level of a vassal king (a lesser king answering to a superior king).

v. 5—”Drive back” images an ox violently attacking. “Trample” down is a complement to the image, picturing a large beast overpowering its victim.

v. 6— The psalmist trusts in God alone, for God alone gives victory.

vv. 9–16—Though the psalmist trusts God for victory, his current experience is anything but a win. His suffering and Israel’s defeat have thrown his faith into a crisis.

v. 9—Israel’s defeat feels like God’s rejection. This rejection looks like vv. 10–14:

—Cause us to retreat.
—Hand us over like sheep intended to be eaten.
—Sell us for free.
—Make us an object of disgrace.
—Make us a joke among the nations.

v. 15—The result of God’s rejection is that the psalmist is utterly humiliated.

vv. 17–26—God’s rejection seems unfair because Israel, along with the psalmist, has not abandoned God. They have remained loyal to Him and continue to trust in Him for victory.

vv. 17–18—The psalmist describes Israel’s devotion to God:

—We have not forgotten you.
—We have not violated your covenant.
—We have not turned our hearts away from You.
—We have not turned from walking Your paths.

v. 19—”Yet” shows a hard contrast from Israel’s/the psalmist’s loyalty and God’s activity. He has caused them to become like a desert place, which serves as a home for wild dogs. God has covered Israel with death’s shadow.

v. 20–21—If Israel had abandoned God, God would know it because He would see the hidden things of the heart.

v. 22—The psalmist uses the image of slaughtered sheep a second time (see v. 11). “For your sake” could mean “By God” or “Because of God.” The Apostle Paul references this verse in Romans 8:31–39.

vv. 23–26—The psalmist is in a crisis of faith but has not given up on hope. While undoubtedly, he does not believe that God is asleep, His inactivity feels like neglect at best or outright rejection at worst. As the people cling to the ground on their bellies, they cry out to the things that can provide them deliverance and victory—God’s supernatural love.