Psalm 79 Study
Welcome to Torah Today Ministries and our continuing series Tehillim Talks, our studies in the Psalms. And in this episode we’re looking at Psalm 79 — a very short psalm. And it’s the seventh of a series of 11 psalms composed by Asaph (אָסָף). Asaph was a prophet. He was a musician. He was a member of David’s court and a very godly man. And so these 11 psalms make up a precious set in the book of Psalms.
Now, this psalm is pretty dark. It’s describing the aftermath of Israel’s falling away from God — being tempted away into idolatry and into sin, as they sometimes do in their history. And as a result, Jerusalem has been ransacked. Now, I mentioned that Asaph is a prophet, and this is believed to be a prophetic psalm — prophesying the coming Babylonian invasion, or maybe later the Roman invasion in 70 AD. We don’t know which, but it definitely is prophetic.
And it reveals a question that many people have — and that is this: how is it that God calls himself a jealous God? In fact, one of God’s names is El Kanah (אֵל קַנָּא) — the God who is jealous. Now, that makes him sound petty. And we know God is anything but petty. But no one boasts, “I’m a jealous person.” And when you call someone a jealous person, that’s never a compliment. But God is very open about it — he’s almost like a lion roaring — saying, “I am a jealous God. I am El Kanah.”
Let me give you a couple of examples of this.
If you look at Exodus 34, verses 13 and 14:
“You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherahs (אֲשֵׁרוֹת).” — Exodus 34:13
These are instructions about what the Israelites are to do when they go into Canaan and see all the idolatry of the Canaanite nations. And it goes on to say:
“For you shall worship no other God. For Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), whose name is Kanah (קַנָּא), is a jealous God.” — Exodus 34:14
El Kanah — that is one of his names.
As it says in Deuteronomy 4:24:
“For Adonai your God is a consuming fire, and El Kanah — a jealous God.” — Deuteronomy 4:24
And God is almost boasting in this. But how can this be? Being a jealous person is never a compliment. Well, we’re going to look at what this word kanah actually means. And unfortunately, we simply don’t have an English word to express it. That’s why it’s sometimes translated “jealous” or “zealous” or “zeal.” We don’t have an English word that encompasses both of these — the negative and the positive aspects of this wonderful, amazing Hebrew word.
So without further ado, Israel — especially Jerusalem — is in ruins. They’ve been attacked. They have lost the battle. And then Asaph writes this psalm, which he calls a mizmor (מִזְמוֹר) — a song of Asaph. Why has he called this a song? Mizmor is usually reserved for psalms that are joyful, that are psalms of praise to God. You can hear the rejoicing in the words. But this psalm is anything but joyful.
So what is it a song about? It is a song to El Kanah — the jealous God. We’re going to see why Israel’s Jerusalem is destroyed. We’re going to see the dynamics here about God’s character as El Kanah, the son of the Jewish people, and what the remedy was. And when you come to the last verse, it turns into a mizmor — into a song. So let’s just jump right in.
Verses 1 through 4:
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your chasidim (חֲסִידִים) to the beasts of the earth. — Psalm 79:1–2
Now I don’t translate the word chasidim there. Your translation may say “your godly ones,” “your servants,” “your pious ones,” “your holy ones,” or some other term. The word comes, of course, from the word chesed (חֶסֶד), which we’ve seen many times in the Psalms and throughout the scriptures. Chesed is a noun which means “loving kindness,” and God is a God of chesed. And so here, as an adjective, he’s referring to those who are the chasidim — those who reflect this loving kindness. And this is where we get the word “Hasidic.” I’m sure you’ve heard of the Hasidic Jews, the ultra-Orthodox Jews — they take that word from Chasidim, the pious ones.
El Kanah (אֵל קַנָּא) — “The Jealous God, the Zealous God”; one of God’s proper names, declared in Exodus 34:14 and Deuteronomy 4:24. The word kanah (קַנָּא) has no exact English equivalent — it encompasses both the negative sense of jealousy and the positive sense of zeal. God does not merely wish to be acknowledged; he burns with an intense, exclusive devotion for his people and against anything that would come between them. The name appears in the context of idolatry — what stirs El Kanah is being replaced by false gods. — Strong’s H7067 (kanah) · Strong’s H410 (El)
Kanah (קַנָּא) — “Jealous, zealous”; the adjective describing God’s consuming jealousy/zeal. From the root kana (קָנָא) — to be jealous, to be zealous, to burn with exclusive passion. In Hebrew thought, jealousy and zeal are the same word because both describe an exclusive, burning intensity — the difference is whether that passion is for something righteous or unrighteous. God’s kanah is always righteous: it is the zeal of a husband who will not share his bride with another. — Strong’s H7067 · Sefaria: Exodus 34:14
Asaph (אָסָף) — “Gatherer”; the Levitical prophet, musician, and poet in David’s court. Composer of Psalm 79 and ten surrounding psalms (Psalms 50, 73–83). Psalm 79 is the seventh in his consecutive series of 11 — and it is designated a mizmor (song) even in its darkness, suggesting that even lament can be offered as praise. In the earlier Tehillim Talks episode on Psalm 78, Matthew identified Asaph as a prophet (Matthew 13:35). — Strong’s H623
Mizmor (מִזְמוֹר) — “Song, psalm”; from the root zamar (זָמַר) — to sing, to make music. The superscription of Psalm 79 designates it a mizmor, usually associated with joyful praise. The fact that Asaph calls this dark, grief-filled lament a mizmor is itself a theological statement — the teaching explores how a song addressed to El Kanah, even in devastation, ultimately becomes praise. — Strong’s H4210
Chasidim (חֲסִידִים) — “The pious ones, the devout, the loving-kind”; the plural of chasid (חָסִיד) — one who embodies chesed. In Psalm 79:2, the bodies of the chasidim are given to the beasts of the earth. They are not merely God’s “saints” in an abstract sense — they are those who have internalized his chesed and reflect it. The word is the root of “Hasidic” — the Hasidic movement named itself for this quality of devoted, loving piety. — Strong’s H2623
Chesed (חֶסֶד) — “Loving kindness, steadfast love, covenant loyalty”; the noun from which chasid and chasidim are formed. One of the central attributes of God in the Hebrew scriptures — the covenant love that is both emotional warmth and unwavering faithfulness. A God of chesed is also El Kanah: his jealousy and his loving kindness are two sides of the same coin. — Strong’s H2617
Asherahs (אֲשֵׁרוֹת) — “Asherah poles”; wooden poles or trees associated with the Canaanite goddess Asherah, a fertility deity. Israel was commanded to cut them down (Exodus 34:13) as part of the destruction of Canaanite idolatry. Their presence in the land provoked El Kanah — the God who will not share his people’s devotion. — Strong’s H842 · Sefaria: Exodus 34:13
Open All Scripture in Bible Gateway
A Mizmor of Asaph
1-4
O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance. They have defiled Your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the bodies of Your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of Your chasidim(חסידים) to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury [them]. 4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.
5-9
How long, Adonai? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy(קנאה, kinah) burn like fire?
קנאה (kinah) = (n.) “jealousy” / “zeal”
קנה (kanah) = (v.) “be jealous” / “zealous”
6 Pour out Your anger toward the nations that did not know You, and upon the kingdoms that did not call upon Your name! 7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let Your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for Your name’s sake!
10-13
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let Him be known among the nations before our eyes by the avenging of the outpoured blood of Your servants! 11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before You. According to Your great power, preserve those doomed to die! 12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted You, O Lord! 13 But we are Your people and the sheep of Your pasture and will give thanks to You forever. From generation to generation we will recount Your praise.
REFERENCES:
Verse 1
1Maccabees 7:17 “The flesh of Your faithful ones and their blood they poured out all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.”
Verse 2
Matthew 13:3-4 And He told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.”
Matthew 13:19 “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
Deuteronomy 33:8-10 And of Levi [Moses] said, “Give to Levi Your Tummim, and Your Urim to Your godly[חסיד, chasid] one, whom You tested at Massah, with whom You quarreled at the waters of Meribah, who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’. He disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed Your word and kept Your covenant. They shall teach Jacob Your rules and Israel Your Torah. They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.” [1st occurrence]
Verse 5
Exodus 34:13-14 You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim. For you shall worship no other god, for Adonai, whose name is Jealous [קנה, kanah], is a jealous God [אל קנה, El kanah].
Deuteronomy 4:24 For Adonai your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God [אל קנה, El kanah].
Numbers 5:14 And if the spirit of jealousy [קינה, kinah] comes over him and he is jealous [קנה, kanah] of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy [קינה, kinah] comes over him and he is jealous [קנה,kanah] for his wife, though she has not defiled herself… [1st occurrence]
