Psalms 74:12
in Psalms 74Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yet God is my King of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
KJV
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
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This verse in Psalms 74
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"But God is our king before the ages; he has worked salvation in the midst of the earth." That understanding of Asaph, which the superscription was predicting and foretelling in the spirit of prophecy that the Savior the Lord would come, pertains to the second …
This site's exposition
God is my King from ancient times
on Psalms 74:12-15
The psalm turns to what God has already done: the sea divided, the heads of the dragons smashed, Leviathan crushed. Isaiah 51:9 and 10 use the same pictures of Rahab and the dragon for Egypt at the Red Sea. The fountain and the flood belong there too.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Asaph hath understood, because on the Title of the Psalm there is, "understanding of Asaph." And what saith he? "But God, our King before the worlds, hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth" (ver. 12). On the one hand we cry, "No longer is there prophet, and us He will not know as yet:" but on the other hand, "our God, our King, who is before the worlds" (for He is Himself in the beginning of the Word by whom were made the worlds), "hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth." "God therefore, our King before the worlds," hath done what? "hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth:" and I am yet crying as if forsaken! ...Now the Gentiles are awake, and we are snoring, and as though God hath forsaken us, in dreams we are delirious. "He hath wrought Salvation in the midst of the earth."
In the same way we may suitably understand what we read in the psalm, "But God, our King before the worlds, hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth;" so that the Lord Jesus may be understood to be our God who is before the worlds, because by him the worlds were made, working our salvation in the midst of the earth, for the Word was made flesh and dwelt in an earthly body.
"You strengthened the sea in your power; you crushed the heads of dragons on the waters." And truly it would show what he said earlier—namely, that the Lord the Savior was king before the ages, who deigned to suffer for us, so that he would …
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 1 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Christ was such a Center in His crucifixion. "God is our king before ages; He has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth." The earth is clearly the center, and hence it is the lowest, and of modest size; and because the lowest and …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, Ezek. xxxi. It was the Lord's doing; none besides could do it, and he did it with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. This was typical of Christ's victory over Satan and his kingdom, pursuant to the first promise, that the seed of the woman should break the serpent's head.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For God is my King of old,....
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
For God is my King of old. How consoling is this avowal! Israel in holy loyalty acknowledges her King, and claims to have been his possession from of old, and thence she derives a plea for defence and deliverance. If the Lord be indeed the sole monarch of our bosoms, he will in his love put forth his strength on our behalf; if from eternity he has claimed us as his own, he will preserve us from the insulting foe. Working salvation in the midst of the earth.
For God is my King of old. How consoling is this avowal! Israel in holy loyalty acknowledges her King, and claims to have been his possession from of old, and thence she derives a plea for defence and deliverance. If the Lord be indeed the sole monarch of our bosoms, he will in his love put forth his strength on our behalf; if from eternity he has claimed us as his own, he will preserve us from the insulting foe. Working salvation in the midst of the earth. From the most remote period of Israel's history the Lord had worked out for her many salvations; especially at the Red Sea, the very heart of the world was astonished by his wonders of deliverance. Now, every believer may plead at this day the ancient deeds of the Lord, the work of Calvary, the overthrow of sin, death, and hell. He who wrought out our salvation of old will not, cannot desert us now. Each past miracle of grace assures us that he who has begun to deliver will continue to redeem us from all evil. His deeds of old were public and wrought in the teeth of his foes, they were no delusions or make believes; and, therefore, in all our perils we look for true and manifest assistance, and we shall surely receive it.
Having spread the sad case before the Lord, the pleader now urges another series of arguments for divine help. He reasons from the Lord's former wonders of grace, and his deeds of power, imploring a repetition of the same divine works.
For God is my King of old - We have always acknowledged thee as our sovereign; and thou hast reigned as a king in the midst of our land, dispensing salvation and deliverance from the center to every part of the circumference.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For God is my King of old - That is, the king, or ruler of his people. The people had acknowledged him as their king and ruler, and he had showed himself to be such. This is given as a reason why he should now interpose in their behalf. It is an argument, proper always to be urged, drawn from the faithfulness and unchangeableness of God. Working salvation in the midst of the earth - Salvation for his people. The reference here particularly is to what he had done for his people in delivering them from bondage in Egypt, and conducting them to the promised land, as is stated in the following verses.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
But God is my King from time immemorial Behold, You were our salvation from time immemorial.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
the beads of the sea monsters They are the Egyptians, who are called sea monsters, as it is said (Ezek.:3): “the great sea monster, etc.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וֵ֭אלֹהִים | velohim | and God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מַלְכִּ֣י | malki | [has been] king my | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מִקֶּ֑דֶם | mikedem | from antiquity | H6924 → | 87 times |
| פֹּעֵ֥ל | poel | [who] does | H6466 → | 57 times |
| יְ֝שׁוּע֗וֹת | yeshuot | salvation<s> | H3444 → | 78 times |
| בְּקֶ֣רֶב | bekerev | in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
וֵ֭אלֹהִיםand God
velohimH430 →2601 times
מַלְכִּ֣י[has been] king my
malkiH4428 →2525 times
מִקֶּ֑דֶםfrom antiquity
mikedemH6924 →87 times
פֹּעֵ֥ל[who] does
poelH6466 →57 times
יְ֝שׁוּע֗וֹתsalvation<s>
yeshuotH3444 →78 times
בְּקֶ֣רֶבin [the] midst of
bekerevH7130 →227 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 33:22For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.
it leads to
- Acts 5:31
God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
- James 4:12
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
- Zephaniah 3:15–17
The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.
- Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- Acts 5:31
Through
Psalms 44:4You are my King, O God, who ordains victories for Jacob.
it leads to
- Psalms 42:8
The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.
- Psalms 42:8
Through
1 Samuel 19:5He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 11:13
But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:14
But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.
- 1 Samuel 11:13
About Psalms
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 74; Augustine of Hippo, City of God 17.4; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 1; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 73:12; Cassiodorus, EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 73:13; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.