Psalms 44:14

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

⁹But You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go forth with our armies. ¹⁰You have made us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have plundered us. ¹¹You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations. ¹²You sell Your people for nothing; no profit do You gain from their sale. ¹³You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. ¹⁴You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.¹⁵All day long my disgrace is before me and shame has covered my face, ¹⁶at the voice of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy, bent on revenge.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

byword: Deuteronomy 28:37, 1 Kings 9:7, 2 Chronicles 7:20, Jeremiah 24:9

shaking: Psalms 22:7, 2 Kings 19:21, Job 16:4, Isaiah 37:22, Lamentations 2:15-17

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:9 - mocking Nehemiah 2:19 - they Nehemiah 4:1 - mocked Job 17:6 - a byword Job 30:9 - am I Psalms 13:2 - exalted Psalms 69:11 - I became Psalms 79:4 - become Psalms 80:6 - our enemies Jeremiah 18:16 - shall be Jeremiah 33:24 - thus Lamentations 3:46 - have Ezekiel 14:8 - a sign Ezekiel 22:4 - have I Ezekiel 36:3 - and ye Joel 2:17 - rule over them Zechariah 8:13 - a curse

Cross-References

Genesis 43:16
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon."

Genesis 43:25
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon.

Genesis 44:7
"Why does my lord say these things?" they asked. "Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

Genesis 44:10
"As you say," replied the steward. "But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame."

Genesis 44:11
So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Genesis 50:18
His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, "We are your slaves!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou makest us a byword among the Heathen,.... Among the Papists, as the Jews were among the Gentiles, Deuteronomy 28:37; calling them schismatics, heretics, fanatics, and what not?

a shaking of the head among the people; by way of indignation, scorn, and contempt; see Psalms 22:7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou makest us a byword among heathen - The word rendered “by-word” - משׁל mâshâl - means properly a similitude or parable; then, a sententious saying, and apophthegm; then, a proverb; then, a song or verse, particularly a satirical song, or a song of derision. The idea here is, that they were made a proverb, or were referred to as a striking instance of the divine abandonment, or as something marked to which the nations might and did refer as an example of calamity, judgment, misfortune, failure; a warning to all. See Deuteronomy 28:37.

A shaking of the head among the people - An occasion for the shaking of the head, in derision and scorn. Compare the notes at Psalms 22:7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 44:14. Thou makest us a byword — We are evidently abandoned by thee, and are become so very miserable in consequence, that we are a proverb among the people: "See the Hebrews! see their misery and wretchedness! see how low the wrath of God has brought down an offending people!" And the worst curse that can be imprecated against a wicked nation is: "Mayest thou become as wretched as the Jews;" or as the old Psalter: "Thou has seet us reprove til our neghburs: scornyng and hethyng til tha that er in our umgang. That es, gref, tourment that es of our neghburs, and that hethyng es noght sone gave or passand, that we suffer of tha, that er al aboute us. When men sais so byfal ye, als byfel him."