How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist doesn't just ask "how long" the suffering will last; he questions how long God's enemies will be allowed to mock not just the people, but God's very name and character. This reveals a deep concern that the enemy's taunts are a direct assault on God's reputation, making the suffering twice as agonizing.
How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is lamenting a devastating national catastrophe, likely the destruction of the temple and the exile of God's people. Amidst this profound crisis, where familiar signs of God's presence and prophetic guidance have vanished, the psalmist cries out to God, questioning how long their enemies will be allowed to mock and disgrace God's name. This cry for intervention flows directly from the preceding verses that describe the destruction and the feeling of God's absence, setting the stage for a plea rooted in God's past mighty acts.
When things go wrong, the enemy doesn't just attack you; they attack God's reputation. This verse highlights that divine offense.
The psalmist cries out, 'How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Shall the enemy revile Your name forever?'
The Enemy's Target
Notice that the taunts aren't just personal. The enemy's ultimate goal is to slander God Himself. They scoff at God's power, His faithfulness, and His promises. When we see God's people suffering, or His name being dishonored, it's not just a personal affront; it's an attack on God's very character and reputation.
A Deeper Grief
As the commentators suggest, this is often a greater pain for the faithful than their own suffering. When God's name is blasphemed, it grieves those who love Him deeply. It’s a call to defend His honor, even when we feel powerless.
The enemy's taunts sting most when God seems silent. This verse captures the desperate plea when divine help feels distant.
The core of this outcry is the painful question, 'How long?' The psalmist isn't just enduring hardship; they are agonizing over God's perceived absence.
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The 'How Long?' Question
This isn't a casual inquiry. It's a cry born of deep distress, reflecting a period where God's presence and power seem withdrawn. The enemy's continued scoffing amplifies this pain because it suggests God is either unable or unwilling to act.
A Plea for Divine Action
When the psalmist asks, 'How long wilt thou withdraw thine hand?' (as seen in the following verses), they are pleading for God to reveal His power. It's a desire to see God's right hand, the symbol of His strength, actively working salvation. The enemy's boldness is fueled by this very inaction, making the plea urgent.
Understand the original words
tsar · Hebrew Noun
One who opposes God’s people or His cause; an adversary.
na'ats · Hebrew Verb
To treat with contempt, mock, or hold in disdain; often directed against God or His people.
'oyeb · Hebrew Noun
One who acts as a hostile opponent to God and His kingdom.
gadaph · Hebrew Verb
To speak insultingly or reproachfully, especially toward God or His holy character.
This Psalm likely arose from the profound devastation of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The enemy's taunts were aimed not just at the people, but at their God, questioning His power and faithfulness. The Psalmist cries out, not just for deliverance, but for God's honor to be vindicated.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and displacing them with foreign populations. This event marks a significant blow to the covenant people and their land.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire begins deporting Judeans to Babylon, including members of the royal family and skilled laborers. This marks the start of the Judean exile.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and carry out a final, massive deportation of the remaining population. This is the context of extreme desolation and national crisis for the Psalmist.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
The Persian Empire under Cyrus conquers Babylon, and shortly thereafter, Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Judeans to return to their land and rebuild the Temple.
c. 516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
The Temple is rebuilt and dedicated in Jerusalem, marking a significant step in the restoration of Jewish religious and national life after the exile.
This passage shows Moses crying out to God in distress due to the oppression of the Israelites, paralleling the psalmist's plea in Psalms 74:10 when God's people are suffering and questioning His timing.
Isaiah 37:23Here, the Assyrian king Sennacherib boasts and blasphemes God's name, reflecting the 'enemy's' reproach mentioned in Psalms 74:10 and highlighting the theological weight of God's name being insulted.
Romans 2:24This verse directly states that God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the Israelites' actions, echoing the concern in Psalms 74:10 that God's reputation is at stake when His people are afflicted.
Psalm 69:9The psalmist in Psalm 69:9 states, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me,' showing a deep empathy for God's honor that mirrors the sentiment in Psalms 74:10 where the enemy's blasphemy against God is a primary source of anguish.
Revelation 13:5This passage describes the beast having a mouth speaking blasphemies against God, illustrating the ongoing reality of God's name being reviled by enemies, which is the very cry of the psalmist in Psalms 74:10.
jfbPsalms 74:10: "O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?"
- (Compare Ps 31:1).how long … reproach?—us, as deserted of God.blaspheme thy name—or, "perfections," as power, goodness, &c. (Ps 29:2).
pulpitPsalms 74:10: "O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?"
Verse 10. - O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name forever? There is no contradiction between these two clauses. The psalmist wishes to ask two things: 1. Is the present distress to continue forever? 2. And if not, how long is it to endure? It is true that he inverts the natural order of the questions; but this is so common a mode of speech, that g…
The psalmist doesn't just ask "how long" the suffering will last; he questions how long God's enemies will be allowed to mock not just the people, but God's very name and character. This reveals a deep concern that the enemy's taunts are a direct assault on God's reputation, making the suffering twice as agonizing.
The psalmist is lamenting a devastating national catastrophe, likely the destruction of the temple and the exile of God's people. Amidst this profound crisis, where familiar signs of God's presence and prophetic guidance have vanished, the psalmist cries out to God, questioning how long their enemies will be allowed to mock and disgrace God's name. This cry for intervention flows directly from the preceding verses that describe the destruction and the feeling of God's absence, setting the stage for a plea rooted in God's past mighty acts.
The psalmist is lamenting a devastating national catastrophe, likely the destruction of the temple and the exile of God's people. Amidst this profound crisis, where familiar signs of God's presence and prophetic guidance have vanished, the psalmist cries out to God, questioning how long their enemies will be allowed to mock and disgrace God's name. This cry for intervention flows directly from the preceding verses that describe the destruction and the feeling of God's absence, setting the stage for a plea rooted in God's past mighty acts.
"How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?" — The psalmist doesn't just ask "how long" the suffering will last; he questions how long God's enemies will be allowed to mock not just the people, but God's very name and character. This reveals a de…
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Last reviewed October 2026