The verse uses "servants" and "saints" interchangeably for God's people, highlighting that even the most devoted were subjected to this brutal fate, emphasizing the totality of the devastation and the profound dishonor to God when His faithful are treated as less than human. This isn't just about physical death, but a public desecration meant to obliterate any trace of God's chosen.
They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is describing the horrific aftermath of an invasion, likely the destruction of Jerusalem by a foreign power. The invaders have not only defiled God's temple and leveled the city, but they've also shown utter contempt for the dead, leaving their bodies exposed to scavengers. This desecration of God's people and His sacred space is the backdrop for the prayer that follows, intensifying the cry for divine intervention.
Imagine the unthinkable horror: the bodies of God's faithful, left as food for scavenger birds and wild animals. This wasn't just a grim detail of war; it was a profound statement of contempt and desecration.
The psalmist uses stark imagery to paint a picture of utter devastation. The enemies haven't just killed God's people; they've stripped them of their dignity, leaving them unburied and exposed. This was more than a practical consequence of battle; it was a deliberate act of shame and dishonor.
A Deeply Human and Spiritual Violation
The verse calls God's people 'servants' and then 'saints.' Why use both terms, and what does it reveal about who suffered in this devastation?
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The psalmist intentionally uses two distinct terms for God's people: 'servants' and 'saints.' This isn't just poetic variation; it speaks to the indiscriminate nature of the enemy's cruelty and the profound loss experienced.
Two Titles, One Tragedy
This dual description emphasizes that the destruction was widespread, affecting all levels of society, from the everyday follower to the most devoted believer. The enemy showed no distinction; both the general populace and the devout were subjected to the same horrific fate.
Understand the original words
ebed · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, those who are consecrated to God and serve Him; the term implies both status and responsibility in fulfilling God’s purpose.
chasid · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Those who are loyal and devoted to God, often characterized by their covenant-keeping character and steadfast love for Him. It refers to those who trust in God’s promises.
dam · Hebrew Noun
The life force of a living being; in the Old Testament, it is sacred because it belongs to God. Its shedding often signifies death, judgment, or the price of sin.
This psalm vividly describes the gruesome aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians. The unburied bodies of God's people left as prey for scavengers is a stark image of national catastrophe and divine judgment, reflecting a profound crisis of faith.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a group of Judeans, including members of the royal family and skilled individuals, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is despoiled.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroys the city and its revered Temple, and deports the remaining population to Babylon. The horrific aftermath includes unburied bodies.
c. 586-538 BC
Babylonian Exile Continues
The majority of the Jewish population remains in exile in Babylon, maintaining their religious identity while longing for return to their homeland. This period shapes much of Jewish theology and practice.
167-160 BC
Maccabean Revolt Begins
Jewish resistance, including groups known as the Assideans (religious devout men), fights against the Seleucid Empire's attempts to Hellenize Judea, leading to periods of intense conflict and desecration.
This passage also describes judgment where death by various means, including exposure to beasts and birds, is a consequence of disobedience.
Ezekiel 39:4This prophecy foretells the scattering of enemies on the mountains and feeding birds and beasts with their flesh, mirroring the gruesome imagery of Psalm 79:2.
Deuteronomy 28:26This text serves as a warning of curses for disobedience, explicitly mentioning the bodies of the people becoming food for birds and wild animals.
This historical account describes a similar desecration where the bodies of devout Jewish men were cast out and left unburied after a battle.
pulpitPsalms 79:2: "The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth."
Verse 2. - The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to Be meat unto the fowls of the heaven. A common incident of warfare (see the Assyrian sculptures, passim). The flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth; or, of the land. Hyaenas and jackals would dispute the flesh of the slain with vultures and crows.
clarkePsalms 79:2: "The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth."
The dead bodies of thy servants - It appears that in the destruction of Jerusalem the Chaldeans did not bury the bodies of the slain, but left them to be devoured by birds and beasts of prey. This was the grossest inhumanity.
The verse uses "servants" and "saints" interchangeably for God's people, highlighting that even the most devoted were subjected to this brutal fate, emphasizing the totality of the devastation and the profound dishonor to God when His faithful are treated as less than human. This isn't just about physical death, but a public desecration meant to obliterate any trace of God's chosen.
The psalmist is describing the horrific aftermath of an invasion, likely the destruction of Jerusalem by a foreign power. The invaders have not only defiled God's temple and leveled the city, but they've also shown utter contempt for the dead, leaving their bodies exposed to scavengers. This desecration of God's people and His sacred space is the backdrop for the prayer that follows, intensifying the cry for divine intervention.
The psalmist is describing the horrific aftermath of an invasion, likely the destruction of Jerusalem by a foreign power. The invaders have not only defiled God's temple and leveled the city, but they've also shown utter contempt for the dead, leaving their bodies exposed to scavengers. This desecration of God's people and His sacred space is the backdrop for the prayer that follows, intensifying the cry for divine intervention.
"They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and…" — The verse uses "servants" and "saints" interchangeably for God's people, highlighting that even the most devoted were subjected to this brutal fate, emphasizing the totality of the devastation and th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
