Psalms 89:38-39
But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just say God is angry; it emphasizes that He has "cast off and rejected" His anointed, implying a complete abandonment and revulsion, as if the anointed one has become a vile, despised object. This isn't mere displeasure, but a profound sense of being thrown away and treated with utter contempt, a stark contrast to the promises of divine favor.
After recounting God's steadfast promises to David and his lineage, the psalmist abruptly shifts tone. He laments that God, the very one who made these covenant vows, now seems to have abandoned and even be furious with His chosen king. This sharp contrast highlights the painful reality of the king's apparent downfall, leaving the psalmist to question how these present troubles can align with God's eternal decree.
The psalmist has just laid out God's incredible, unshakeable promises. Now, he turns and confronts God directly with the harsh reality of his people's suffering. How can a believer do this?
This verse marks a dramatic shift in Psalm 89. After celebrating God's faithfulness and the covenant made with David, the psalmist doesn't shy away from a bold, almost shocking, expostulation with God.
A Cry of Despair, or Dialogue?
The language here – "But you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed" – can feel scandalous. It seems to accuse God of breaking His own promises. However, the commentaries highlight that this isn't irreverence, but the cry of deep faith.
The verse speaks of God being "wroth with your anointed." Who is this 'anointed one,' and why is God's anger directed at him?
The term 'anointed' (Hebrew: mashiach) in this context refers to the Davidic king, consecrated by God to rule.
A Covenant Under Siege
Psalm 89 is deeply focused on the covenant God made with King David, promising an everlasting dynasty (2 Samuel 7). However, the present reality for the psalmist is a king who has been:
Understand the original words
ebrah · Hebrew Noun
God's righteous and settled reaction against sin and rebellion. While it may involve judgment, it is always consistent with His holiness and justice, and in the Old Testament, it is often expressed toward His people when they break covenant.
mashiyach · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Literarily 'the anointed one' (Messiah/Christ). It refers to a person—often a king or priest—consecrated with oil for a specific divine office and empowered by the Spirit to serve God's purposes for His people.
berit · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement or promise between God and human beings. It establishes a formal relationship, often accompanied by stipulations, blessings for obedience, and curses for disobedience, grounded in God’s faithfulness.
nezer · Hebrew Noun
This psalm reflects the profound crisis of faith experienced by the people of Judah during the Babylonian exile, when the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the end of the Davidic monarchy, seemed to contradict God's unwavering promises to David and his descendants.
c. 1015 BC
David Anointed King
David, son of Jesse, is anointed king by Samuel, signifying God's choice and covenant to establish an everlasting dynasty through his line.
c. 975-931 BC
Solomon's Reign and Temple
David's son, Solomon, succeeds him and builds the First Temple in Jerusalem, a symbol of God's presence and the peak of Israelite monarchy.
931 BC
Kingdom Divided
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, weakening the Davidic dynasty's immediate impact.
722 BC
Fall of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and serving as a dire warning to Judah.
586 BC
This verse echoes the lament of Psalm 89, describing a similar feeling of God's apparent abandonment and rejection of His people in times of distress.
Jeremiah 19:4This passage shows God's anger directed towards the people and their king, leading to judgment, which parallels the wrath against the 'anointed' in Psalm 89.
Lamentations 1:1The imagery of a once-glorious city now 'sitting alone' after being 'great among the nations' reflects the profound sense of abandonment and downfall described in Psalm 89, where the anointed king's position is similarly diminished.
1 Samuel 15:23This verse describes God rejecting Saul as king due to disobedience, illustrating a scenario where God 'casts off' and is 'wroth' with His anointed, similar to the lament in Psalm 89.
Ezekiel 21:27The prophecy here about the overturning of the crown and kingdom speaks to the severe judgment and reversal of fortune for the anointed, a theme that resonates with the rejection and wrath described in Psalm 89.
bensonPsalms 89:38: "But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed."
Psalm 89:38-45 . But thou hast cast off — Having hitherto declared the certainty of God’s promises, he now proceeds to show the unsuitableness of the present dispensations of God’s providence thereunto, and humbly expostulates with God about it. Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed — That person and family that thou hast invested with the kingdom. Thou hast made void, &c. — Which seems contrary to…
clarkePsalms 89:38: "But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed."
But thou hast cast off - Hitherto the psalmist has spoken of the covenant of God with David and his family, which led them to expect all manner of prosperity, and a perpetuity of the Jewish throne; now he shews what appears to him a failure of the promise, and what he calls in the next verse the making void the covenant of his servant. God cannot lie to David; how is it then that his crown is profaned…
The verse doesn't just say God is angry; it emphasizes that He has "cast off and rejected" His anointed, implying a complete abandonment and revulsion, as if the anointed one has become a vile, despised object. This isn't mere displeasure, but a profound sense of being thrown away and treated with utter contempt, a stark contrast to the promises of divine favor.
After recounting God's steadfast promises to David and his lineage, the psalmist abruptly shifts tone. He laments that God, the very one who made these covenant vows, now seems to have abandoned and even be furious with His chosen king. This sharp contrast highlights the painful reality of the king's apparent downfall, leaving the psalmist to question how these present troubles can align with God's eternal decree.
After recounting God's steadfast promises to David and his lineage, the psalmist abruptly shifts tone. He laments that God, the very one who made these covenant vows, now seems to have abandoned and even be furious with His chosen king. This sharp contrast highlights the painful reality of the king's apparent downfall, leaving the psalmist to question how these present troubles can align with God's eternal decree.
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A symbol of royal dignity, authority, and kingly office. To 'defile' it represents the humiliation, loss of honor, or removal of the divine favor associated with the king's position.
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, exiling much of the population and ending the Davidic monarchy for centuries. This event deeply shakes the promises made to David.
539 BC
Cyrus Permits Return
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and allows exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, initiating the post-exilic period.
"But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust." — The verse doesn't just say God is angry; it emphasizes that He has "cast off and rejected" His anointed, implying a complete abandonment and revulsion, as if the anointed one has become a vile, despi…
