Psalms 74:20
Psalms 74:20 in Multiple Translations
Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Have respect unto the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
Remember your promises in the agreement, because the land is full of dark places and violence.
Consider thy couenant: for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of the cruell.
Look attentively to the covenant, For the dark places of earth, Have been full of habitations of violence.
Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
Have respect to the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Do not forget the agreement that you made with us; remember that there are violent people in every dark place on the earth.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 74:20
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 74:20 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הַבֵּ֥ט
לַ/בְּרִ֑ית
כִּ֥י
מָלְא֥וּ
מַחֲשַׁכֵּי
אֶ֝֗רֶץ
נְא֣וֹת
חָמָֽס
הַבֵּ֥ט
nâbaṭ
H5027
to look
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms
לַ/בְּרִ֑ית
bᵉrîyth
H1285
covenant
Prep | N-fs
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
מָלְא֥וּ
mâlêʼ
H4390
to fill
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
מַחֲשַׁכֵּי
machshâk
H4285
darkness
N-mp
אֶ֝֗רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
N-cs
נְא֣וֹת
nâʼâh
H4999
habitation
N-fp
חָמָֽס
châmâç
H2555
violence
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 74:20
הַבֵּ֥ט
nâbaṭ
H5027
"to look"
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms
This verb means to look or regard something carefully. It can also mean to show favor or care for someone. In the Bible, it is used to describe how God looks at his people with favor and care, as seen in Psalm 138:6.
Definition: 1) to look, regard 1a) (Piel) to look 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) tolook 1b2) to regard, show regard to, pay attention to, consider 1b3) to look upon, regard, show regard to
Usage: Occurs in 67 OT verses. KJV: (cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see. See also: Genesis 15:5; Psalms 104:32; Psalms 10:14.
לַ/בְּרִ֑ית
bᵉrîyth
H1285
"covenant"
Prep | N-fs
A covenant is a promise or agreement between people or between God and people, like a treaty or alliance. It is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis, where God makes a covenant with Abraham. This concept is central to the Bible.
Definition: 1) covenant, alliance, pledge 1a) between men 1a1) treaty, alliance, league (man to man) 1a2) constitution, ordinance (monarch to subjects) 1a3) agreement, pledge (man to man) 1a4) alliance (of friendship) 1a5) alliance (of marriage) 1b) between God and man 1b1) alliance (of friendship) 1b2) covenant (divine ordinance with signs or pledges) 2) (phrases) 2a) covenant making 2b) covenant keeping 2c) covenant violation
Usage: Occurs in 264 OT verses. KJV: confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league. See also: Genesis 6:18; Judges 20:27; Psalms 25:10.
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
מָלְא֥וּ
mâlêʼ
H4390
"to fill"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To fill means to make something full or complete, like filling a container or fulfilling a promise. This word is used in many contexts, including being full of joy or having a job completed.
Definition: 1) to fill, be full 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be full 1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle) 1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended 1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied 1b2) to be accomplished, be ended 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to fill 1c2) to satisfy 1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 1c4) to confirm 1d) (Pual) to be filled 1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)
Usage: Occurs in 242 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-) full, [phrase] have wholly. See also: Genesis 1:22; 2 Chronicles 16:14; Psalms 10:7.
מַחֲשַׁכֵּי
machshâk
H4285
"darkness"
N-mp
This word means darkness, either literal or figurative, and can refer to a physical place or a state of being. It appears in several places in the Bible, including Psalm 23:4 and Isaiah 9:2, where it is used to describe a lack of light or understanding.
Definition: 1) darkness, dark place, secrecy 1a) hiding-place 1b) dark region 1c) grave Aramaic equivalent: cha.shokh (חֲשׁוֹךְ "darkness" H2816)
Usage: Occurs in 7 OT verses. KJV: dark(-ness, place). See also: Psalms 74:20; Psalms 143:3; Psalms 88:7.
אֶ֝֗רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
נְא֣וֹת
nâʼâh
H4999
"habitation"
N-fp
This word refers to a home or pasture, a place where someone or something can rest. It is used to describe a pleasant or peaceful place, like a meadow. The KJV translates it as 'habitation' or 'pasture'.
Definition: 1) pasture, abode, abode of shepherd, habitation, meadow 1a) pasture, meadow 1b) abode
Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: habitation, house, pasture, pleasant place. See also: Psalms 23:2; Jeremiah 25:37; Psalms 65:13.
חָמָֽס
châmâç
H2555
"violence"
N-ms
This word describes violence, injustice, or cruelty, often referring to unfair treatment of others. In Isaiah and Jeremiah, it condemns oppressive behaviors, highlighting the need for justice and fairness. It involves wrongdoing and harm to others.
Definition: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice
Usage: Occurs in 59 OT verses. KJV: cruel(-ty), damage, false, injustice, [idiom] oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong. See also: Genesis 6:11; Proverbs 10:11; Psalms 7:17.
Study Notes — Psalms 74:20
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 74:20 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 74:20
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 74:20
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 74:20
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 74:20
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
- Sermons on Psalms 74:20
Context — Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
18Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.
20Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name. 22Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 106:45 | And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion. |
| 2 | Genesis 17:7–8 | I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.” |
| 3 | Hebrews 8:10 | For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. |
| 4 | Psalms 105:8 | He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations— |
| 5 | Jeremiah 33:20–26 | “This is what the LORD says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that day and night cease to occupy their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant and with My ministers the Levites who are priests, so that David will not have a son to reign on his throne. As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted and as the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so too will I multiply the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister before Me.” Moreover, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘The LORD has rejected the two families He had chosen’? So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the LORD says: If I have not established My covenant with the day and the night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and of My servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore them from captivity and will have compassion on them.” |
| 6 | Psalms 89:34–36 | I will not violate My covenant or alter the utterance of My lips. Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness— I will not lie to David— his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun, |
| 7 | Psalms 89:28 | I will forever preserve My loving devotion for him, and My covenant with him will stand fast. |
| 8 | Ephesians 4:17–18 | So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. |
| 9 | Deuteronomy 12:31 | You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. |
| 10 | Romans 1:29–31 | They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. |
Psalms 74:20 Summary
This verse is a cry to God to remember His promises to His people, because the world is filled with violence and evil. The psalmist is asking God to look at the covenant He made with His people and to act on it, just like He did in the past (as seen in Exodus 2:24). God's covenant is a promise to be our God and to take care of us, and when we remember it, we can trust that He will bring peace and justice to the world (as seen in Jeremiah 31:31-34). By considering God's covenant, we can have hope that He will bring light into the dark places of our lives and our world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the covenant being referred to in Psalms 74:20?
The covenant being referred to is likely the covenant God made with His people, as seen in Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 29:1, where God promises to be their God and they promise to follow His commands.
What are the 'dark places of the land' mentioned in this verse?
The 'dark places of the land' refer to areas where evil and violence prevail, much like the 'darkness' mentioned in Isaiah 60:2, where it symbolizes a lack of spiritual understanding and the presence of wickedness.
Why is the psalmist asking God to consider His covenant?
The psalmist is asking God to consider His covenant because the people have not been faithful to it, and as a result, violence and evil have filled the land, as seen in the context of the surrounding verses, such as Psalms 74:18-19.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the Bible?
This verse is part of a larger theme in the Bible of God's people crying out to Him in times of trouble, as seen in verses like Psalms 107:6 and Jeremiah 33:3, where the people are encouraged to call out to God in their distress.
Reflection Questions
- What are the 'haunts of violence' in my own life, and how can I ask God to help me overcome them?
- In what ways can I be faithful to God's covenant in my daily life, and what are the consequences of not being faithful?
- How can I use this verse to pray for my community and the world around me, asking God to consider His covenant and bring peace and justice?
- What does it mean for me to 'consider God's covenant' in my own life, and how can I make that a regular practice?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 74:20
Have respect unto the covenant,.... The Targum adds, "which thou hast made with our fathers;'' meaning not the covenant of works, which being broken, no good thing was to be expected from it, not
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 74:20
Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. -The prayer (Psalms 74:1-2) resumed and expanded. Verse 18. Remember this - answering to Psalms 74:2; Psalms 74:10.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
Have respect unto the covenant made with Abraham, whereby thou didst give the land of Canaan to him, and to his seed for ever; and thou didst further promise, that if thy people were carried captive into strange lands and did there humble themselves, and pray and turn unto thee, thou wouldst mercifully restore them, : do thou therefore now restore us to that pleasant and lightsome land which thou hast given to us. The dark places of the earth, i.e. this dark and dismal land in which we live, wherein there is nothing but ignorance and confusion, and all the works of darkness; of which the psalmist speaks in general terms, out of a principle of prudence, because the particular designation of the place was unnecessary, and might have been of ill consequence. Are full of the habitations of cruelty; here is nothing but injustice, and oppression, and tyranny, under which we groan in all the parts of this great empire, where we have our abode.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
Psalms 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.Ver. 20. Have respect unto the covenant] This the Church knew to be her best plea; and, therefore, she so plieth it. For the dark places of the earth are full of cruelty] That is, saith Basil, those places where men are in the darkness of ignorance, not knowing God, are full of ambition and tyranny. Others make this the sense, We can hide ourselves nowhere but the persecutors ferret us out.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
(20) Habitations.—The word thus rendered is so consistently used of the “quiet resting-places” of God’s people that it seems quite impossible that the psalmist should have used the expression, “resting- places of cruelty.” A slight change in the text gives, “Look upon the covenant, for they have filled (Thy) land with darkness, Thy quiet dwelling with violence” (Burgess, Notes on the Hebrew Psalms.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
Verse 20. Have respect unto the covenant] הבט לברית habbet labberith. Pay attention to the covenant sacrifice; to that offered by Abraham, Genesis 15:9, c., when the contracting parties, God and Abram, passed through between the separated parts of the covenant sacrifice. An indisputable type of Jesus Christ and of God and man meeting in his sacrificed humanity. The dark places of the earth] The caves, dens, woods, &c., of the land are full of robbers, cut-throats, and murderers, who are continually destroying thy people, so that the holy seed seems as if it would be entirely cut off and the covenant promise thus be rendered void. The words may either apply to Chaldea or Judea. Judea was at this time little else than a den of robbers, its own natural inhabitants being removed. Chaldea was infested with hordes of banditti also.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 74:20
20. the covenant] With the patriarchs, Genesis 9:9 ff; Genesis 17:2 ff.; with the nation at the Exodus, Exodus 24:8; with David, Psalms 89:3; Psalms 89:39. the dark places of the earth] The heathen lands where Israel was in exile. We might also render, the dark places of the land, i.e. the caves and hiding-places where the persecuted Israelites took refuge, and where they were tracked out and butchered (1Ma 1:53; 1Ma 2:27 ff.). are full of the habitations of cruelty] R.V. violence. If the text is right, the sense seems to be ‘places where violence makes its home.’ But the expression is a strange one, and the emendation are full of insolence and violence, adopted by many commentators, which requires a very slight change in the consonants of the text, is plausible. Cp. Psalms 73:6; Genesis 6:11; Genesis 6:13.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 74:20
Have respect unto the covenant - The covenant which thou hast made with thy people, promising, on thy part, to protect them, and to be their God. Compare Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:2; Deuteronomy 26:18-19.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 74:20
20. Have respect unto the covenant—Hebrew, Look to the covenant. Comp.
Sermons on Psalms 74:20
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
His Tender Mercies by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks emphasizes the profound nature of God's tender mercies, illustrating how they are the daily sustenance that keeps us from hell, forgives our sins, and meets our needs |
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(Genesis) Genesis 17:1-4 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Genesis 17, which is considered a significant chapter in the book of Genesis. God appears to Abraham for the fifth time to make a covenant w |
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Blood Covenant - Part 5 by Bob Phillips | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of covenant and its importance in the relationship between God and humanity. They emphasize the seriousness of entering into a cov |
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The Great "I Am" by Mariano Di Gangi | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that God is knowable and desires to make himself known to us. He distinguishes between natural revelation, where God reveals himself through |
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A Saint at His Worst by J. Glyn Owen | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the story of Abraham and how God comes close to him to reassure him of his covenant promises. The speaker highlights how God speaks to Abraha |
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Abram, Abraham, and the Almighty God by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith focuses on Genesis chapter 17, where God appears to Abram when he is 99 years old. God declares Himself as Almighty God and instructs Abram to wa |
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Some Strictures on a Late Treatise, Called, a Fair and Rational Vindication of the Right of Infants to the Ordinance of Baptism. by John Gill | John Gill critiques David Bostwick's treatise on the right of infants to baptism, arguing that the scriptural basis he presents, particularly Acts 2:39, is misinterpreted and does |