King James Version

What Does Psalms 79:1 Mean?

Psalms 79:1 in the King James Version says “A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid ...” — study this verse from Psalms chapter 79 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. of: or, for”

Psalms 79:1 · KJV

Context

1

A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. of: or, for

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.

3

Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

Read Psalms 79 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. This communal lament opens with a description of devastating invasion. Like Psalm 74, it likely responds to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, though the language is applicable to any catastrophic violation of the holy city.

"The heathen are come into thine inheritance" (ba'u goyim benachalatekha, בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ) frames the invasion theologically. Goyim (nations, Gentiles) have entered God's nachalah (inheritance, possession). The land was not merely Israel's property but God's inheritance given to Israel. Foreign invasion violated divine ownership.

"Thy holy temple have they defiled" (tim'u et-heykhal qodshekha, טִמְּאוּ אֶת־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ) intensifies the outrage. Tame means to defile, make unclean, pollute—the opposite of the holiness that should characterize God's dwelling. The temple was qodesh (holy, set apart); now it has been profaned by those who neither knew nor honored Yahweh.

"They have laid Jerusalem on heaps" (samu et-Yerushalayim le'iyim, שָׂמוּ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְעִיִּים) describes physical devastation. Iyim means ruins, heaps of rubble. The city of David, the joy of the whole earth (Psalm 48:2), has become a pile of stones. The threefold description—invasion, defilement, destruction—captures the comprehensiveness of the catastrophe.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE was the greatest catastrophe in Israel's history before the Roman destruction in 70 CE. Nebuchadnezzar's armies besieged the city, broke through its walls, captured King Zedekiah, killed his sons, blinded him, and carried him to Babylon in chains. The temple—Solomon's magnificent structure that had stood for nearly 400 years—was stripped of its treasures and burned. The city walls were torn down, and the population was killed, scattered, or deported.

This destruction raised profound theological questions. God had promised David an eternal throne (2 Samuel 7:16). He had chosen Jerusalem as His dwelling place (Psalm 132:13-14). The temple was where His name dwelt (1 Kings 8:29). How could these promises stand if the city and temple lay in ruins?

The prophets had warned that covenant unfaithfulness would bring judgment (Jeremiah 7:1-15). Ezekiel had seen the glory of the LORD depart from the temple (Ezekiel 10-11). Yet even in judgment, hope remained. Jeremiah promised return after seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10). The exile was discipline, not final rejection.

Reflection Questions

  1. What does framing the invasion as violation of God's 'inheritance' reveal about the nature of the land?
  2. How does the defilement of the temple represent spiritual as well as physical devastation?
  3. What theological questions does the destruction of God's chosen city and temple raise about His promises?
  4. How did Israel process this catastrophe theologically, and what can we learn from their approach?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 12 words
אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים1 of 12

“O God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

בָּ֤אוּ2 of 12

“are come”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

גוֹיִ֨ם׀3 of 12

“the heathen”

H1471

a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

בְּֽנַחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ4 of 12

“into thine inheritance”

H5159

properly, something inherited, i.e., (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portion

טִ֭מְּאוּ5 of 12

“have they defiled”

H2930

to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated)

אֶת6 of 12
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

הֵיכַ֣ל7 of 12

“temple”

H1964

a large public building, such as a palace or temple

קָדְשֶׁ֑ךָ8 of 12

“thy holy”

H6944

a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity

שָׂ֖מוּ9 of 12

“they have laid”

H7760

to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)

אֶת10 of 12
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם11 of 12

“Jerusalem”

H3389

jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine

לְעִיִּֽים׃12 of 12

“on heaps”

H5856

a ruin (as if overturned)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Psalms. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Psalms 79:1 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Psalms 79:1 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Lamentations 1:102 Chronicles 36:19Micah 3:12Psalms 74:1-4Jeremiah 26:18Psalms 74:7-8

Places in This Verse

JerusalemSettlement · Modern: Jerusalem · 31.78°N, 35.23°E955 verses across 37 books
View all places in Psalms 79 →

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