ARGUMENT

ARG. THOMAS. That CHRIST avenges the blood of the slain, shed for the glory of His Name. The Voice of the Martyrs, concerning their own bloodshedding. The Voice of the Apostles, for any trouble, or of the Martyrs for bloodshedding. The Voice of the Apostles after the Passion of CHRIST. The Voice of the Martyrs for their own bloodshedding for the Name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. A penitent soul makes prayer to GOD against its most evil neighbours, the devils. In any trouble.

VEN. BEDE. This Psalm, like the seventy-third [74] is full of lamentation. It weeps over times to come as though past, and beseeches CHRIST, of His dear loving-kindness, to help the people sorely afflicted because of the hardness of its heart. Asaph, under the figure of the faithful people, speaks throughout the Psalm: relating in the first part, what sufferings the Jewish people bore at Jerusalem in the days of Antiochus, as the Book of Maccabees records. O God, the heathen are come in. Secondly; he prays the LORD to pour out His indignation on the mighty enemies, and to be graciously merciful to the sins of His servants. Lord, how long wilt Thou be angry? Thirdly; in the spirit of prophecy, he demands vengeance on them, not through desire for their destruction, but in eagerness for their correction. O let the vengeance.

ARNOBIUS. The seventy-eighth Psalm [79] following the close of its predecessor, pours out lamentation and prayer together unto GOD. While its historical sense details the past slaughter by Philistines, it relates in prophecy that yet to come from Nebuchadnezzar.

SYRIAC PSALTER. Spoken by Asaph, of the destruction of Jerusalem.

EUSEBIUS OF CÆSAREA. A prophecy of those things which befell the Jews through Antiochus. The history is in the Maccabees.

S. ATHANASIUS. A Psalm in solitary address.