Discovery BoxPsalms 79:8-10 
Context79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! 1
Quickly send your compassion our way, 2
for we are in serious trouble! 3
79:9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation, 4 rescue us!
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation! 5
79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations! 6
1 tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.
2 tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.
3 tn Heb “for we are very low.”
4 tn Heb “the glory of your name.” Here and in the following line “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
5 tn Heb “your name.”
6 tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”
