DAWN

DAWN

Daily Arts Web Nucleus

Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture

plus an explanation with links

2015 April 21

The Bard (c. 1817)
John Martin (1789-1854)
Romanticism Style
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art

     Explanation: In Psalm 79 the Psalmist pleads for deliverance for Israel from their foreign enemies. Asaph is the author of the Psalm. And, judging from the circumstances described, the Psalm seems to have been written at the time of the Babylonian Captivity. If so, then the Asaph mentioned would probably be a descendant of the Asaph of David's day. I've chosen today's painting to depict the plight of a lone bard, like Asaph, who was an isolated voice crying out against his enemies.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Psalm 74. IMPRECATORY PSALMS: Psalm 5. Psalm 10. Psalm 17. Psalm 35. Psalm 58. Psalm 59. Psalm 69. Psalm 70. Psalm 79. Psalm 83. Psalm 109. Psalm 129. Psalm 137. Psalm 140. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Psalm 79 - #1. Psalm 79 - #2. Psalm 79 - #3. Psalm 79 - #4. Psalm 79 - #5. ]

     Asaph cries out to God about the heathen who have come and defiled his Temple and laid waste to Jerusalem. They left dead bodies in the street; and the birds and the beasts ate them. Their blood flowed like water. They were reproached, scorned, and derided by their neighbors (1-4). He asks the LORD how long he will be angry with his people. He asks him, instead, to pour out his wrath on those who do not know him. They deserve to be judged because they have devoured Jacob and laid waste to his dwelling place. Asaph then pleads with God to forgive the iniquity of his people and to be merciful for the glory of his name, lest the heathen continue to say, "Where is their God?" He asks that God will make himself known by avenging the blood of his people. He asks him to hear the sighing of the prisoner and to preserve those who are appointed to die. He asks that God's judgment on the heathen will be sevenfold so that his people might give him thanks forever and show forth his praise to all generations (5-13).

THE PSALTER:

BOOK THREE OF FIVE:

Psalms 73-89.

Psalm 79

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.
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.
⁴ We are become a reproach to our neighbours,
a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

⁵ How long, LORD?
wilt thou be angry for ever?
shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
⁶ Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee,
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
⁷ For they have devoured Jacob,
and laid waste his dwelling place.
⁸ O remember not against us former iniquities:
let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us:
for we are brought very low.
⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name:
and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
¹⁰ Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God?
let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.
¹¹ Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee;
according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;
¹² And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach,
wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.
¹³ So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever:
we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

¹ To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, [Transposed From Psalm 80:1 ] *

* NOTE: On Opening and Closing Comments in the Psalms.
[Some commentators take the Psalm in Habakkuk 3 to be a standard model for the Psalms.
Habakkuk's Psalm begins with the name of the composer (Habakkuk) and a musical notation ("upon Shigionoth").
It closes with a dedication or a "send to" notice ("To the chief singer on my stringed instruments").
I have arranged similar material, where it is found in the Psalter, in accord with the model in Habakkuk.]

Home | DAWN Archive

Tomorrow's Picture: TBA

ADDITIONAL AD LIB MATERIAL: Prose, Poetry, Writers, Visual Artists, Music, DAWN, and ILLUMINATION. ILLUMINATION features a compact, Illuminated Bible. DAWN, the page you are presently visiting, features a new image and explanation daily.

Please Email Comments and Questions To

AD LIB ARTS EMAIL
copyright 2014, Scott Souza