Psalms 74 · Verse 8

Psalms 74:8

They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

Psalms 74:8, King James Version

Psalms 74:8 in other translations

BSB	They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.
WEB	They said in their heart, “We will crush them completely.” They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped.
ASV	They said in their heart, Let us make havoc of them altogether: They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
YLT	They said in their hearts, ‘Let us oppress them together,' They did burn all the meeting-places of God in the land.
DARBY	They said in their heart, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all God's places of assembly in the land.
BBE	They have said in their hearts, Let us put an end to them all together; they have given over to the fire all God's places of worship in the land.
Webster	They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

What does Psalms 74:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

8. together--at once, all alike. synagogues--literally, "assemblies," for places of assembly, whether such as schools of the prophets (2Ki 4:23), or "synagogues" in the usual sense, there is much doubt.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 8 Let us destroy them - Their object was totally to annihilate the political existence of the Jewish people. They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land - It is supposed that there were no synagogues in the land till after the Babylonish captivity. How then could the Chaldeans burn up any in Judea? The word מועדי moadey, which we translate synagogues, may be taken in a more general sense, and mean any places where religious assemblies were held: and that such places and assemblies did exist long before the Babylonish captivity, is pretty evident from different parts of Scripture. It appears that Elisha kept such at his house on the sabbaths and new moons. See 2Kgs 4:23. And perhaps to such St. James may refer, Act 15:23, a species of synagogues, where the law was read of old, in every city of the land. And it appears that such religious meetings were held at the house of the Prophet Ezekiel, Eze 33:31. And perhaps every prophet's house was such. This is the only place in the Old Testament where we have the word synagogue. Indeed, wherever there was a place in which God met with patriarch or prophet, and any memorial of it was preserved, there was a מועד moed, or place of religious meeting; and all such places the Chaldeans would destroy, pursuant to their design to extinguish the Jewish religion, and blot out all its memorials from the earth. And this was certainly the most likely means to effect their purpose. How soon would Christianity be destroyed in England if all the churches, chapels, and places of worship were destroyed, and only the poor of the people left in the land; who, from their circumstances, could not build a place for the worship of God! After such desolation, what a miracle was the restoration of the Jews!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 74:1-11

This psalm appears to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Chaldeans. The deplorable case of the people of God, at the time, is spread before the Lord, and left with him. They plead the great things God had done for them. If the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt was encouragement to hope that he would not cast them off, much more reason have we to believe, that God will not cast off any whom…

Read the full comment on Psalms 74:1-11 →

Psalms 74:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אָמְר֣וּ'a.me.Ruthey saidH559

בְ֭לִבָּםVe.li.bomin heart theirH3820

נִינָ֣םni.Namlet us oppress themH3238

יָ֑חַדYa.chadaltogetherH3162

שָׂרְפ֖וּsa.re.Futhey burnedH8313

כָל\־khol-allH3605

מוֹעֲדֵי\־mo.'a.dei-[the] appointed places ofH4150

אֵ֣ל'elGodH410

בָּאָֽרֶץ\׃ba.'A.retzin the landH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 74:8

Psalms 83:4
They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
Esther 3:8-9
And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.
2 Kings 2:5
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2 Kings 4:23
And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
Matthew 4:23
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Psalms 137:7
Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
2 Kings 2:3
And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth–el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2 Chronicles 17:9
And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

said.
83:4; 137:7; Es 3:8,9
destroy. Heb. break. all the synagogues.
2Ki 2:3,5; 4:23; 2Ch 17:9; Mt 4:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Psalms 74:7
They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
Psalms 74:8
They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
Psalms 74:9
We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

Read all of Psalms 74

Psalms 74:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Dijeron en su corazón: Destruyámoslos de una vez; han quemado todas las sinagogas de Dios en la tierra.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ils ont dit en leur cœur: Détruisons-les tous ensemble. Ils ont brûlé tous les lieux assignés pour le service de ✶Dieu dans le pays.
German Elberfelder 1871	Sie sprachen in ihrem Herzen: Laßt uns sie niederzwingen allesamt! -Verbrannt haben sie alle Versammlungsstätten Gottes im Lande.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	quoniam Deus judex est. Hunc humiliat, et hunc exaltat: