Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

79:11-13 Preserve Us, Return Their Taunts, and We Will Praise You. Verses 8-10 prayed for forgiveness; here, the effect of that forgiveness will be that God will preserve those of his people who are doomed to die. Perhaps the reference to prisoners means that they are literally to be executed, but it is more likely that the people praying this see themselves under a sentence of "death," i.e., abandonment by God. The taunts of the neighbors against God's people (v. 4) are taken to be against God himself; v. 12 asks that God would give the destroyers what they deserve for daring to taunt God. Verse 13 looks forward to the granting of forgiveness, and pledges that we your people . . . will give thanks to you forever--this is what he made them for, and to sing this psalm sincerely is to accept this as a call to a genuine embrace of the covenant.