Bible Strands
Psalms 44:20
If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God on behalf of the community, posing a conditional question about collective covenant loyalty immediately after describing national devastation in verse 19.
The words — The verbs שָ֭כַחְנוּ (sha.khach.nu, "we had forgotten") and נִפְרֹשׂ (nif.rosh, "we had spread out") establish the grammatical condition for the verse's rhetorical point.
The thread — This conditional warning against covenant unfaithfulness runs through Deuteronomy 6:14 and Psalms 81:9, which prohibit foreign worship, while Job 11:13 uses the same hand-lifting gesture to describe turning back to God.
Why it lands — The text states that forgetting God's name or worshipping a foreign deity would explain divine silence, then asks the reader to rule out personal or corporate idolatry before demanding an explanation for suffering.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
Cross-references
- Psalms 81:9 There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.
- Job 11:13 As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,
- Deuteronomy 6:14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.
- Job 31:5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
- Psalms 7:3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands,
- Psalms 68:31 Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God.
- Exodus 9:29 Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
- 1 Kings 8:22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,
- Psalms 44:17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or betrayed Your covenant.
- Psalms 78:11 They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.