After recalling what God had done for his people in the past, the psalmist now turns to the present. He accuses God of abandoning his people, of deserting them, of letting them be defeated by their enemies. For cast … off see 43.2. The Good News Translation expression “you have rejected us” may sometimes be rendered “you have turned your back on us” or “you have said ‘No’ to us.” Abased us: “disgraced us,” “put us to shame,” “humiliated us” (see comments on “put to … shame” in 35.4). The passive construction in Good News Translation “you … let us be defeated” must be rendered in some languages as an active construction supplying the subject; for example, “you let our enemies defeat us.”

In vivid terms he says that God no longer goes out with the Israelite troops to fight the enemy. The Hebrew word for armies recalls the title of God as “LORD of hosts” (see 24.10). The Covenant Box, which accompanied the Israelite army, was the symbol and Lord guarantee of Yahweh’s presence with them (see Num 10.35; 1 Sam 4.3). Armies is sometimes rendered “soldier companies,” or “groups of soldiers,” or “companies of fighters.”

Because God deserted them, the Israelites fled from their enemies, who captured as spoil the belongings and weapons of the Israelites.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .