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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 79:3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/79-3.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/17/19_Psa_079_003.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 79:3 - A Prayer for Deliverance" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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no one is left to bury the dead.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/psalms/79.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/psalms/79.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/psalms/79.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and <i>there was</i> none to bury <i>them</i>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/79.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, And <i>there was</i> no one to bury <i>them.</i><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/79.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/79.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/79.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/79.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/79.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, And there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/79.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />They poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/79.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />They poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/79.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; And there was none to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/79.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />All Jerusalem is covered with their blood, and there is no one left to bury them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/79.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/79.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem as though it were water. There is no one to bury your people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/79.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />They shed your people's blood like water; blood flowed like water all through Jerusalem, and no one was left to bury the dead. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/79.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />to make their blood flow like water around Jerusalem, with no one being buried.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/79.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/79.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />They have made their blood flow like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/79.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Their blood they have shed like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/79.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Their blood have they shed like water around Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/79.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/79.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />They have shed their blood "" As water around Jerusalem, "" And there is none burying.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/79.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> They have shed their blood As water round about Jerusalem, And there is none burying.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/79.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />They poured out their blood as water round about Jerusalem; and none burying.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/79.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood as water, round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/79.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 78:3>They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one who would bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/79.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and no one is left to do the burying. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/79.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/79.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/79.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />They shed their blood like water around Jerusalem and there is no one to bury them.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/79.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />They have shed their blood like water Round about Jerusalem, with none to bury them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/79.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />They have shed their blood as water, round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury <i>them</i>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/79-3.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=9971" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/79.htm">A Prayer for Deliverance</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">2</span>They have given the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. <span class="reftext">3</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/8210.htm" title="8210: šā·p̄ə·ḵū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- To pour out, pour. A primitive root; to spill forth; also to expend; intensively, to sprawl out.">They have poured out</a> <a href="/hebrew/1818.htm" title="1818: ḏā·mām (N-msc:: 3mp) -- Blood. From damam; blood of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively bloodshed.">their blood</a> <a href="/hebrew/4325.htm" title="4325: kam·ma·yim (Prep-k, Art:: N-mp) -- Waters, water. Dual of a primitive noun; water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen.">like water</a> <a href="/hebrew/5439.htm" title="5439: sə·ḇî·ḇō·wṯ (Adv) -- Circuit, round about. Or cbiybah; from cabab; a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly around.">all around</a> <a href="/hebrew/3389.htm" title="3389: yə·rū·šā·lim (N-proper-fs) -- Probably foundation of peace, capital city of all Isr. ">Jerusalem,</a> <a href="/hebrew/369.htm" title="369: wə·’ên (Conj-w:: Adv) -- As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.">and there is no one</a> <a href="/hebrew/6912.htm" title="6912: qō·w·ḇêr (V-Qal-Prtcpl-ms) -- To bury. A primitive root; to intern.">to bury the dead.</a> </span><span class="reftext">4</span>We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those around us.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/2-21.htm">Lamentations 2:21</a></span><br />Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/14-16.htm">Jeremiah 14:16</a></span><br />And the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out their own evil upon them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/9-7.htm">Ezekiel 9:7</a></span><br />Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/21-16.htm">2 Kings 21:16</a></span><br />Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_chronicles/36-17.htm">2 Chronicles 36:17</a></span><br />So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/34-3.htm">Isaiah 34:3</a></span><br />Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/7-33.htm">Jeremiah 7:33</a></span><br />The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/9-22.htm">Jeremiah 9:22</a></span><br />Declare that this is what the LORD says: “The corpses of men will fall like dung upon the open field, like newly cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather it.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/11-6.htm">Ezekiel 11:6</a></span><br />You have multiplied those you killed in this city and filled its streets with the dead.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/11-8.htm">Revelation 11:8</a></span><br />Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/16-6.htm">Revelation 16:6</a></span><br />For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/23-35.htm">Matthew 23:35</a></span><br />And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/11-50.htm">Luke 11:50-51</a></span><br />As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, / from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/18-24.htm">Revelation 18:24</a></span><br />And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-52.htm">Acts 7:52</a></span><br />Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.</p><p class="hdg">their</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/79-10.htm">Psalm 79:10</a></b></br> Wherefore should the heathen say, Where <i>is</i> their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight <i>by</i> the revenging of the blood of thy servants <i>which is</i> shed.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/matthew/23-35.htm">Matthew 23:35</a></b></br> That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/romans/8-36.htm">Romans 8:36</a></b></br> As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.</p><p class="hdg">and there, etc.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/141-7.htm">Psalm 141:7</a></b></br> Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth <i>wood</i> upon the earth.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/8-1.htm">Jeremiah 8:1,2</a></b></br> At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/14-16.htm">Jeremiah 14:16</a></b></br> And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/78-44.htm">Blood</a> <a href="/job/40-13.htm">Bury</a> <a href="/2_kings/13-21.htm">Burying</a> <a href="/psalms/79-2.htm">Dead</a> <a href="/psalms/78-16.htm">Flowing</a> <a href="/psalms/79-1.htm">Jerusalem</a> <a href="/psalms/75-8.htm">Last</a> <a href="/psalms/77-17.htm">Poured</a> <a href="/psalms/78-55.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/psalms/78-28.htm">Round</a> <a href="/psalms/68-9.htm">Shed</a> <a href="/psalms/78-20.htm">Water</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/79-10.htm">Blood</a> <a href="/jeremiah/7-32.htm">Bury</a> <a href="/ezekiel/39-12.htm">Burying</a> <a href="/psalms/88-5.htm">Dead</a> <a href="/psalms/92-10.htm">Flowing</a> <a href="/psalms/102-21.htm">Jerusalem</a> <a href="/psalms/81-15.htm">Last</a> <a href="/psalms/79-10.htm">Poured</a> <a href="/psalms/83-12.htm">Resting-Place</a> <a href="/psalms/79-4.htm">Round</a> <a href="/psalms/79-10.htm">Shed</a> <a href="/psalms/88-17.htm">Water</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 79</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/79-1.htm">The psalmist complains of the desolation of Jerusalem</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/79-8.htm">He prays for deliverance</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/79-13.htm">and promises thankfulness</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/79.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/psalms/79.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem</b><br>This phrase vividly describes the aftermath of a devastating attack on Jerusalem, likely during the Babylonian siege in 586 BC. The imagery of blood being poured out like water suggests a massacre, highlighting the brutality and scale of the violence. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, such destruction was not uncommon, and the phrase underscores the desecration of what was considered a holy city. Theologically, this reflects the consequences of Israel's disobedience to God, as prophesied in <a href="/leviticus/26-33.htm">Leviticus 26:33</a> and <a href="/jeremiah/19-7.htm">Jeremiah 19:7-9</a>, where God warns of scattering His people and the resulting devastation. The phrase also evokes the sacrificial system, where blood was poured out as an offering, contrasting the sacred with the profane.<p><b>all around Jerusalem</b><br>Jerusalem, the city of David, was the spiritual and political center of Israel. Its destruction would have been seen as a profound judgment from God. The phrase "all around" indicates the widespread nature of the devastation, affecting not just the city but its surrounding areas. Historically, Jerusalem has been a focal point of conflict due to its strategic and religious significance. The city's fall would have been a catastrophic event for the Israelites, symbolizing the loss of God's protection and favor. This also foreshadows the future destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, as prophesied by Jesus in <a href="/matthew/24-2.htm">Matthew 24:2</a>.<p><b>and there is no one to bury the dead</b><br>In ancient Israelite culture, burial was a sacred duty, and leaving the dead unburied was considered a severe dishonor (<a href="/deuteronomy/21-23.htm">Deuteronomy 21:23</a>). This phrase indicates the complete desolation and helplessness of the survivors, who were either killed, taken captive, or too few to perform burial rites. The lack of burial also signifies the totality of the judgment, as prophesied in <a href="/jeremiah/7-33.htm">Jeremiah 7:33</a>, where the dead bodies would be food for the birds and beasts. This situation contrasts with the hope of resurrection and eternal life found in the New Testament, where Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice, conquers death and offers eternal life to believers (<a href="/john/11-25.htm">John 11:25-26</a>).<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a></b><br>The central city of Jewish worship and the location of the Temple. It is often seen as a symbol of God's presence and the spiritual heart of Israel.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_enemies_of_israel.htm">The Enemies of Israel</a></b><br>Though not named in this verse, they are the ones responsible for the destruction and desecration described. Historically, this could refer to the Babylonians or other invading forces.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_israelites.htm">The Israelites</a></b><br>The people of God who are suffering the consequences of the invasion and desecration of their holy city.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_sin.htm">The Consequences of Sin</a></b><br>The devastation described in <a href="/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3</a> serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. It calls believers to reflect on their own lives and the importance of repentance.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_reality_of_suffering.htm">The Reality of Suffering</a></b><br>This verse acknowledges the harsh realities of suffering and loss. It encourages believers to bring their pain and lament before God, trusting in His ultimate justice and restoration.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_community.htm">The Importance of Community</a></b><br>The absence of anyone to bury the dead highlights the breakdown of community. It challenges believers to support and care for one another, especially in times of crisis.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_god's_justice.htm">Hope in God's Justice</a></b><br>While the verse depicts a scene of despair, it also implicitly calls for God's justice. Believers are reminded to trust in God's righteous judgment and His promise to restore and heal.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_79.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 79</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_for_psalm_79_1-3_desecration.htm">Is there archaeological evidence confirming the large-scale desecration described in Psalm 79:1-3?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_do_psalm_46_3_waters_conflict_today.htm">Why does the imagery of roaring and foaming waters (Psalm 46:3) conflict with modern oceanographic understanding?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_did_moabites_see_water_as_blood.htm">Why did the Moabites mistake clear water for blood in broad daylight (2 Kings 3:22-23)?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/can_a_fountain_cleanse_sin_literally.htm">Zechariah 13:1 - How can a 'fountain' literally cleanse sin and impurity, and is there historical or scientific evidence of such an event occurring?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/psalms/79.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(3) <span class= "bld">Their blood.</span>--In <a href="//apocrypha.org/1_maccabees/7-17.htm" title="The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.">1 Maccabees 7:17</a>, we read "The flesh of thy saints and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them," introduced by "according to the word which he wrote." This is evidently a free quotation from this psalm, and seems to imply a reference to a contemporary.<p><span class= "bld">None to bury.</span>--For this aggravation of the evil comp. <a href="/jeremiah/14-16.htm" title="And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness on them.">Jeremiah 14:16</a>; <a href="/context/jeremiah/22-18.htm" title="Therefore thus said the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!">Jeremiah 22:18-19</a>.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/79.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 3.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Their</span> <span class="cmt_word">blood have they shed like</span> <span class="cmt_word">water round about Jerusalem.</span> During the long siege (eighteen months) the number slain in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem would be very large. <span class="cmt_word">And there was none to bury them</span> (compare the prophecy of Jeremiah, <a href="/jeremiah/14-16.htm">Jeremiah 14:16</a>). The population being for the most part carried into captivity, and but few left in the land (<a href="/jeremiah/52-15.htm">Jeremiah 52:15, 16</a>), the bodies of the slain lay unburied, the few left not being able to bury them. Compare the preceding verse. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/79-3.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">They have poured out</span><br /><span class="heb">שָׁפְכ֬וּ</span> <span class="translit">(šā·p̄ə·ḵū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8210.htm">Strong's 8210: </a> </span><span class="str2">To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their blood</span><br /><span class="heb">דָמָ֨ם ׀</span> <span class="translit">(ḏā·mām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1818.htm">Strong's 1818: </a> </span><span class="str2">Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like water</span><br /><span class="heb">כַּמַּ֗יִם</span> <span class="translit">(kam·ma·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4325.htm">Strong's 4325: </a> </span><span class="str2">Water, juice, urine, semen</span><br /><br /><span class="word">all around</span><br /><span class="heb">סְֽבִ֘יב֤וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(sə·ḇî·ḇō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5439.htm">Strong's 5439: </a> </span><span class="str2">A circle, neighbour, environs, around</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Jerusalem,</span><br /><span class="heb">יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם</span> <span class="translit">(yə·rū·šā·lim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3389.htm">Strong's 3389: </a> </span><span class="str2">Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and [there is] no one</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאֵ֣ין</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’ên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_369.htm">Strong's 369: </a> </span><span class="str2">A non-entity, a negative particle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to bury [the dead].</span><br /><span class="heb">קוֹבֵֽר׃</span> <span class="translit">(qō·w·ḇêr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6912.htm">Strong's 6912: </a> </span><span class="str2">To inter</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/79-3.htm">Psalm 79:3 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/79-3.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 79:3 Their blood they have shed like water (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/79-2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 79:2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 79:2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/79-4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 79:4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 79:4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>