Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Psalms 44:19
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, etc.] Where men, comparable to dragons or their poison and cruelty, dwell; particularly in Rome, and the Roman jurisdiction, both Pagan and Papal, the seat of Satan the great red dragon, and of his wretched brood and offspring, the beast, to whom he has given his power; here the saints and followers of Christ have been sorely afflicted and persecuted, and yet have held fast the name of Christ, and not denied his faith; (see <660213>Revelation 2:13 12:3); the wilderness is the habitation of dragons; and this is the name of the place where the church is said to be in the times of the Papacy, and where she is fed and preserved for a time, and times, and half a time, (<661206>Revelation 12:6,14); and covered us with the shadow of death; as the former phrase denotes the cruelty of the enemies of Christ’s church and people, this their dismal afflictions and forlorn state and condition; (see <192304>Psalm 23:4) (<230902>Isaiah 9:2); and may have some respect to the darkness of Popery, when it was at the height, and the church of Christ was covered with it, there being very little appearances and breakings forth of Gospel light any where. According to Arama, the “place of dragons” denotes the captivity of Egypt, which is the great dragon; and the “shadow of death”, he says, was a name of Egypt in ancient times, as say the Rabbins; and observes that (<194425>Psalm 44:25) explains this; (see <010314>Genesis 3:14).
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