Verse 23. - Forget not the voice of thine enemies. God does not forget insults of this kind, but punishes them (see 2 Kings 19:28, "Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou earnest"). He punished Babylon after a time with extreme severity (see Jeremiah 50 and 51). The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually; rather, ascendeth continually - goes up before God's throne, crying for vengeance (comp. Genesis 4:10; Genesis 18:20, 21; Exodus 3:9, etc.).

74:18-23 The psalmist begs that God would appear for the church against their enemies. The folly of such as revile his gospel and his servants will be plain to all. Let us call upon our God to enlighten the dark nations of the earth; and to rescue his people, that the poor and needy may praise his name. Blessed Saviour, thou art the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Make thy people more than conquerors. Be thou, Lord, all in all to them in every situation and circumstances; for then thy poor and needy people will praise thy name.Forget not the voice of thine enemies,.... Their roaring in the midst of the sanctuary and the congregation, Psalm 74:4, their reproaching and blaspheming voice, Psalm 74:10,

the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually, or "ascendeth" (i); goes up to God, and is taken notice of by him; the cry of their sins, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the city of Nineveh, Genesis 18:20, was continually going up to God; wherefore it might be hoped and expected that vengeance in a little time would come down; see Revelation 18:5, the Septuagint, and the versions that follow that, render it, "the pride of those", &c. all these petitions are prayers of faith, and are, or will be, heard and answered; upon which will follow thanksgivings, with which the next psalm begins.

(i) "ascendens semper", Montanus; "ascendit semper", V. L. Musculus, Gejerus.