Psalms 89:38 Meaning: When God's Promises Seem Broken
But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.
But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
But thou hast cast off and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
And Thou, Thou hast cast off, and dost reject, Thou hast shown Thyself wroth With Thine anointed,
But thou hast rejected and cast off; thou hast been very wroth with thine anointed:
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 89:38 appears to contradict God's covenant. This lament shows that honest grief and doubt can coexist with trust in a faithful God.
Context
Psalm 89 is a song of Ethan the Ezrahite, a wise man from Solomon's time. The first half of the psalm celebrates God's covenant with David, an oath as enduring as the sun and moon. Then the music changes. Verse 38 begins a long, raw complaint. The poet looks at the present disaster and sees only the opposite of what God promised. The throne is in the dust. Enemies are winning. It feels as if God has broken His word. This section of the psalm is a bold, unfiltered lament, as the writer confronts God with the painful gap between promise and experience.
Key Words
The English words used here carry heavy weight. “Cast off” or “rejected” pictures something thrown away as worthless, like spoiled food or a broken tool. “Abhorred” or “spurned” goes deeper: it means treated with disgust, pushed away in revulsion. These are not mild words. And “wroth” describes anger that overflows, like a flood that bursts its banks. The poet is not softening anything. He names the feeling fully: God has treated His chosen king as if He can’t stand him. “Anointed” is the same word for Messiah, the one set apart for a sacred task. So the pain cuts to the heart of Israel’s hope. Why would the psalmist use such strong language? Because he believes God is strong enough to take it. Lament does not deny the promise; it cries out for it to be remembered.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions recognize this verse as a faithful lament. Some, like Matthew Henry, read it as the nation’s grief over exile and collapse. Others, like John Gill, see it pointing forward to Christ’s own cry of dereliction on the cross. Reformed commentators such as Calvin emphasize the boldness of faith that dares to argue with God. Anglican scholars note that ancient Jewish teachers were troubled by the psalm’s audacity. Yet all agree: this is not a statement of unbelief. It is the honest anguish of someone who clings to God even when His actions seem to contradict His promises.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think the psalmist has lost his faith and is accusing God of breaking His promise. In fact, the lament itself proves the opposite. The poet still speaks to God. He still calls Him “Your anointed.” He will go on to beg God to remember His covenant (verse 49). This is not doubt that walks away from God; it is faith that wrestles with God.
Living This Out
This week, you may face a situation where your experience contradicts what you thought God promised. A relationship ends. A prayer goes unanswered. A calling falls apart. This verse gives you permission to bring your “but” to God. You can tell Him exactly how it feels, rejected, spurned, abandoned. Not with polished theology, but with raw words. Try writing your own honest prayer, starting with “But you have…”. Let the lament out. You might find that honesty is not the enemy of trust but the ground where true trust grows.
Main takeaway: God can handle our anguished sense that He has failed us; lament is not unbelief but the voice of clinging faith.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we feel like God is far away. This verse shows that we can tell God how we feel, even if we are sad or mad. God loves to hear our honest hearts.
For ages 9, 12
This psalm teaches that it’s okay to tell God when things don’t make sense. The writer had been promised that God would always help His king, but now it looked like God had turned away. Instead of pretending everything was fine, he shouted his pain to God. That’s not a lack of faith; it’s a kind of faith that trusts God enough to be completely honest with Him.
Questions People Ask
Did God actually reject David in Psalm 89:38?
The verse describes how it felt to the psalmist. It does not claim that God permanently rejected David or the covenant. The rest of the psalm pleads with God to remember His promises, showing that the writer still believes the covenant stands even when circumstances say otherwise.
Why does Psalm 89 seem to contradict God's promises?
Psalm 89 captures the tension between God’s sworn covenant and the painful reality of the nation’s collapse. The poet does not explain the contradiction; he cries out about it. For readers, this shows that holding onto both the promise and the pain is a biblical way to wrestle with God.
Is it okay to complain to God like this?
Yes. Many psalms, including this one, model raw honesty before God. The psalmist does not doubt God’s existence or goodness; he doubts whether he understands what God is doing. Lament is a form of trust, it brings the struggle to the only One who can resolve it.
How does this verse relate to Jesus?
Some Christian readers see it foreshadowing Jesus’ cry from the cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Jesus, the ultimate Anointed One, experienced the full weight of rejection. The psalm’s lament finds its deepest answer in the resurrection, where God’s covenant is vindicated.
What does 'anointed' mean in this verse?
In the Old Testament, anointing with oil set apart kings, priests, and sometimes prophets for God’s service. Here 'anointed' refers to the Davidic king, the one God chose to rule on His behalf. The word also carries messianic hope, pointing to a future Anointed One who would fulfill the covenant completely.
For pastors & researchers
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