Psalm 78: Overview

Psalm 78 is used in the Common of Several Martyrs, presumably because of the aptness of its second and third verses in particular:

They have given the dead bodies of your servants to be meat for the fowls of the air: the flesh of your saints for the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood as water, round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them.

The text of the psalm 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus Asaph.	A psalm for Asaph.
1 Deus, venérunt Gentes in hereditátem tuam, polluérunt templum sanctum tuum: * posuérunt Jerúsalem in pomórum custódiam.	O God the heathens have come into your inheritance, they have defiled your holy temple: they have made Jerusalem as a place to keep fruit.
2  Posuérunt morticína servórum tuórum, escas volatílibus cæli: * carnes sanctórum tuórum béstiis terræ.	2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants to be meat for the fowls of the air: the flesh of your saints for the beasts of the earth.
3  Effudérunt sánguinem eórum tamquam aquam in circúitu Jerúsalem: * et non erat qui sepelíret.	3 They have poured out their blood as water, round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them.
4  Facti sumus oppróbrium vicínis nostris: * subsannátio et illúsio his, qui in circúitu nostro sunt.	4 We have become a reproach to our neighbours: a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.
5  Usquequo, Dómine, irascéris in finem: * accendétur velut ignis zelus tuus?	5 How long, O Lord, will you be angry for ever: shall your zeal be kindled like a fire?
6  Effúnde iram tuam in Gentes, quæ te non novérunt: * et in regna quæ nomen tuum non invocavérunt:	6 Pour out your wrath upon the nations that have not known you: and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your name.
7  Quia comedérunt Jacob: * et locum ejus desolavérunt.	7 Because they have devoured Jacob; and have laid waste his place.
8  Ne memíneris iniquitátum nostrárum antiquárum, cito antícipent nos misericórdiæ tuæ: * quia páuperes facti sumus nimis.	8 Remember not our former iniquities: let your mercies speedily prevent us, for we have become exceeding poor.
9  Adjuva nos, Deus, salutáris noster: et propter glóriam nóminis tui, Dómine, líbera nos: * et propítius esto peccátis nostris, propter nomen tuum:	9 Help us, O God, our saviour: and for the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us: and forgive us our sins for your name's sake:
10 Ne forte dicant in Géntibus: Ubi est Deus eórum? * et innotéscat in natiónibus coram óculis nostris.	10 Lest they should say among the Gentiles: Where is their God? And let him be made known among the nations before our eyes,
11  Ultio sánguinis servórum tuórum, qui effúsus est: * intróeat in conspéctu tuo gémitus compeditórum.	By the revenging the blood of your servants, which has been shed: 11 Let the sighing of the prisoners come in before you.
12  Secúndum magnitúdinem bráchii tui, * pósside fílios mortificatórum.	According to the greatness of your arm, take possession of the children of them that have been put to death.
13  Et redde vicínis nostris séptuplum in sinu eórum: * impropérium ipsórum, quod exprobravérunt tibi, Dómine.	12 And render to our neighbours sevenfold in their bosom: the reproach wherewith they have reproached you, O Lord.
14 Nos autem pópulus tuus, et oves páscuæ tuæ, * confitébimur tibi in sæculum.	13 But we your people, and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you for ever.
15  In generatiónem et generatiónem * annuntiábimus laudem tuam	We will show forth your praise, unto generation and generation.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

While this psalm could arguably refer to any of the several destructions of the Temple, St Alphonsus Liguori pointed out that Macabees cites it as referring to that time:

This psalm shows us the miserable state of the Jewish people during the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, in the time of the Machabees. This at least is to be inferred from the first book of the Machabees, chapter vii, verse 17, in which the author cites the second verse of our psalm as a prophecy realized in his presence.

It obviously has a wider application though.  St Augustine for example saw it as referring to the persecutions of the early Christians under assorted pagan empires, while more recent commentators such as Fr Pius Pasch applied it to the liturgical wreckovators of the twentieth century: 

This Psalm depicts one of the saddest episodes of Jewish history:  Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed, the Gentiles loot and kill, Israel is sunk in deepest shame―a punishment for the infidelity of the chosen people. The destruction of the sanctuary is at the same time a reminder of the modern-day destruction of the modernists, with their man-oriented liturgies.  In the latter half of the Psalm we plead for the destruction of the enemies of the Church, not with any malice or thoughts of vengeance, but for the manifestation of God's divine justice upon those who would desecrate his holy places. Finally, this destruction of the sanctuary can be seen as an image of Christ's death:  "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19).  We think about the temple of the soul, violated by sin, and in the Church's name we pray for the conversion of sinners.

Other Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Rev 16:6 (3); Rev 6:10 (5); Lk 6:38 (13)
RB cursus	Matins Thursday I, 6;
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	Common of several martyrs
Roman pre 1911	Thursday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Friday Matins . 1970: Week 3: Thursday DP omitting 6-7, 12
Mass propers (EF)	Ash Wednesday TR (8-9), Lent Ember Saturday, GR (9-10); Lent 2 Thursday Thursday GR (9-10); September Ember Saturday GR (9-10); PP 4 GR (9-10)