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Psalms of Anguish and Pain
by Irv Davis

King David lived a life with many trials and tribulations. He fled from the anger of Saul and hid in the wilderness for many years to escape death.Some of the Psalms reflect his plight, alone, hunted and with death around the corner.

psalm1a.gif (74983 bytes)
© 2000 Graphic by Irv Davis

There are also Psalms that reflect the plight of the Jewish
people and the long sad history of persecution leading up to he Holocaust. 

Psalm 22 begins with the words:

My God,  my God why hast thou forsaken me,
And art far from my help at the word of my cry?

Some have referred Psalm 44, one of the most bitter in the whole book, as the Holocaust Psalm.

Thou hast given us like sheep to be eaten;
And scattered us among the nations.
Thou sellest Thy people for small gain.

and later in the Psalm

Nay but for thy sake we are killed all day;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?
Arouse Thyself, cast not off for ever.

This picture of a deeply sad King David alone in the wilderness represents these mournful Psalms.

back to Psalm Art Home

~ Lisa Katz

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