KJV ORIGINAL
Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Pour out your anger on the nations that don't know you, and on the kingdoms that don't pray to you or worship you.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is asking God to direct His judgment toward the nations that reject Him rather than toward His own people.
📚 Historical Context
This psalm was likely written after Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC, when the temple was burned and many Jews were killed or exiled. The psalmist is crying out in anguish, asking why God's people are suffering while the nations that don't worship God seem to prosper. This reflects the common Old Testament understanding that God would judge the nations for their rejection of Him.
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