Thine enemies... — As the text stands, render, Thine enemies have roared in the midst of thine assembly, but many MSS. have the plural as in Psalms 74:8, where see Note for the meaning of the word.
For “roared,” see Psalms 22:1, Note, and comp. Lamentations 2:7, where a similar scene is described. Instead of the voices of priest and choir, there have been heard the brutal cries of the heathen as they shouted at their work of destruction like lions roaring over their prey; or if, as some think, the reference in the next clause is to military ensigns, we have a picture of a wild soldiery exulting round the emblem of their triumph.
They set up their ensigns for signs. — The Hebrew for ensigns and signs is the same. Possibly the poet meant to have written some word meaning idols, but avoids it from dislike of mentioning the abominable things, and instead of places their idols as signs, writes, places their signs as signs.