1 In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.
2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
1 [[To the chief Musician H5329 on Neginoth, H5058 A Psalm H4210 or Song H7892 of Asaph.]] H623 In Judah H3063 is God H430 known: H3045 his name H8034 is great H1419 in Israel. H3478
2 In Salem H8004 also is his tabernacle, H5520 and his dwelling place H4585 in Zion. H6726
3 There brake H7665 he the arrows H7565 of the bow, H7198 the shield, H4043 and the sword, H2719 and the battle. H4421 Selah. H5542
4 Thou art more glorious H215 and excellent H117 than the mountains H2042 of prey. H2964
5 The stouthearted H47 H3820 are spoiled, H7997 they have slept H5123 their sleep: H8142 and none of the men H582 of might H2428 have found H4672 their hands. H3027
6 At thy rebuke, H1606 O God H430 of Jacob, H3290 both the chariot H7393 and horse H5483 are cast into a dead sleep. H7290
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: H3372 and who may stand H5975 in thy sight H6440 when H227 once thou art angry? H639
8 Thou didst cause judgment H1779 to be heard H8085 from heaven; H8064 the earth H776 feared, H3372 and was still, H8252
9 When God H430 arose H6965 to judgment, H4941 to save H3467 all the meek H6035 of the earth. H776 Selah. H5542
10 Surely the wrath H2534 of man H120 shall praise H3034 thee: the remainder H7611 of wrath H2534 shalt thou restrain. H2296
11 Vow, H5087 and pay H7999 unto the LORD H3068 your God: H430 let all that be round about H5439 him bring H2986 presents H7862 unto him that ought to be feared. H4172
12 He shall cut off H1219 the spirit H7307 of princes: H5057 he is terrible H3372 to the kings H4428 of the earth. H776
1 In Judah is God known: His name is great in Israel.
2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, And his dwelling-place in Zion.
3 There he brake the arrows of the bow; The shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah
4 Glorious art thou `and' excellent, From the mountains of prey.
5 The stouthearted are made a spoil, They have slept their sleep; And none of the men of might have found their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep.
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared; And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause sentence to be heard from heaven; The earth feared, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment, To save all the meek of the earth. Selah
10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: The residue of wrath shalt thou gird upon thee.
11 Vow, and pay unto Jehovah your God: Let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
12 He will cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth. Psalm 77 For the Chief Musician; after the manner of Jeduthan. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- A Psalm of Asaph. -- A Song. In Judah `is' God known, in Israel His name `is' great.
2 And His tabernacle is in Salem, And His habitation in Zion.
3 There he hath shivered arrows of a bow, Shield, and sword, and battle. Selah.
4 Bright `art' Thou, honourable above hills of prey.
5 Spoiled themselves have the mighty of heart, They have slept their sleep, And none of the men of might found their hands.
6 From Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both rider and horse have been fast asleep.
7 Thou, fearful `art' Thou, And who doth stand before Thee, Since Thou hast been angry!
8 From heaven Thou hast sounded judgment, Earth hath feared, and hath been still,
9 In the rising of God to judgment, To save all the humble of earth. Selah.
10 For the fierceness of man praiseth Thee, The remnant of fierceness Thou girdest on.
11 Vow and complete to Jehovah your God, All ye surrounding him. They bring presents to the Fearful One.
12 He doth gather the spirit of leaders, Fearful to the kings of earth!
1 {To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph: a Song.} In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel;
2 And in Salem is his tent, and his dwelling-place in Zion.
3 There broke he the flashings of the bow, shield and sword and battle. Selah.
4 More glorious art thou, more excellent, than the mountains of prey.
5 The stout-hearted are made a spoil, they have slept their sleep; and none of the men of might have found their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
7 Thou, thou art to be feared, and who can stand before thee when once thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from the heavens; the earth feared, and was still,
9 When God rose up to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
10 For the fury of man shall praise thee; the remainder of fury wilt thou gird on thyself.
11 Vow and pay unto Jehovah your God: let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that is to be feared.
12 He cutteth off the spirit of princes; [he] is terrible to the kings of the earth.
1 > In Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel.
2 His tent is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, The shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah.
4 Glorious are you, and excellent, More than mountains of game.
5 Valiant men lie plundered, They have slept their last sleep. None of the men of war can lift their hands.
6 At your rebuke, God of Jacob, Both chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep.
7 You, even you, are to be feared. Who can stand in your sight when you are angry?
8 You pronounced judgment from heaven. The earth feared, and was silent,
9 When God arose to judgment, To save all the afflicted ones of the earth. Selah.
10 Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.
11 Make vows to Yahweh your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.
12 He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.
1 <To the chief music-maker; put to Neginoth. A Psalm. Of Asaph. A Song.> In Judah is the knowledge of God; his name is great in Israel,
2 In Salem is his tent, his resting-place in Zion.
3 There were the arrows of the bow broken, there he put an end to body-cover, sword, and fight. (Selah.)
4 You are shining and full of glory, more than the eternal mountains.
5 Gone is the wealth of the strong, their last sleep has overcome them; the men of war have become feeble.
6 At the voice of your wrath, O God of Jacob, deep sleep has overcome carriage and horse.
7 You, you are to be feared; who may keep his place before you in the time of your wrath?
8 From heaven you gave your decision; the earth, in its fear, gave no sound,
9 When God took his place as judge, for the salvation of the poor on the earth. (Selah.)
10 The ... will give you praise; the rest of ...
11 Give to the Lord your God what is his by right; let all who are round him give offerings to him who is to be feared.
12 He puts an end to the wrath of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 76
Commentary on Psalms 76 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Praise of God after His Judgment Has Gone Forth
No Psalm has a greater right to follow Psalms 75:1-10 than this, which is inscribed To the Precentor, with accompaniment of stringed instruments (vid., Psalms 4:1), a Psalm by Asaph, a song . Similar expressions ( God of Jacob , Psalms 75:10; Psalms 76:7; saints, wicked of the earth , Psalms 75:9; Psalms 76:10) and the same impress throughout speak in favour of unity of authorship. In other respects, too, they form a pair: Psalms 75:1-10 prepares the way for the divine deed of judgment as imminent, which Psalms 76:1-12 celebrates as having taken place. For it is hardly possible for there to be a Psalm the contents of which so exactly coincide with an historical situation of which more is known from other sources, as the contents of this Psalm confessedly (lxx πρὸς τὸν Ἀσσύριον ) does with the overthrow of the army of Assyria before Jerusalem and its results. The Psalter contains very similar Psalms which refer to a similar event in the reign of Jehoshaphat, viz., to the defeat at that time of the allied neighbouring peoples by a mutual massacre, which was predicted by the Asaphite Jahaziel (vid., on Psalms 46:1-11 and Ps 83). Moreover in Psalms 76:1-12 the “mountains of prey,” understood of the mountains of Seir with their mounted robbers, would point to this incident. But just as in Psalms 75:1-10 the reference to the catastrophe of Assyria in the reign of Hezekiah was indicated by the absence of any mention of the north, so in Psalms 76:1-12 both the שׁמּה in Psalms 76:4 and the description of the catastrophe itself make this reference and no other natural. The points of contact with Isaiah, and in part with Hosea (cf. Psalms 76:4 with Hosea 2:20) and Nahum, are explicable from the fact that the lyric went hand in hand with the prophecy of that period, as Isaiah predicts for the time when Jahve shall discharge His fury over Assyria, Isaiah 30:29, “Your song shall re-echo as in the night, in which the feast is celebrated.”
The Psalm is hexastichic, and a model of symmetrical strophe-structure.
In all Israel, and more especially in Judah, is Elohim known (here, according to Psalms 76:2 , participle, whereas in Psalms 9:17 it is the finite verb), inasmuch as He has made Himself known (cf. דּעוּ , Isaiah 33:13). His Name is great in Israel, inasmuch as He has proved Himself to be a great One and is praised as a great One. In Judah more especially, for in Jerusalem, and that upon Zion, the citadel with the primeval gates ( Psalms 24:7), He has His dwelling-place upon earth within the borders of Israel. שׁלם is the ancient name of Jerusalem; for the Salem of Melchizedek is one and the same city with the Jerusalem of Adonizedek, Joshua 10:1. In this primeval Salem God has סוּכּו , His tabernacle (= שׂכּו , Lamentations 2:6, = סכּתו , as in Psalms 27:5), there מעונתו , His dwelling-place, - a word elsewhere used of the lair of the lion (Psalms 104:22, Amos 3:4); cf. on the choice of words, Isaiah 31:9. The future of the result ויהי is an expression of the fact which is evident from God's being known in Judah and His Name great in Israel. Psalms 76:4 tells what it is by which He has made Himself known and glorified His Name. שׁמּה , thitherwards, in that same place (as in fact the accusative, in general, is used both in answer to the question where? and whither?), is only a fuller form for שׁם , as in Isaiah 22:18; Isaiah 65:9; 2 Kings 23:8, and frequently; Arab. ta̱mma ( tu̱mma ) and תּמּן (from תּמּה ) confirm the accusative value of the ah . רשׁפי־קשׁת (with Phe raphatum , cf. on the other hand, Song of Solomon 8:6)
(Note: The pointing is here just as inconsistent as in ילדוּת , and on the contrary מרדּוּת .))
are the arrows swift as lightning that go forth (Job 41:20-28) from the bow; side by side with these, two other weapons are also mentioned, and finally everything that pertains to war is gathered up in the word מלחמה (cf. Hosea 2:18). God has broken in pieces the weapons of the worldly power directed against Judah, and therewith this power itself (Isaiah 14:25), and consequently (in accordance with the prediction Hosea 1:7, and Isa 10, 14, Isaiah 17:1-14, 29, Isaiah 31:1-9, 33, 37, and more particularly Psalms 31:8) has rescued His people by direct interposition, without their doing anything in the matter.
The “mountains of prey,” for which the lxx has ὀρέων αἰωνίων ( טרם ?), is an emblematical appellation for the haughty possessors of power who also plunder every one that comes near them,
(Note: One verse of a beautiful poem of the Muḥammel which Ibn Dûchı̂ , the phylarch of the Beni Zumeir , an honoured poet of the steppe, dictated to Consul Wetzstein runs thus: The noble are like a very lofty hill-side upon which, when thou comest to it, thou findest an evening meal and protection (Arab. 'l - ‛š' w - ḏry ).)
or the proud and despoiling worldly powers. Far aloft beyond these towers the glory of God. He is נאור , illustris , prop. illumined; said of God: light-encircled, fortified in light, in the sense of Daniel 2:22; 1 Timothy 6:16. He is the אדּיר , to whom the Lebanon of the hostile army of the nations must succumb (Isaiah 10:34) According to Solinus ( ed. Mommsen , p. 124) the Moors call Atlas Addirim . This succumbing is described in Psalms 76:6. The strong of heart or stout-hearted, the lion-hearted, have been despoiled, disarmed, exuti ; אשׁתּוללוּ
(Note: With orthophonic Gaja , vid., Baer's Metheg-Setzung , §45.)
is an Aramaizing praet. Hithpo . (like אתחבּר , 2 Chronicles 20:35, cf. Daniel 4:16; Isaiah 63:3) with a passive signification. From Psalms 76:6 we see that the beginning of the catastrophe is described, and therefore נמוּ (perhaps on that account accented on the ult .) is meant inchoatively: they have fallen into their sleep, viz., the eternal sleep (Jeremiah 51:39, Jeremiah 51:57), as Nahum says (Nahum 3:18): thy shepherds sleep, O king of Assyria, thy valiant ones rest . In Psalms 76:6 we see them lying in the last throes of death, and making a last effort to spring up again. But they cannot find their hands, which they have lifted up threateningly against Jerusalem: these are lamed, motionless, rigid and dead; cf. the phrases in Joshua 8:20; 2 Samuel 7:27, and the Talmudic phrase, “he did not find his hands and feet in the school-house,” i.e., he was entirely disconcerted and stupefied.
(Note: Dukes, Rabbinische Blumenlese , S. 191.)
This field of corpses is the effect of the omnipotent energy of the word of the God of Jacob; cf. וגער בּו , Isaiah 17:13. Before His threatening both war-chariot and horse ( ו - ו ) are sunk into motionlessness and unconsciousness - an allusion to Ex. 15, as in Isaiah 43:17 : who bringeth out chariot and horse, army and heroes - together they faint away, they shall never rise; they have flickered out, like a wick they are extinguished.
Nahum also (Psalms 1:6) draws the same inference from the defeat of Sennacherib as the psalmist does in Psalms 76:8. מאז אפּך (cf. Ruth 2:7; Jeremiah 44:18), from the decisive turning-point onwards, from the אז in Psalms 2:5, when Thine anger breaks forth. God sent forth His judiciary word from heaven into the midst of the din of war of the hostile world: immediately (cf. on the sequence of the tenses Psalms 48:6, and on Habakkuk 3:10) it was silenced, the earth was seized with fear, and its tumult was obliged to cease, when, namely, God arose on behalf of His disquieted, suffering people, when He spoke as we read in Isaiah 33:10, and fulfilled the prayer offered in extreme need in Isaiah 33:2.
The fact that has just been experienced is substantiated in Psalms 76:10 from a universal truth, which has therein become outwardly manifest. The rage of men shall praise Thee, i.e., must ultimately redound to Thy glory, inasmuch as to Thee, namely ( Psalms 76:1 as to syntax like Psalms 73:3 ), there always remains a שׁארית , i.e., a still unexhausted remainder, and that not merely of חמה , but of חמת , with which Thou canst gird, i.e., arm, Thyself against such human rage, in order to quench it. שׁארית חמת is the infinite store of wrath still available to God after human rage has done its utmost. Or perhaps still better, and more fully answering to the notion of שׁארית : it is the store of the infinite fulness of wrath which still remains on the side of God after human rage ( חמה ) has spent itself, when God calmly, and laughing (Psalms 2:4), allows the Titans to do as they please, and which is now being poured out. In connection with the interpretation: with the remainder of the fury (of hostile men) wilt Thou gird Thyself, i.e., it serves Thee only as an ornament (Hupfeld), the alternation of חמה and חמת is left unexplained, and תּחגּר is alienated from its martial sense (Isaiah 59:17; Isaiah 51:9, Wisd. 5:21 [20]), which is required by the context. Ewald, like the lxx, reads תּחגּך , ἑορτάσει σοι , in connection with which, apart from the high-sounding expression, שׁארית חמת ( ἐγκατάλειμμα ἐνθυμίου ) must denote the remainder of malignity that is suddenly converted into its opposite; and one does not see why what Psalms 76:11 says concerning rage is here limited to its remainder. Such an inexhaustiveness in the divine wrath-power has been shown in what has just recently been experienced. Thus, then, are those who belong to the people of God to vow and pay, i.e., (inasmuch as the preponderance falls upon the second imperative) to pay their vows; and all who are round about Him, i.e., all the peoples dwelling round about Him and His people ( כּל־סביביו , the subject to what follows, in accordance with which it is also accented), are to bring offerings (Psalms 68:30) to God, who is מורא , i.e., the sum of all that is awe-inspiring. Thus is He called in Isaiah 8:13; the summons accords with Isaiah's prediction, according to which, in consequence of Jahve's deed of judgment upon Assyria, Aethiopia presents himself to Him as an offering (Isaiah 18:1-7), and with the fulfilment in 2 Chronicles 32:23. Just so does v. 13 a resemble the language of Isaiah; cf. Isaiah 25:1-12; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 18:5 : God treats the snorting of the princes, i.e., despots, as the vine-dresser does the wild shoots or branches of the vine-stock: He lops it, He cuts it off, so that it is altogether ineffectual. It is the figure that is sketched by Joel 3:13, then filled in by Isaiah, and embodied as a vision in Revelation 14:17-20, which is here indicated. God puts an end to the defiant, arrogant bearing of the tyrants of the earth, and becomes at last the feared of all the kings of the earth - all kingdoms finally becomes God's and His Christ's.