Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 76

Psalm 76: God known in Judah, weapons broken in Salem, chariot and horse asleep

General context

The psalm says God is known in Judah and his name is great in Israel; his tabernacle is in Salem and his dwelling place in Zion, and there he broke the arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword and the battle, Selah. God is addressed as more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted are spoiled and have slept their sleep, none of the men of might have found their hands, and at the rebuke of the God of Jacob both chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. God is to be feared, and no one can stand in his sight once he is angry. He caused judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still when God arose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth, Selah. The wrath of man will praise him, and he will restrain the remainder of wrath. The hearers are told to vow and pay to the Lord their God, and all around him are to bring presents to him who ought to be feared; he will cut off the spirit of princes and is terrible to the kings of the earth.

Cited passages: Psalms 76:1, Psalms 76:2, Psalms 76:3, Psalms 76:4, Psalms 76:5, Psalms 76:6, Psalms 76:7, Psalms 76:8, Psalms 76:9, Psalms 76:10, Psalms 76:11, Psalms 76:12

Psalms 76 (KJV)

¹In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.

²In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

³There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

⁴Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

⁵The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.

⁶At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.

⁷Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?

⁸Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

⁹When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

¹⁰Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

¹¹Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

¹²He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "In Judah is God known", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The places named are "Judah", "Israel", "Salem" and "Zion", with Salem given as the site of God's tabernacle and Zion as his dwelling place; the text does not say more about Salem. No speaker is identified; verses 1 to 3 speak of God in the third person, verses 4 to 10 mostly address him as "thou", and verses 11 and 12 turn to the hearers with "your God". A defeat is described in the past tense, weapons broken "There", the stouthearted asleep, chariot and horse in "a dead sleep", but the enemy, the battle and the time are not named. "The mountains of prey" is stated without explanation. "The wrath of man shall praise thee" and "the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain" are given as future claims. Selah stands twice, after verses 3 and 9. The psalm ends with a command to vow and pay and a statement about princes and kings, not with a narrative.

Cited passages: Psalms 76:1, Psalms 76:2, Psalms 76:4, Psalms 76:11, Psalms 76:3, Psalms 76:6, Psalms 76:10, Psalms 76:12

Literary context

Sleep and stillness are the psalm's images for defeat. The stouthearted "have slept their sleep", men of might cannot find their hands, chariot and horse lie in "a dead sleep", and the earth "feared, and was still". Against those sleepers stands a God who "arose to judgment". The weapons of verse 3 are listed and broken in one line, bow, shield, sword, and then "the battle" itself. Fear is the repeated word: God "art to be feared", the earth "feared", and presents are brought "unto him that ought to be feared". The two Selahs close the two scenes, the broken weapons in Salem and the judgment heard from heaven. Verse 10 makes a claim in paradox, that "the wrath of man shall praise thee", and follows it with restraint of the rest. The poem narrows from Judah and Israel to Salem and Zion, then widens at the end to "all that be round about him" and "the kings of the earth". After Psalm 75's promise that God will judge uprightly, this psalm reports a judgment already heard and the meek already saved.

Cited passages: Psalms 76:5, Psalms 76:8, Psalms 76:9, Psalms 76:3, Psalms 76:7, Psalms 76:11, Psalms 76:10, Psalms 76:12, Psalms 75:2

Key moments

In Judah is God known (Psalms 76:1). God is known in Judah and his name is great in Israel.
Weapons broken in Salem (Psalms 76:3). In Zion God breaks bow, shield, sword and battle, and Selah follows.
The stouthearted asleep (Psalms 76:5). The mighty are spoiled and sleep, unable to find their hands.
Chariot and horse in a dead sleep (Psalms 76:6). At the rebuke of the God of Jacob chariot and horse are stilled.
Judgment heard from heaven (Psalms 76:8). God causes judgment to be heard and the earth fears and is still.
The wrath of man shall praise thee (Psalms 76:10). Human wrath will praise God and he will restrain the rest.
Vow, and pay (Psalms 76:11). The hearers are told to vow and pay and to bring presents to God.

For reflection

The psalm says the wrath of man will praise God and the remainder will be restrained; what does the poem think happens to anger that is neither fully spent nor fully used?