Psalms · psalm 76 of 150
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Psalm 76 is a song of Asaph to the God who makes himself known in Judah, whose dwelling is in Salem and in Zion, and who broke there the flashing arrows, the shield and the sword. At his rebuke the warriors sleep and the horses lie stunned. The psalm calls us to fear him, to keep our vows and to bring him gifts, because the wrath of man will praise him.
The title calls it a psalm and song of Asaph, addressed to the choirmaster with stringed instruments. It is in Book III and is a song of Zion, centered on Jerusalem. The text does not say which victory it celebrates. Jewish and Christian tradition has linked it with the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian army of Sennacherib, told in 2 Kings 19:35, although the psalm does not name that event. Its message is general and clear: no human power stands before God.
The psalm opens with a declaration: God is known in Judah and his name is great in Israel. His abode is in Salem and his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword and the weapons of war.
Verses 4 to 6 look at God with wonder: glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey. The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep, and none of the men of war could use their hands. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned.
Verses 7 to 9 stress the fear of God. You, you are to be feared; who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth.
Verses 10 to 12 conclude. Surely the wrath of man shall praise you, and the remainder of wrath you will put on like a belt. The psalm calls us to make vows to the Lord and perform them, and for all who are around him to bring gifts to the one who is to be feared. He cuts off the spirit of princes and is awesome to the kings of the earth.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
God is known in Judah and his name is great in Israel; his abode is in Salem and in Zion. Jerusalem is the place where God makes himself present and known to his people.
In Zion, God broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword and war itself. Jerusalem's security does not rest on its weapons but on the action of its God.
God is to be feared, and no one can stand before him when his anger is roused. The fear of God here is not dread but a recognition of his greatness and justice.
Even the wrath of man ends up praising God, who uses even the actions of his enemies for his glory. Nothing escapes his rule, not even what seems a challenge to his power.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: He is known in Judah and his dwelling is in Salem and in Zion. — Psalm 76:1-2
Answer: The flashing arrows, the shield, the sword and the weapons of war. — Psalm 76:3
Answer: They were stripped of their spoil and sank into sleep; none could use his hands. — Psalm 76:5
Answer: They lay stunned. — Psalm 76:6
Answer: To save all the humble of the earth. — Psalm 76:9
Answer: To bring gifts to the One to be feared, and to make vows and perform them. — Psalm 76:11
Psalm 76 reminds us that a people's security is not in its armies, budgets or plans but in God. For a church or a family facing threats, it is an invitation to work responsibly without placing ultimate trust in any human resource. In a small group you can ask in what things we place more confidence than in God.
It also speaks of keeping vows. Promising something to God is serious, and the psalmist calls us to fulfill it. A good exercise is to review the commitments made before him, such as baptism, marriage, service or giving, and to ask for his help to live them faithfully.
Psalm 76 ends with God awesome to the kings of the earth. Psalm 77 returns to a personal tone: a believer who cannot sleep, who cries out in the night and who takes comfort by remembering God's works of the past.
The psalm does not name it. Many link it with the end of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah, when the angel of the Lord struck the Assyrian camp, according to 2 Kings 19:35. Others think it celebrates God's victories over Israel's enemies in general. The text allows both readings.
It is an ancient name for Jerusalem. It appears in Genesis 14:18, where Melchizedek is king of Salem, and here it is a synonym for Zion. It means something close to peace, and the psalm presents the city as the place where God brings peace by breaking weapons.