Psalm 76
New English Translation
Psalm 76[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.
76 God has revealed himself in Judah;[b]
in Israel his reputation[c] is great.
2 He lives in Salem;[d]
he dwells in Zion.[e]
3 There he shattered the arrows,[f]
the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war.[g] (Selah)
4 You shine brightly and reveal your majesty,
as you descend from the hills where you killed your prey.[h]
5 The bravehearted[i] were plundered;[j]
they “fell asleep.”[k]
All the warriors were helpless.[l]
6 At the sound of your battle cry,[m] O God of Jacob,
both rider[n] and horse “fell asleep.”[o]
7 You are awesome! Yes, you!
Who can withstand your intense anger?[p]
8 From heaven you announced what their punishment would be.[q]
The earth[r] was afraid and silent
9 when God arose to execute judgment,
and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)
10 Certainly[s] your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise;[t]
you reveal your anger in full measure.[u]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them.
Let all those who surround him[v] bring tribute to the awesome one.
12 He humbles princes;[w]
the kings of the earth regard him as awesome.[x]
Footnotes
- Psalm 76:1 sn Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.
- Psalm 76:1 tn Or “God is known in Judah.”
- Psalm 76:1 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
- Psalm 76:2 sn Salem is a shorter name for Jerusalem (see Gen 14:18).
- Psalm 76:2 tn Heb “and his place of refuge is in Salem, and his lair in Zion.” God may be likened here to a lion (see v. 4).
- Psalm 76:3 tn Heb “flames of the bow,” i.e., arrows.
- Psalm 76:3 tn Heb “shield and sword and battle.” “Battle” probably here stands by metonymy for the weapons of war in general.sn This verse may allude to the miraculous defeat of the Assyrians in 701 b.c. (see Isa 36-37).
- Psalm 76:4 tn Heb “radiant [are] you, majestic from the hills of prey.” God is depicted as a victorious king and as a lion that has killed its victims.
- Psalm 76:5 tn Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).
- Psalm 76:5 tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).
- Psalm 76:5 tn Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”
- Psalm 76:5 tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”
- Psalm 76:6 tn Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (gaʿar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 18:15; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
- Psalm 76:6 tn Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.
- Psalm 76:6 tn Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.
- Psalm 76:7 tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (meʾaz, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (meʾoz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).
- Psalm 76:8 tn Heb “a [legal] decision,” or “sentence.”
- Psalm 76:8 tn “The earth” stands here by metonymy for its inhabitants.
- Psalm 76:10 tn Or “for.”
- Psalm 76:10 tn Heb “the anger of men will praise you.” This could mean that men’s anger (subjective genitive), when punished by God, will bring him praise, but this interpretation does not harmonize well with the next line. The translation assumes that God’s anger is in view here (see v. 7) and that “men” is an objective genitive. God’s angry judgment against men brings him praise because it reveals his power and majesty (see vv. 1-4).
- Psalm 76:10 tn Heb “the rest of anger you put on.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear. Perhaps the idea is that God, as he prepares for battle, girds himself with every last ounce of his anger, as if it were a weapon.
- Psalm 76:11 tn The phrase “all those who surround him” may refer to the surrounding nations (v. 12 may favor this), but in Ps 89:7 the phrase refers to God’s heavenly assembly.
- Psalm 76:12 tn Heb “he reduces the spirit of princes.” According to HALOT 148 s.v. II בצר, the Hebrew verb בָּצַר (batsar) is here a hapax legomenon meaning “reduce, humble.” The statement is generalizing, with the imperfect tense highlighting God’s typical behavior.
- Psalm 76:12 tn Heb “[he is] awesome to the kings of the earth.”
Psalm 76
New King James Version
The Majesty of God in Judgment
To the Chief Musician. On [a]stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
76 In (A)Judah God is known;
His name is great in Israel.
2 In [b]Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle. Selah
4 You are more glorious and excellent
(B)Than the mountains of prey.
5 (C)The stouthearted were plundered;
(D)They [c]have sunk into their sleep;
And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
6 (E)At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
7 You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And (F)who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
8 (G)You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
(H)The earth feared and was still,
9 When God (I)arose to judgment,
To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah
10 (J)Surely the wrath of man shall praise You;
With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.
11 (K)Make vows to the Lord your God, and pay them;
(L)Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes;
(M)He is awesome to the kings of the earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 76:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 76:2 Jerusalem
- Psalm 76:5 Lit. have slumbered their sleep
Psalm 76
King James Version
76 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.
Psalm 76
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 76[a]
God Defends Zion
1 For the leader; a psalm with stringed instruments. A song of Asaph.
I
2 Renowned in Judah is God,(A)
whose name is great in Israel.
3 On Salem[b] is God’s tent, his shelter on Zion.
4 There the flashing arrows were shattered,
shield, sword, and weapons of war.(B)
Selah
II
5 Terrible and awesome are you,
stronger than the ancient mountains.[c]
6 Despoiled are the stouthearted;
they sank into sleep;
the hands of all the men of valor have failed.(C)
7 At your roar, O God of Jacob,
chariot and steed lay still.
8 You, terrible are you;
who can stand before you and your great anger?(D)
9 From the heavens you pronounced sentence;
the earth was terrified and reduced to silence,
10 When you arose, O God, for judgment
to save the afflicted of the land.
Selah
11 Surely the wrath of man will give you thanks;
the remnant of your furor will keep your feast.
III
12 Make and keep vows to the Lord your God.(E)
May all around him bring gifts to the one to be feared,
13 Who checks the spirit of princes,
who is fearful to the kings of earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 76 A song glorifying Zion, the mountain of Jerusalem where God destroyed Israel’s enemies. Zion is thus the appropriate site to celebrate the victory (Ps 76:3–4), a victory described in parallel scenes (Ps 76:5–7, 8–11). Israel is invited to worship its powerful patron deity (Ps 76:12).
- 76:3 Salem: an ancient name for Jerusalem, used here perhaps on account of its allusion to the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, cf. Gn 14:18; Hb 7:1–3.
- 76:5 Ancient mountains: conjectural translation of a difficult Hebrew phrase on the basis of Gn 49:26. The mountains are part of the structure of the universe (Ps 89:12–13).
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