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.
In [b]Salem also is His tabernacle,
And His dwelling place in Zion.
There He broke the arrows of the bow,
The shield and sword of battle. Selah

You are more glorious and excellent
(B)Than the mountains of prey.
(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.
(E)At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And (F)who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?
(G)You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
(H)The earth feared and was still,
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

  1. Psalm 76:1 Heb. neginoth
  2. Psalm 76:2 Jerusalem
  3. Psalm 76:5 Lit. have slumbered their sleep

Praise to God for His Rescue of Israel

For the music director, with stringed instruments.

A psalm of Asaph. A song.[a]

76 God is known in Judah.
His name is great in Israel.
His den[b] has been in Salem,
his lair[c] in Zion.
There he broke the flames of the bow,
the shield and sword and battle. Selah
Radiant[d] you are, majestic,
from[e] the mountains of prey.
The stouthearted are plundered;
they sleep their sleep,
and all the able men cannot use[f] their hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both rider[g] and horse slumber.
You, indeed, are to be feared,[h]
and who can stand before you
when you are angry? [i]
From heaven you proclaimed judgment.
The earth feared and was still
when God rose for justice,
to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah
10 For the anger of humankind will praise you.
You will put on the remnant of anger.[j]
11 Make vows and fulfill them to Yahweh, your God;
let all surrounding him
bring tribute to the one to be feared.[k]
12 He cuts off the spirit of leaders.
He is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 76:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 76:2 Or “shelter”; but the image of the lion appears in view
  3. Psalm 76:2 Or “refuge”
  4. Psalm 76:4 A possible change in the Hebrew text yields, “You are feared, majestic …” a form found in vv. 8(7), 13(12). This is possibly reflected in the reading of Theodotian
  5. Psalm 76:4 Or “more than”
  6. Psalm 76:5 Literally “find”
  7. Psalm 76:6 Hebrew “chariot,” that is, charioteer
  8. Psalm 76:7 Literally “You, feared you are
  9. Psalm 76:7 A slight change in the vocalization of the MT yields, “from the strength of your anger”
  10. Psalm 76:10 Hebrew “angers”
  11. Psalm 76:11 Hebrew “to the fear”