Psalm 76

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:4

The returning Conqueror; or, God glorified in his triumph over evil. The actual triumph over the Assyrian army is poetically presented in the sudden exclamation of Psalms 76:3 , "There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle." In Psalms 76:4 God is regarded as returning to Zion with the spoils of the camp. The precise figure is difficult to trace. Some render, "Bright art thou and glorious from the mountains of spoil;" and understand the mountains to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:5

The stout hearted are spoiled. A "vivid description of the catastrophe" now follows. The "stout hearted," the aggressors, the great dominant race, that has spoiled all the nations of the earth, and fears no one (comp. Isaiah 10:12-14 , "The stout heart of the King of Assyria"), is itself spoiled in turn. They have slept their sleep. They have slept, and, as they slept ( 2 Kings 19:35 ), they found it indeed a sleep, even the sleep of death. And none of the men of might have found... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:6

At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob. The catastrophe has been God's doing; man has had no part in it. Both the chariot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep. Metonymy for the charioteers and the horsemen (comp. Isaiah 43:17 ). These were the two chief arms of the military service with the Assyrians. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:6

The power of the Lord's rebuke. "At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a deep sleep." Byron pictures the scene with great poetical force— "And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride; And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf. "And there lay the rider distorted and pale, With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail." "God... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:7

Thou, even thou, art to be feared. God is to he feared as well as loved. Only "perfect love casteth out fear" ( 1 John 4:18 ), and "perfect love" is not for mortals. And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? literally, from the time of thine anger (comp. Exodus 5:23 ; Joshua 14:10 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:7

The fear of God. Consider— I. THE FORMS IT ASSUMES . There is: 1 . The fear of terror. The dismay of the vanquished enemies of God seems specially to be pointed at here (cf. Revelation 6:16 ), 2 . The fear of dread. The might and majesty of God awe the soul, as they well may. 3 . The fear of reverence. The holy character of God, when seen, cannot but inspire this. 4 . The fear of love. Such fear trembles and shrinks from causing pain to the object of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:7

The Divine anger. "Who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?" God can only be apprehended through human figures with which we are familiar. So we find in the Divine revelations of Holy Scripture anthropomorphic figures for God, taken from man's limbs and bodily organs; and anthropopathic figures taken from man's feelings, emotions, and passions. But in applying such figures to God, we must carefully eliminate the sin element which belongs to all such things when they concern... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:8

Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven. By the destruction of Sennacherib's host, God spoke, as it were, with a voice of thunder, to the whole earth. He delivered a "judgment," or a "sentence" (Revised Version), which could not be ignored. The earth feared, and was still. All the world, i.e. all the Oriental world, feared. The attention of the nations of Western Asia generally was attracted ( 2 Chronicles 32:23 ), and their minds were affected with a wholesome fear of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:9

When God arose to judgment (see the preceding verses). God's "rising" is an anthropomorphism, drawn from the tact that men "rise up" when they proceed to take vengeance (comp. Psalms 3:7 ; Psalms 7:6 ; Psalms 44:26 ; Psalms 68:1 , etc.). To save all the meek of the earth . God's vengeances on the wicked are, in great measure, for the relief of the righteous. Sennacherib's discomfiture relieved "the meek of the earth," i.e. not only Israel, but many other downtrodden and oppressed... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 76:9

With God judgment is salvation. "When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth." The "meek" are those who, with Hezekiah, held fast their integrity to Jehovah, and yet seemed placed in circumstances of hopeless distress. God's judgment on Sennacherib was their vindication, deliverance, and uplifting. Compare the destruction of Pharaoh's host at the Red Sea. God's judgment on the Egyptians was God's salvation of his people. It may even be established as the recognized... read more

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