Psalm 76:
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 Job Proverbs
Psalm 76
Complete Concise
This psalm seems to have been penned upon occasion of some great
victory obtained by the church over some threatening enemy or other, and
designed to grace the triumph. The Septuagint calls it, "A song upon the
Assyrians," whence many good interpreters conjecture that it was penned
when Sennacherib's army, then besieging Jerusalem, was entirely cut off by a
destroying angel in Hezekiah's time; and several passages in the psalm are
very applicable to that work of wonder: but there was a religious triumph upon
occasion of another victory, in Jehoshaphat's time, which might as well be the
subject of this psalm (2 Chr. 20:28), and it might be called "a song of
Asaph" because always sung by the sons of Asaph. Or it might be penned by
Asaph who lived in David's time, upon occasion of the many triumphs with which
God delighted to honour that reign. Upon occasion of this glorious victory,
whatever it was, I. The psalmist congratulates the happiness of the church in
having God so nigh (v. 1-3). II. He celebrates the glory of God's power, which
this was an illustrious instance of (v. 4-6). III. He infers hence what reason
all have to fear before him (v. 7-9). And, IV. What reason his people have to
trust in him and to pay their vows to him (v. 10-12). It is a psalm proper for
a thanksgiving day, upon the account of public successes, and not improper at
other times, because it is never out of season to glorify God for the great
things he has done for his church formerly, especially for the victories of the
Redeemer over the powers of darkness, which all those Old-Testament victories
were types of, at least those that are celebrated in the psalms.
To the chief musician on Neginoth. A psalm
or song of
Asaph.
Verses 1-6
The church is here triumphant even in the midst of its militant
state. The psalmist, in the church's name, triumphs here in God, the centre of
all our triumphs.
I. In the revelation God had made of himself to them, v. 1. It
is the honour and privilege of Judah and Israel that among them
God is known,
and where he is known
his name will be
great. God is known as he
is pleased to make himself known; and those are happy to whom he discovers
himself—happy people that have their land filled with the knowledge of God,
happy persons that have their hearts filled with that knowledge. In Judah God
was known as he was not known in other nations, which made the favour the
greater, inasmuch as it was distinguishing, Ps. 147:19, 20.
II. In the tokens of God's special presence with them in his
ordinances, v. 2. In the whole land of Judah and Israel God was known and his
name was great; but
in Salem, in Zion, were
his tabernacle and
his
dwelling-place. There he kept court; there he received the homage of his
people by their sacrifices and entertained them by the feasts upon the
sacrifices; thither they came to address themselves to him, and thence by his
oracles he issued out his orders; there he recorded his name, and of that place
he said,
Her will I dwell, for I have desired it. It is the glory and
happiness of a people to have God among them by his ordinances; but his
dwelling-place is a tabernacle, a movable dwelling.
Yet a little while is
that light with us.
III. In the victories they had obtained over their enemies (v.
3):
There broke he the arrows of the bow. Observe how threatening the
danger was. Though Judah and Israel, Salem and Zion, were thus privileged, yet
war is raised against them, and the weapons of war are furbished.
1. Here are bow and arrows, shield and sword, and all for
battle; but all are broken and rendered useless. And it was done there, (1.) In
Judah and in Israel, in favour of that people near to God. While the weapons of
war were used against other nations they answered their end, but, when turned
against that holy nation, they were immediately broken. The Chaldee paraphrases
it thus: When the house of Israel did his will he placed his majesty among them,
and there he broke the arrows of the bow; while they kept closely to his service
they were great and safe, and every thing went well with them. Or, (2.) In the
tabernacle and dwelling-place in Zion, there he broke the arrows of the bow; it
was done in the field of battle, and yet it is said to be done in the sanctuary,
because done in answer to the prayers which God's people there made to him and
in the performance of the promises which he there made to them, of both which
see that instance, 2 Chr. 20:5, 14. Public successes are owing as much to what
is done in the church as to what is done in the camp. Now,
2. This victory redounded very much, (1.) To the immortal honour
of Israel's God (v. 4):
Thou art, and hast manifested thyself to be,
more
glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. [1.] "Than the great
and mighty ones of the earth in general, who are high, and think themselves
firmly fixed like mountains, but are really mountains of prey, oppressive to all
about them. It is their glory to destroy; it is thine to deliver." [2.]
"Than our invaders in particular. When they besieged the cities of Judah,
they cast up mounts against them, and raised batteries; but thou art more able
to protect us than they are to annoy us." Wherein the enemies of the church
deal proudly it will appear that God is above them. (2.) To the perpetual
disgrace of the enemies of Israel, v. 5, 6. They were
stouthearted, men
of great courage and resolution, flushed with their former victories, enraged
against Israel, confident of success; they were
men of might, robust and
fit for service; they had
chariots and horses, which were then greatly
valued and trusted to in war, Ps. 20:7. But all this force was of no avail when
it was levelled against Jerusalem. [1.]
The stouthearted have despoiled and
disarmed themselves (so some read it); when God pleases he can make his
enemies to weaken and destroy themselves.
They have slept, not the sleep
of the righteous, who sleep in Jesus, but
their sleep, the sleep of
sinners, that shall awake to everlasting shame and contempt. [2.] The men of
might can no more
find their hands than the stout-hearted can their
spirit. As the bold men are cowed, so the strong men are lamed, and cannot so
much as find their hands, to save their own heads, much less to hurt their
enemies. [3.] The chariots and horses may be truly said to be
cast into a
dead sleep when their drivers and their riders were so. God did but speak
the word, as the God of Jacob that commands deliverances for Jacob, and, at his
rebuke, the chariot and horse were both cast into a dead sleep. When the men
were laid dead upon the spot by the destroying angel the chariot and horse were
not at all formidable. See the power and efficacy of God's rebukes. With what
pleasure may we Christians apply all this to the advantages we enjoy by the
Redeemer! It is through him that God is known; it is in him that God's name is
great; to him it is owing that God has a tabernacle and a dwelling-place in his
church. He it was that vanquished the strong man armed, spoiled principalities
and powers, and made a show of them openly.
Verses 7-12
This glorious victory with which God had graced and blessed his
church is here made to speak three things:—
I. Terror to God's enemies (v. 7-9):
"Thou, even thou,
art to be feared; thy majesty is to be reverenced, thy sovereignty to be
submitted to, and thy justice to be dreaded by those that have offended thee."
Let all the world learn by this event to stand in awe of the great God. 1. Let
all be afraid of his wrath against the daring impiety of sinners:
Who may
stand in thy sight from the minute that thou art angry? If God be a
consuming fire, how can chaff and stubble stand before him, though his
anger
be kindled but a little? Ps. 2:12. 2. Let all be afraid of his jealousy for
oppressed innocency and the injured cause of his own people:
"Thou didst
cause judgment to be heard from heaven, then
when thou didst arise to
save all the meek of the earth (v. 8, 9); and then
the earth feared and
was still, waiting what would be the issue of those glorious appearances of
thine." Note, (1.) God's people are the
meek of the earth (Zec.
2:3), the
quiet in the land (Ps. 35:20), that can bear any wrong, but do
none. (2.) Though the meek of the earth are by their meekness exposed to injury,
yet God will, sooner or later, appear for their salvation, and plead their
cause. (3.) When God comes to save
all the meek of the earth, he will
cause
judgment to be heard from heaven; he will make the world know that he is
angry at the oppressors of his people, and takes what is done against them as
done against himself. The righteous God long seems to keep silence, yet, sooner
or later, he will make judgment to be heard. (4.) When God is speaking judgment
from heaven it is time for the earth to compose itself into an awful and
reverent silence:
The earth feared and was still, as silence is made by
proclamation when the court sits.
Be still and know that I am God, Ps.
46:10.
Be silent, O all flesh! before the Lord, for he is raised up to
judgment, Zec. 2:13. Those that suppose this psalm to have been penned upon the
occasion of the routing of Sennacherib's army take it for granted that the
descent of the destroying angel, who did the execution, was accompanied with
thunder, by which
God caused judgment to be heard from heaven, and that
the earth feared (that is, there was an earthquake), but it was soon over. But
this is altogether uncertain.
II. Comfort to God's people, v. 10. We live in a very angry
provoking world; we often feel much, and are apt to fear more, from the wrath of
man, which seems boundless. But this is a great comfort to us, 1. That as far as
God permits the wrath of man to break forth at any time he will make it turn to
his praise, will bring honour to himself and serve his own purposes by it:
Surely
the wrath of man shall praise thee, not only by the checks given to it, when
it shall be forced to confess its own impotency, but even by the liberty given
to it for a time. The hardships which God's people suffer by the wrath of
their enemies are made to redound to the glory of God and his grace; and the
more
the heathen rage and plot
against the Lord and his anointed
the more will God be praised for setting
his King upon his holy hill of Zion
in spite of them, Ps. 2:1, 6. When the heavenly hosts make this the matter of
their thanksgiving-song that God has
taken to himself his great power and has
reigned, though the nations were angry (Rev. 11:17, 18), then the wrath of
man adds lustre to the praises of God. 2. That what will not turn to his praise
shall not be suffered to break out:
The remainder of wrath shalt thou
restrain. Men must never permit sin, because they cannot check it when they
will; but God can. He can set bounds to the wrath of man, as he does to the
raging sea.
Hitherto it shall come and no further; here shall its proud waves
be stayed. God restrained the remainder of Sennacherib's rage, for he put
a
hook in his nose and a bridle in his jaws (Isa. 37:29); and, though he
permitted him to talk big, he restrained him from doing what he designed.
III. Duty to all, v. 11, 12. Let all submit themselves to this
great God and become his loyal subjects. Observe, 1. The duty required of us
all, all that are about him, that have any dependence upon him or any occasion
to approach to him; and who is there that has not? We are therefore every one of
us commanded to do our homage to the King of kings:
Vow and pay; that is,
take an oath of allegiance to him and make conscience of keeping it. Vow to be
his, and pay what you vow. Bind your souls with a bond to him (for that is the
nature of a vow), and then live up to the obligations you have laid upon
yourselves; for
better it is not to vow than to vow and not to pay. And,
having taken him for our King, let us bring presents to him, as subjects to
their sovereign, 1 Sa. 10:27.
Send you the lamb to the ruler of the land,
Isa. 16:1. Not that God needs any present we can bring, or can be benefited by
it; but thus we must give him honour and own that we have our all from him. Our
prayers and praises, and especially our hearts, are the presents we should bring
to the Lord our God. 2. The reasons to enforce this duty:
Render to all their
due, fear to whom fear is due; and is it not due to God? Yes; (1.) He ought
to be feared:
He is the fear (so the word is); his name is glorious and
fearful,; and he is the proper object of our fear; with him is terrible majesty.
The God of Abraham is called
the fear of Isaac (Gen. 31:42), and we are
commanded to
make him our fear, Isa. 8:13. When we bring presents to him
we must have an eye to him as greatly to be feared; for he is terrible in his
holy places. (2.) He will be feared, even by those who think it their own sole
prerogative to be feared (v. 12): He shall
cut off the spirit of princes;
he shall slip it off as easily as we slip off a flower from the stalk or a bunch
of grapes from the vine; so the word signifies. He can dispirit those that are
most daring and make them heartless; for he is, or will be,
terrible to the
kings of the earth; and sooner or later, if they be not so wise as to submit
themselves to him, he will force them to call in vain to
rocks and mountains
to fall on them and hide them from his wrath, Rev. 6:16. Since there is no
contending with God, it is as much our wisdom as it is our duty to submit to
him.
Psalm 76:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Spurgeon
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 Job Proverbs
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