Psalms 76

In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. The opening announces public knowledge of God by deliverance, not private speculation. Both camps hear Zion's God made known by saving power.

Wesley's later notes locate the scene at Jerusalem and the broken army; the name is great because the LORD acted. Celebrate the known God—do not treat "known" as thin rumor.

Calvin: not by human means were Israel's enemies compelled to retire, but by Jehovah's aid. Knowledge of God and greatness of his name came because he stretched forth his hand extraordinarily, showing the chosen people and city under his defense.

Glory displayed in miraculous interposition. The Church is under his protection; fame of his name comes from his defense, not of Israel's strength.

His tabernacle is also in Salem. His dwelling place in Zion. Wesley: Salem—Jerusalem, anciently called Salem; Zion largely so called, including Moriah. Shared geography of presence: God dwells where he is named.

The tabernacle/dwelling language invites trust in the God who places his name.

Calvin: reason for deliverance—he had chosen a dwelling-place where his name was called upon. Men must not arrogate the glory; he opposed enemies from free choice of the Jewish nation. His power is invincible for preserving his Church; the faithful may repose under his shadow.

Salem/Zion is his chosen seat. Though the visible tabernacle is gone, by Christ he still dwells in the midst of us; exposed to danger, under his protection we are safe.

There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Wesley: There—at Jerusalem; sword—offensive and defensive weapons; battle—all the power of the army. God disarms the assault at Zion.

The Selah invites pause over broken weapons. Deliverance is the LORD's work in the place of his dwelling.

Calvin: God was known in Judah by wonderful proofs of power in preserving the city. Under these figures the enemies are destroyed—arrows, swords, shields broken; they are deprived of power to harm. Metonymy: what befell them is spoken of their weapons.

Impious enemies of the Church lose capacity to do harm. The faithful read broken arms as God's visible defense of Zion.

Glorious are you, and excellent, more than mountains of prey. Wesley: Thou—O God; mountains of prey—greatest kings and empires, established by tyranny and maintained by preying. God outranks predatory kingdoms.

Praise the majesty that exceeds every mountain of violence. Do not fear the empires of prey more than the God of Zion.

Calvin: mountains of prey mean kingdoms of violence and extortion—great kings compared to savage beasts living on prey. Enemies made furious assaults on Jerusalem; God greatly surpassed them all in power, that the faithful might not be overwhelmed with terror.

God is more terrible than predatory powers. Comfort under assault: his glory exceeds the mountains that live by plunder.

The valiant men lie plundered; they have slept their last sleep, and none of the men of war can lift their hands. Wesley: Sleep—even a perpetual sleep. No dispute here: courage and hands fail before God.

The sleep is death-sleep for the invading host. Hear Assyria-type judgment without turning the psalm into a modern scorecard.

Calvin: stout-hearted were spoiled—deprived of wisdom and courage; men of might have not found their hands—as if maimed. They slept their sleep: active hearts failed into listlessness. All gifts and power men seem to possess are in God's hand; he can at any instant deprive them of wisdom and strength.

Heroic courage boasted of is overthrown by God. Magnifying the enemy's former power leads the faithful to extol the LORD's working.

At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both chariot and horse lay stunned. Wesley: Chariot—the men who rode upon and fought from chariots and horses. One rebuke ends chariot warfare.

God of Jacob—covenant name over military noise. The stunned rider is the LORD's nod, not Israel's tactics.

Calvin: chariot and horse cast into deep sleep at God's rebuke—whatever activity characterized the enemies was rendered powerless by the mere nod of God. Rest content with God's favor alone; he needs no great armies to repel the world's assaults.

Rebuke alone stuns horse and rider. Faith may be deprived of created helps and still account God's favor all-sufficient.

But you, even you, are to be feared. Who can stand in your sight when you when once your anger is roused? Shared piety of holy fear: none stand when his anger rises.

The plain sense holds—fear the LORD whose anger no warrior can face. Let fear draw to worship, not to despair of mercy for the humble (v. 9).

Calvin: repetition of Thou excludes all others—whatever power is in the world vanishes when he manifests himself; he alone is terrible. The wicked cannot abide his look; when he begins to be angry, ruin is near. Wait for the time of wrath. This terror is denounced against the wicked in such a manner as sweetly draws all true believers to God.

God alone is to be feared. Terror for the wicked; sweet drawing for believers.

You pronounced judgment from heaven. The earth feared, and was silent. Wesley: Thou—didst execute judgment by an angel from heaven; heard with thunders or fame spread abroad. Feared—the rest of the world were afraid to disturb Israel. Both affirm: judgment from heaven stills the earth.

Heaven's verdict is public; the earth hush is no pretense.

Calvin: "heaven" means the judgment was too manifest to ascribe to fortune or human policy. Sometimes judgments seem to proceed from earth; this assistance was extraordinary. Hearing judgment is louder than mere seeing—thunder that strikes fear. The earth still: the ungodly, panic-struck, yield and dare no longer rage; fear causes the stillness.

Do not credit chance or politics for Zion's rescue.

“When God arose to judgment, to save all the afflicted ones of the earth.” Judgment rises to save the meek/humble. Selah.

The aim of arising is salvation of the humble. Fear (v. 7–8) and mercy to the meek stand together.

Calvin: God arose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth. The stillness and fear serve deliverance of the humble, not bare spectacle.

Judgment and salvation of the humble are one motion. The Church's meek are the ones he rises to save.

Surely the wrath of man praises you. You will clothe yourself with the survivors of your wrath. Wesley: Surely—furious attempts of enemies shall cause thy people and others to praise thee for wisdom, power, and faithfulness. Where they meet: human wrath ends in God's praise; remainder restrained/belted.

Enemy rage becomes material for thanksgiving. Faithfulness is praised when wrath is overruled.

Calvin: the wrath of men shall praise thee; the remainder of wrath thou wilt restrain. Human fury is bounded so that it serves God's praise and cannot finish its design against the Church.

Wrath of man is not ultimate; God restrains the remnant. Praise rises from overruled rage, not from celebrating violence.

Make vows to the LORD your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared. Wesley: Vow—sacrifice of thanksgiving for wonderful deliverance; Let all—neighboring nations submit to the God of Israel. Pay vows; bring gifts to the feared One.

Thanksgiving must be performed, not only promised. Surrounding peoples are summoned to honor Israel's God.

Calvin: Vow and pay to Jehovah your God; let those round about bring presents to him who is worthy to be feared. Gratitude answers deliverance; the nations bring tribute to the terrible One.

Vows paid, gifts brought. Fear of the LORD issues in worship and submission, not empty dread.

“Who cuts off the spirit of princes.” He is feared by the kings of the earth. Wesley: Cut off—as grapes in vintage; spirit—breath and life, as in the Assyrian army. Shared close: princes and kings fear the LORD who cuts off their spirit.

Historic Assyrian-type stroke seals the psalm. Kings of the earth are not beyond his vintage sickle.

Calvin: he cuts off the spirit of princes—takes understanding and wisdom from them; he is terrible to kings because he casts them down from loftiness. Limited to tyrants and robbers whom God infatuates when they apply ingenuity to mischief. Most princes being enemies to the Church, God is sufficiently terrible to subdue all kings of the earth.

Princes lose spirit; kings fear. The Church's comfort is that crafty schemes can be blinded by God.