Psalm 76:2 Kommentar

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 (Ch2 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 (Psa 76:1-3). II. He celebrates the glory of God's power, which this was an illustrious instance of (Psa 76:4-6). III. He infers hence what reason all have to fear before him (Psa 76:7-9). And, IV. What reason his people have to trust in him and to pay their vows to him (Psa 76:10-12). 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.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 76 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. The Targum is, "by the hand of Asaph:'' concerning "neginoth", see the title of Psa 4:1, this psalm is generally thought to be written on account of some great appearance of God for the Jews, or victory obtained by them over their enemies, either the Ammonites in the times of David; so the first part of the Syriac inscription is, "when Rabbah of the children of Ammon was destroyed;'' see Sa2 12:26 or in the time of Jehoshaphat, when they came up against him, and were in a wonderful manner defeated, which occasioned great joy and thankfulness, Ch2 20:1. The Septuagint version entitles the psalm "an ode against the Assyrian", in which it is followed by the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions: and it is the opinion of many that it was written on account of the defeat of Sennacherib, and his army, which came up against Jerusalem in the times of Hezekiah, and was destroyed by an angel in one night, and so slept their sleep, and a dead one, with which agree Psa 76:5, so Arama and Theodoret; Jarchi gives this reason for such an interpretation, because we do not find that any enemy fell at or near Jerusalem but he, as is said Psa 76:3, "there brake he the arrows of the bow", &c. nor was one arrow suffered to be thrown into the city, Kg2 19:32. Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it of the war of Gog and Magog, yet to come; and the latter part of the Syriac inscription is, "moreover it shows the vengeance of the judgment of Christ against the ungodly;'' and indeed it seems to point out the latter day, when Christ shalt destroy the antichristian kings and states, and save his own people, and shall be feared and praised; as the former part of it may respect his incarnation, appearance, and dwelling in the land of Judea, and so the whole is of the same argument with the preceding psalm.

In Salem also is his tabernacle,.... That is, in Jerusalem, as the Targum expresses it, where the tabernacle of Moses and the ark of the covenant were, and afterwards the temple of Solomon, which the Targum here calls the house of the sanctuary; and may be interpreted of the human nature of Christ, the true tabernacle which God pitched, and not man, in which the divine word when he was made flesh dwelt or tabernacled among the Jews at Jerusalem, and in other parts of Judea, Heb 8:2. Salem or Jerusalem often signifies the church of God in Gospel times, in the midst of which Christ resides, and where he grants his gracious presence, Heb 12:22 and in the New Jerusalem the tabernacle of God will be with men, and he will dwell among them, Rev 21:2. The Septuagint translate the word, and render it, "in peace", as in Heb 7:2, the God of peace dwells among those that live in peace, Co2 13:11, and his dwelling place in Zion; where the ark was brought by David, and the temple was built by Solomon, into which, as rebuilt by Zerubbabel, Christ came, and here he preached; a figure of the church, which is his habitation.

Thus when we have to face the hard and cruel necessity of death, we are comforted by this consolation, that we shall shortly see again those whose absence we now mourn. For their end is not called death but a slumber and a falling asleep. Wherefore also the blessed apostle forbids us to sorrow concerning them which are asleep, telling us to believe that those whom we know to sleep now may hereafter be roused from their sleep and when their slumber is ended may watch once more with the saints and sing with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among people of good will.” In heaven where there is no sin, there is glory and perpetual praise and unwearied singing; but on earth where sedition reigns and war and discord hold sway, peace must be gained by prayer, and it is to be found not among all but only among persons of good will, who pay heed to the apostolic salutation: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” For “his abode is in peace, and his dwelling place is in Zion,” that is, on a watch tower, on the height of doctrines and of virtues, in the soul of the believer; for the angel of this latter daily beholds the face of God and contemplates with unveiled face the glory of God.

"And there has been made in peace a place for Him, and His habitation is in Sion" [Psalm 76:2]. Again, Sion is as it were the country of the Jews; the true Sion is the Church of Christians. But the interpretation of the Hebrew names is thus handed down to us: Judæa is interpreted confession, Israel, one seeing God. After Judæa is Israel. Will you see God? First do thou confess, and then in yourself there is made a place for God; because "there has been made in peace a place for Him." So long as then you confess not your sins, in a manner you are quarrelling with God. For how are you not disputing with Him, who art praising that which displeases Him? He punishes a thief, you praise theft: He punishes a drunken man, you praise drunkenness. You are disputing with God, you have not made for Him a place in your heart: because in peace is His place. And how do you begin to have peace with God? You begin with Him in confession. There is a voice of a Psalm, saying, "Begin ye to the Lord in confession." What is, "Begin ye to the Lord in confession"? Begin ye to be joined to the Lord. In what manner? So that the same thing may displease you as displeases Him. There displeases Him your evil life; if it please yourself, you are disunited from Him; if it displease you, through confession to Him you are united....

To Jeduthun--(See on Psa 39:1, title). In a time of great affliction, when ready to despair, the Psalmist derives relief from calling to mind God's former and wonderful works of delivering power and grace. (Psa. 77:1-20) expresses the purport of the Psalm.

Salem-- (Gen 14:18) is Jerusalem.