Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 76:7
Thou, [even] thou, [art] to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
7. to be feared ] The same word as in Psa 76:12, and in Psa 47:2.
who may stand ] Cp. Nah 1:6; Psa 1:5; Psa 130:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
7 9. It was the irresistible judgement of God.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou, even thou, art to be feared – To be had in reverence or veneration. The repetition of the word thou is emphatic, as if the mind paused at the mention of God, and remained in a state of reverence, repeating the thought. The particular reason suggested here why God should be had in reverence, was the display of his power in overthrowing by a word the mighty hosts that had come against the holy city.
And who may stand in thy sight – Who can stand before thee? implying that no one had the power to do it. When once thou art angry. If such armies have been overcome suddenly by thy might, then what power is there which could successfully resist thee?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Thou, even thou, art to be feared] The Hebrew is simple, but very emphatic: attah nora attah, “Thou art terrible; thou art.” The repetition of the pronoun deepens the sense.
When once thou art angry?] Literally, From the time thou art angry. In the moment thy wrath is kindled, in that moment judgment is executed. How awful is this consideration! If one hundred and eighty-five thousand men were in one moment destroyed by the wrath of God, canst thou, thou poor, miserable, feeble sinner, resist his will, and turn aside his thunder!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Stand in thy sight, to wit, to contend with thee. Standing is here opposed to flight or failing before the enemy. See Jos 7:12; Dan 8:4.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. may . . . sightcontendwith Thee (Deu 9:4; Jos 7:12).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou, even thou, art to be feared,…. By his own people with reverence and godly fear, because of his greatness and goodness; and to be dreaded by his enemies; which seems to be the sense here, as appears by what follows:
and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? or “from the moment thou art angry” b; so the Targum, from the “time”, and Jarchi, from the “hour”: that is, as soon as ever his anger begins, when it is kindled but a little, and how much less when it burns in its full strength? there is no standing before his justice, and at his judgment seat, with boldness and confidence, and so as to succeed, or come off acquitted, without having on his righteousness; and much less is there any standing before his wrath and fury, when his hand takes hold on judgment to execute it; see Na 1:6.
b “ex quo irasceris”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “a momento, vel tempore irae tuae”, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Nahum also (Psa 1:6) draws the same inference from the defeat of Sennacherib as the psalmist does in Psa 76:8. (cf. Rth 2:7; Jer 44:18), from the decisive turning-point onwards, from the in Psa 2:5, when Thine anger breaks forth. God sent forth His judiciary word from heaven into the midst of the din of war of the hostile world: immediately (cf. on the sequence of the tenses Psa 48:6, and on Hab 3:10) it was silenced, the earth was seized with fear, and its tumult was obliged to cease, when, namely, God arose on behalf of His disquieted, suffering people, when He spoke as we read in Isa 33:10, and fulfilled the prayer offered in extreme need in Isa 33:2.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Defence and Glory of Israel. | |
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. 11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. 12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
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. ii. 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 (Psa 76:8; Psa 76:9); 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 (Zech. ii. 3), the quiet in the land (Ps. xxxv. 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. xlvi. 10. Be silent, O all flesh! before the Lord, for he is raised up to judgment, Zech. ii. 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, Psa 2:1; Psa 2:6. 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; Rev 11:18), 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. xxxvii. 29); and, though he permitted him to talk big, he restrained him from doing what he designed.
III. Duty to all, Psa 76:11; Psa 76:12. 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 Sam. x. 27. Send you the lamb to the ruler of the land, Isa. xvi. 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. xxxi. 42), and we are commanded to make him our fear, Isa. viii. 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. vi. 16. Since there is no contending with God, it is as much our wisdom as it is our duty to submit to him.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
7. Thou, even thou, art terrible. The repetition of the pronoun Thou, is intended to exclude all others from what is here predicated of God, as if it had been said, Whatever power there is in the world, it at once vanishes away, and is reduced to nothing, when He comes forth and manifests himself; and, therefore, He alone is terrible. This is confirmed by the comparison added immediately after, which intimates that, although the wicked are so filled with pride as to be ready to burst with it, yet they are unable to abide the look and presence of God. But as he sometimes keeps silence, and seems merely to look on as an idle spectator, it is expressly asserted, that as soon as he begins to be angry, ruin will be near all the wicked. Although they may then for a time not only stand, but also rise above the clouds by their fury, we are here, notwithstanding, admonished that we ought to wait for the time of wrath. Let us also mark that this terror is denounced against the wicked in such a manner as that it sweetly draws all true believers to God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
7. When once thou art angry From the moment of thy anger, or when once thine anger forms itself into a purpose. Time, with God, is nothing. He can do in an instant, as by the fiat, “Be light,” (Gen 1:3,) as easily as in a thousand years. “He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth.” Psa 104:32. He touched the Assyrian camp, and they slept the sleep of death.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
DISCOURSE: 629
GOD GREATLY TO BE FEARED
Psa 76:7. Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight, when once thou art angry?
THERE is not only a generally prevailing notion that God is merciful, but the consideration of his mercy is with many a ground and reason for dismissing from their minds all fear of his displeasure. But it is not in this partial view that the Deity is represented in the Scriptures of truth: on the contrary, the whole sacred records bear witness to him as a God who is greatly to be feared. On many occasions has his indignation against sin and sinners been most awfully displayed; as when, in one single night, he slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrian army, who had besieged Jerusalem and defied his power. It was probably on that occasion that the psalm before us was written: and in reference to it was this testimony given, Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight, when thou art angry? To establish and confirm this sentiment, is my purpose at this time.
I.
To establish it
But where shall I begin? or where shall I end? Of course, it is but a very partial view of this subject that can be presented in one discourse. Let us, however, notice,
1.
What God is in himself
[If we contemplate his natural perfections, we shall see this truth in very striking colours. He is omnipresent, so that we can never escape from him for a single moment. He is omniscient, so that there is not so much as a thought of our hearts which can be hidden from him. He is omnipotent also, to deal with men according to their deserts. His moral perfections, too, are well calculated to impress our minds with awe. So holy is he, that he cannot behold iniquity of any kind without the utmost abhorrence; and so just, that he cannot but enforce on men the observance of his laws, and execute his judgments upon them for every act of disobedience: and so unalterable is his truth, that sooner should heaven and earth pass away than one jot or tittle of his word should fail. Say, then, whether such a God be not greatly to be feared.]
2.
What he has recorded respecting his dealings with mankind
[Behold Adam in Paradise: he violated the command which had been given him respecting the forbidden tree: and how was he dealt with? The curse of God came upon him instantly; and he was driven from Paradise, and with all his posterity subjected to misery both in this world and the world to come. See the whole race of mankind after they had multiplied and filled the earth: they had provoked God to anger by their abominations: and he swept them all, with every living creature, from the face of the earth, a remnant only in the ark excepted, by an universal deluge. Trace the Deity at subsequent periods; his judgments upon Sodom and all the cities of the plain; his wonders in Egypt; his judgments on all his own chosen people in the wilderness; his extirpation of all the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan: in a word, see his dealings either with nations or individuals, and you must come speedily to this same conclusion, that he is a God very greatly to be feared.]
3.
What he has taught us to expect at his hands
[He has told us plainly, that the wicked shall be turned into hell, even all the nations that forget God [Note: Psa 9:17.]. He has said, that he will rain upon them snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; and that this shall be their portion to drink [Note: Psa 11:6. See also Rev 14:9-11.]. And what is the feeling which such declarations should inspire? Even in heaven itself they connect with these views the fear of God; saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints! Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name [Note: Rev 15:3-4.]?]
Plain and undeniable as this sentiment is, I will nevertheless proceed,
II.
To confirm it
Here is an appeal to every child of man; Who shall stand before God, when once he is angry?
Indeed, God is angry with those who are disobedient to his laws
[Of course, we are not to conceive of God as under the influence of such a feeling as we call anger: but he will surely act, in reference to sinners, as men do against those who have excited their displeasure; and this we call a manifestation of his anger. To this effect the Psalmist speaks: God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword: he hath bent his bow, and made it ready: he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death [Note: Psa 7:11-13.].]
And who may stand in his sight, when once his anger is excited?
[Not even the angels in heaven could abide his wrath, when once they had kindled his indignation against them: how much less, then, can man, who is crushed before the moth [Note: 2Pe 2:4.]! Shall it be thought that any man is so holy, as not to deserve Gods anger? Vain imagination! fatal conceit! There is no man that liveth and sinneth not. In many things we all offend [Note: Jam 3:2.]: and if any man say he hath not sinned, he maketh God a liar [Note: 1Jn 1:10.]. Even Job himself says, If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse [Note: Job 9:20.]. But possibly it may be thought that God will never proceed to extremities with all the human race; and that, consequently, if we are as good as the generality, we have nothing to fear. This, however, is a fatal delusion: for already is death inflicted upon all as the wages of sin; and on all who die in impenitence and unbelief will his ulterior judgments fall, even the destruction of body and soul in hell.]
Application
1.
Let the ungodly, then, seek reconciliation with God
[Indeed, indeed, ye have angered the Most High God, all ye who have lived to yourselves and not to him. But is there no way of reconciliation with him? Yes, blessed be his name! he has given his only dear Son to bear your sins in his own body on the tree, and to effect reconciliation for you through the blood of his Cross. Yes, and he has given to us the ministry of reconciliation, and commissioned us to proclaim, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Happy are we, Brethren, to announce, that, however ye may have angered God in past times, ye may yet find mercy with him through the Son of his love. In the name of Christ himself, then, we address you; and in his stead we beseech you all, Be ye reconciled to God [Note: 2Co 5:18-20.].]
2.
Let the godly forbear to anger him any more
[Though God will be merciful to his repentant people, he will not spare any who shall live in sin. No: he commandeth every one that nameth the name of Christ to depart from iniquity. And so far will he be from overlooking sin in his professing people, that he has declared, His judgments shall begin with them [Note: 1Pe 4:17.]: You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities [Note: Amo 3:2.]. Presume not, then, upon your being in his favour, as though that would preserve you from his judgments: for I tell you, that of all who came out of Egypt, two only were suffered to enter into the land of Canaan: and the only evidence of real friendship with God, is the keeping of Gods commandments, and the doing unreservedly whatsoever is pleasing in his sight [Note: Joh 15:14.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Here are strong and sublime intimations of God’s greatness, and of the weakness of all power when opposed to him. Reader, think what that sovereignty will be, when the Lord shall come to judgment, and when he will take vengeance on them that know not God, nor obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2Th 1:8 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 76:7 Thou, [even] thou, [art] to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
Ver. 7. Thou, even thou, art to be feared ] Herodotus saith, that under Sennacherib’s statue in Egypt, was written, Let him that looketh upon me learn to fear God, E .
And who may stand in thy sight?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 76:7-9
Psa 76:7-9
“Thou, even thou, art to be feared;
And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
Thou didst cause sentence to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared, and was still,
When God arose to judgment,
To save all the meek of the earth.
(Selah)”
In these three verses we have, “An announcement of the eschatalogical defeat of the nations at the last judgment.”
“Who may stand in thy sight?” (Psa 76:7). This strongly reminds us of Rev. (Rev 6:12-17), “Which is a most powerful exposition of this verse. The action here is no longer in the past, or localized, or defensive; here is a prophecy of God’s striking the final blow against evil everywhere. The result of this will be stated in the final stanza, where God the Righteous Judge is represented as receiving the homage of the whole world as its King. The tenses here, of course, are sometimes called the prophetic perfects.
“Thou … art to be feared” (Psa 76:6). The RSV has “awesome,” and James Moffatt’s translation of the Bible (1929) has “terrible” here in place of “feared.” Miller stated that, “`Terrible’ is not too strong a translation here. The judgment scene in Rev 6:12-17 surely exhibits a great deal of terror at the appearance of God in the final judgment.
Yates summarized these three verses as follows:.
“Thou, even thou, art to be feared. This is the judgment of God. The thought goes beyond the battle scene as God takes his seat in heaven. He is the judge to be feared, who strikes men with terror. All of the earth stands still as God saves the oppressed peoples of the earth, of whom Israel is representative.
Of course, God’s amazing and sensational destruction of the Assyrian army was in itself a “token” of the final judgment, no doubt receiving almost universal attention from the whole world of that period.
“Man will not hear God’s voice if he can help it, but God makes sure that he will hear it anyway. The echoes of God’s judgment upon the haughty Sennacherib are still heard, and will ring on down through the ages, praising the justice of God.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 76:7. To be feared meant that all enemies should fear and respect the might of God. Not one of them would be able to withstand the wrath of God when it was displayed.
Psa 76:8-9. God is situated in heaven and from there he issued his judgments. These judgments were directed against his foes. When that was done the earth (its people) feared or trembled and was put out of action. But the meek or humble ones were rewarded with the good things of the earth.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
even thou: Psa 89:7, Jer 10:7-10, Mat 10:28, Rev 14:7, Rev 15:4
who: Psa 90:11, Nah 1:6, 1Co 10:22, Rev 6:16, Rev 6:17
when: Psa 2:12
Reciprocal: Exo 22:24 – my wrath 1Sa 6:20 – General 2Ki 22:13 – great 1Ch 16:25 – he also 2Ch 32:21 – cut off all Job 31:23 – by Psa 9:3 – they shall Psa 33:8 – stand Psa 68:2 – as wax Psa 80:16 – perish Psa 96:4 – he is Psa 96:9 – fear Isa 2:19 – when he Isa 8:13 – and let him Jer 4:26 – the fruitful Jer 10:10 – the nations Jer 49:19 – that shepherd Eze 13:5 – to stand Eze 29:3 – I am 2Co 5:11 – the terror Heb 10:31 – to fall Rev 6:2 – and he that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 76:7. 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. Who may stand in thy sight Namely, to contend with thee? Standing is here opposed to flight from, or falling before, the enemy. Surely, neither the wisdom of the wise, nor the power of the mighty, no, nor the world itself, can stand a single moment before him when once he is angry. If God be a consuming fire, how can the chaff and the stubble stand before him, though his wrath be kindled but a little? Yet men continue to dread any frowns but those of heaven; and one poor, vain, sinful man shall, through a course of sixty or seventy years, incessantly and undauntedly tempt and provoke him who destroyed one hundred and eighty-five thousand in a night. What is this but madness? Horne.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
76:7 Thou, [even] thou, [art] to be feared: and who may stand in thy {e} sight when once thou art angry?
(e) God with a look is able to destroy all the power and activity of the enemies, no matter how many or mighty.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
No one is able to resist or oppose God when He decides to judge an enemy. Even the earth itself is quiet when He utters His judgments. Perhaps the psalmist referred here to the calm before a storm that represents God executing judgment. God’s judgments cause the righteous to praise Him and the wicked to think twice before opposing Him.
The NIV translation of Psa 76:10, "Your wrath against men brings you praise," was probably the writer’s thought rather than the NASB’s, "The wrath of man shall praise Thee." Both ideas are true, but the former appears to be in view here. Likewise, the last part of Psa 76:10 probably refers to God’s judgments restraining unbelievers, as in the NIV, rather than God girding Himself with wrath, as in the NASB. The emphasis is on God’s providential control (cf. Act 2:23).