Psalm 76:3

There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) There.—This word in Psalm 14:5 does not appear to have a strictly definite local sense; and here may refer to time, possibly to some event, which we are not able with certainty to recover.

Arrows.—Literally, flashes. (See Note, Song of Solomon 8:6.) The image may be derived from the lightning speed of the flight of arrows, or from the custom of shooting bolts tipped with flame (see Note, Psalm 7:13), or the connection may be from the metaphor in Psalm 91:5-6, since the Hebrew word here used denotes pestilence in Habakkuk 3:5.

The shield, the sword, and the battle—Hosea 2:18 is the original of this. (Comp. Psalm 46:9.) Notice the fine poetic touch in the climactic use of battle to sum up all the weapons of war.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 76:3. There brake he, &c. — That is, in Judah, or at or near Jerusalem; the arrows of the bow — Hebrew, רשׁפי קשׁת, rishpee kasheth, the sparks of the bow, the sparkling arrows, bright and shining, swift and piercing, like sparks of fire. Some render it, the fiery arrows of the bow, the shield and the sword — Both offensive and defensive weapons, so that they could neither hurt God’s people nor save themselves from ruin; and the battle — The force and fury of the battle, and all the power of the army put in battle array.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

76:1-6 Happy people are those who have their land filled with the knowledge of God! happy persons that have their hearts filled with that knowledge! It is the glory and happiness of a people to have God among them by his ordinances. Wherein the enemies of the church deal proudly, it will appear that God is above them. See the power of God's rebukes. With pleasure may Christians apply this to the advantages bestowed by the Redeemer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There brake he the arrows of the bow - That is, in Salem, or near Salem. The language is such as would be used in reference to invaders, or to armies that came up to storm the city. The occasion is unknown; but the meaning is, that God drove the invading army back, and showed his power in defending the city. The phrase "the arrows of the bow," is literally, "the lightnings of the bow," the word rendered "arrows" meaning properly "flame;" and then, "lightning." The idea is, that the arrows sped from the bow with the rapidity of lightning.

The shield - Used for defense in war. See Psalm 5:12; Psalm 33:20; compare the notes at Ephesians 6:16.

And the sword - That is, he disarmed his enemies, or made them as powerless as if their swords were broken.

And the battle - He broke the force of the battle; the strength of the armies drawn up for conflict.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. brake … the arrows—literally, "thunderbolts" (Ps 78:48), from their rapid flight or ignition (compare Ps 18:14; Eph 6:16).

the battle—for arms (Ho 2:18).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

There, i.e. in Judah, or at or near Jerusalem.

The arrows, Heb. the sparks; the sparkling arrows, bright and shining, swift and piercing, like sparks of fire. The bow, the shield, and the sword; both offensive and defensive weapons, so as they could neither hurt God’s people, nor save themselves from ruin.

The battle; the force and fury of the battle, and all the power of the army, which was put in battle-array.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

There brake he the arrows of the bow.... The Targum is,

"there brake he the arrows and the bows of the people that make war;''

the word translated "arrows", signifies "sparks or coals of fire"; see Job 5:7 and is used of arrows, because they fly swiftly, as sparks do, or because of their brightness, or because fiery; so we read of "the fiery darts of Satan", Ephesians 6:16, and perhaps they may be meant here: when Christ our Lord suffered near Jerusalem, he spoiled principalities and powers, and broke their strength and might, and made peace by the blood of his cross, in which he triumphed over them; for the destroying of these instruments of war with what follow:

the shield, and the sword, and the battle, is expressive of making wars to cease, and causing peace; and may include the peace which was all the world over at the birth of Christ, and was foretold and expressed in much such language as here, Zechariah 9:9, and also that which was made by his sufferings and death, and which was published in his Gospel by his apostles, whom he sent forth unarmed, whose weapons were not carnal, but spiritual; and likewise the spiritual peace he gives to his people, quenching the fiery darts of Satan, and delivering them from the archers that shoot at them, and sorely grieve them; as well as that peace which shall be in the world and churches in the latter day; see Psalm 46:11,

Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.

Geneva Study Bible

There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. There hath he broken the lightnings of the bow. The destruction of Sennacherib’s army apparently took place at some distance from Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is naturally spoken of as the scene of God’s action, because it was the seat of His presence (Psalm 46:5 ff.) and it was on her behalf that He put forth His power.

For broken cp. Psalm 46:9; Hosea 2:18; Isaiah 9:4; Jeremiah 49:35; and more generally, Isaiah 14:25. Arrows are called lightnings from the swiftness of their flight, rather than from any reference to fire-laden darts (Psalm 7:13, note). The battle includes all instruments and equipments for war.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - There brake he the arrows of the bow. The expression "there" seems certainly to show that the deliverance celebrated took place at, or very near to, Jerusalem. This would sufficiently suit the destruction of Sennacherib's army, which certainly occurred in the neighbourhood, though not very close to the city (see 2 Kings 19:32, 38). The word translated "arrows" (רשׁפי) means properly "lightnings" (comp. Psalm 78:48), and expresses the swift flight of the arrow, not actual "fiery darts." The shield, and the sword, and the battle; rather, the war equipment (Kay, Cheyne). Psalm 76:3

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In all Israel, and more especially in Judah, is Elohim known (here, according to Psalm 76:2, participle, whereas in Psalm 9:17 it is the finite verb), inasmuch as He has made Himself known (cf. דּעוּ, Isaiah 33:13). His Name is great in Israel, inasmuch as He has proved Himself to be a great One and is praised as a great One. In Judah more especially, for in Jerusalem, and that upon Zion, the citadel with the primeval gates (Psalm 24:7), He has His dwelling-place upon earth within the borders of Israel. שׁלם is the ancient name of Jerusalem; for the Salem of Melchizedek is one and the same city with the Jerusalem of Adonizedek, Joshua 10:1. In this primeval Salem God has סוּכּו, His tabernacle ( equals שׂכּו, Lamentations 2:6, equals סכּתו, as in Psalm 27:5), there מעונתו, His dwelling-place, - a word elsewhere used of the lair of the lion (Psalm 104:22, Amos 3:4); cf. on the choice of words, Isaiah 31:9. The future of the result ויהי is an expression of the fact which is evident from God's being known in Judah and His Name great in Israel. Psalm 76:4 tells what it is by which He has made Himself known and glorified His Name. שׁמּה, thitherwards, in that same place (as in fact the accusative, in general, is used both in answer to the question where? and whither?), is only a fuller form for שׁם, as in Isaiah 22:18; Isaiah 65:9; 2 Kings 23:8, and frequently; Arab. ta̱mma (tu̱mma) and תּמּן (from תּמּה) confirm the accusative value of the ah. רשׁפי־קשׁת (with Phe raphatum, cf. on the other hand, Sol 8:6)

(Note: The pointing is here just as inconsistent as in ילדוּת, and on the contrary מרדּוּת.))

are the arrows swift as lightning that go forth (Job 41:20-28) from the bow; side by side with these, two other weapons are also mentioned, and finally everything that pertains to war is gathered up in the word מלחמה (cf. Hosea 2:18). God has broken in pieces the weapons of the worldly power directed against Judah, and therewith this power itself (Isaiah 14:25), and consequently (in accordance with the prediction Hosea 1:7, and Isaiah 10, 14, Isaiah 17:1-14, 29, Isaiah 31:1-9, 33, 37, and more particularly Psalm 31:8) has rescued His people by direct interposition, without their doing anything in the matter.