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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 76

Psalm 76 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

CreationPraiseKingship
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 76

1For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm by Asaph. A song. In Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel.

2His tabernacle is also in Salem. His dwelling place in Zion.

3There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah.

4Glorious are you, and excellent, more than mountains of game.

5Valiant men lie plundered, they have slept their last sleep. None of the men of war can lift their hands.

6At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.

7You, even you, are to be feared. Who can stand in your sight when you are angry?

8You pronounced judgment from heaven. The earth feared, and was silent,

9when God arose to judgment, to save all the afflicted ones of the earth. Selah.

10Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.

11Make vows to the LORD your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.

12He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 76

Psalm 76 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book III (Psalms 73–89). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Creation, Praise, Kingship. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 76

Psalm 76 contains 12 verses and about 196 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm by Asaph. A song. In Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 12 closes: “He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include feared, earth, selah, sleep, judgment, wrath. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 76

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 76:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes creation, with related themes of Creation, Praise, Kingship. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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