Psalms 76:6-8

76:6 At the sound of your battle cry, ¹  O God of Jacob,

both rider ²  and horse “fell asleep.” ³ 

76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!

Who can withstand your intense anger? ⁴ 

76:8 From heaven you announced what their punishment would be. ⁵ 

The earth ⁶  was afraid and silent

[76:6]  ¹ tn Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 18:15; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[76:6]  ² tn Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.

[76:6]  ³ tn Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.

[76:7]  ⁴ tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (me’az, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (me’oz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).

[76:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “a [legal] decision,” or “sentence.”

[76:8]  ⁶ tn “The earth” stands here by metonymy for its inhabitants.