Deeper Commentary
This "Asaph" could be the Asaph of Hezekiah's time (Is. 36:3) who used the
Psalms in the context of the events of the Assyrian invasion. The Asaph
Psalms all have parts in them relevant to that context (Ps. 50, 73-83). Or
the "Asaph" may have been the singers who were relatives of Asaph,
prominent at the restoration (Neh. 7:44; 11:17,22). It could mean that the
psalms were a part of a collection from the Asaphites, and the name
"Asaph" was therefore simply used to identify the temple singers. And
again, parts of the Asaph psalms also have relevance to the restoration.
The fact the Asaph Psalms speak of elohim rather than Yahweh
would support the idea that they were used in the exilic / restoration
period. But Asaph was the "chief" of the Levites to whom David assigned
the ministry of praise before the ark (1 Chron. 16:4,5). It seems he did
compose his own Psalms, which were used by Hezekiah at his time (2 Chron.
29:30). So I would again suggest that all the Asaph Psalms were composed
originally by David "for" [not necessarily "by"] Asaph, but were rewritten
and edited for later occasions.
Note how the restoration Psalm Ps. 76:1-5 speaks in the prophetic perfect
of a great battle at Jerusalem which Yahweh would win. Perhaps this speaks
of the same battle spoken of in Ez. 38, which could have come true in God's
prophetic program, had the people rebuilt the city as they should have done.
In Judah God is known, His name is great in Israel-
This is one of the many passages where God emphasizes the essential unity of Israel
and Judah through the device of parallelism. Here Judah and Israel are
paralleled, and therefore making His Name great is paralleled with knowing
Him. To know God is to have a relationship with Him which issues in
glorifying His Name.
Psa 76:2
"Salem" is used for "Jerusalem" because the idea was that now the
temple was in peace, now that the Assyrians had been destroyed. But
note LXX "His place has been in peace", referring to how the temple mount
didn't fall to the Assyrians. The Hebrew words for "tabernacle" and
"dwelling place" are used of lions 'dwelling' in their covert or hidden
camp (Job 38:40 "they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the
thicket"; Am. 3:4; Ps. 104:22 "lay
down in their dens"). A lion isn't
in the lair all the time. Whatever their original historical background,
the Asaph psalms were used at the time of the exile to help resolve the
conflict between faith and expectation of how God should work in the here
and now. The temple was destroyed, and the restoration didn't happen as
was potentially possible. God had left His preferred dwelling place or
lair in Zion. But the imagery of a lion suggests that in faith, the
believers saw Him as still a lion, but out prowling around, and definitely
at some time to return to His favourite haunt. At the time of
Hezekiah, God was like a lion who came out fearlessly from His den in
Jerusalem to destroy His enemies: "As the lion and the young lion growling
over his prey who will not be dismayed if a multitude of shepherds is
called together against him, nor will he abase himself for their noise, so
Yahweh of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its mount"
(Is. 31:4).
Psa 76:3
Not an arrow was shot by the Assyrians in Zion (Is. 37:33); for
"there" they were destroyed by just one Angel slaying 185,000 soldiers.
"Arrows" here can be translated "lightnings". So the idea may be that God
destroyed all the fearsome weaponry which struck fear into the hearts of
the Israelites.
Psa 76:4
"Mountains" may be an intensive plural for the one great mountain,
Zion, where in the temple treasuries the "prey" ("game") of booty from the
destroyed Assyrian army was laid up. But far beyond that was the glory
which God brought to Himself by the defeat of the Assyrians. And for this,
Yahweh was to be "feared" or 'made glorious' by the surrounding Gentiles
(s.w. :7). LXX reads this as referring to the miraculous shining
forth of Yahweh from the temple in order to destroy the Assyrians: "Thou
dost wonderfully shine forth from the everlasting mountains".
GNB suggests this is God's victory procession
after the victory: "How glorious you are, O God! How majestic, as you
return from the mountains where you defeated your foes". The "mountains"
would then be an intensive plural for mount Zion where the Assyrians were
defeated. The people of Judah did nothing in the battle against the
Assyrians- it was totally all of God. He goes out to war for us without us
being aware, and wins victories whilst we sleep. The language of God as a
lion [see on :2] at the time of the victory over Assyria is found in Is.
14:25, “I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains tread
him under foot” .
Psa 76:5
Plundered by the inhabitants of Zion coming out to strip the corpses
of the 185,000 soldiers slain by the Angel.
The judgment of these Gentiles is presented as an eternal sleep.
Death was therefore understood by the psalmist as unconsciousness, and
eternal death was the punishment of these people rather than eternal
conscious torment.
Psa 76:6
This is the language of the victory at the Red Sea ["rebuke...
chariot and horse... cast... the deep"], but it is reapplied to the
Assyrian defeat. The psalmist perceives a continuity in God's actions. And
as noted on :5, the judgment of the invaders was eternal sleep,
unconsciousness rather than any idea of conscious torment.
Psa 76:7
"Feared" is s.w. "excellent" in :4. Yahweh was to be "feared" or
'made glorious' by the surrounding Gentiles; but instead, Hezekiah
fraternized with them and accepted their gods, rather than bringing them
to fear Israel's God, knowing that they must make peace with Him rather
than face His anger.
Psa 76:8
A reference to the judgment from heaven being operationalized by one
Angel going forth from heaven to slay the 185,000 Assyrian soldiers
encircling Jerusalem. The intention was that the entire
eretz
promised to Abraham would fear God and be silent before Him because of
this. But Hezekiah tragically failed to make use of that potential. The
kingdom prophecies in earlier Isaiah could have come to fulfilment in him,
in some form; but he would not.
Psa 76:9
The judgment of the Assyrians was a saving of the "afflicted ones".
It was a foretaste of the day when God shall finally arise in judgment,
and the afflicted / meek shall eternally inherit the earth (Ps. 37:11,29
s.w.). Is. 11:4 spoke of how the Messianic king would judge the abusers of
"the meek / afflicted ones of the earth" (s.w.). This "Kingdom" prophecy
could have come true in Hezekiah's time, but he sadly was happy to have 15
years to enjoy himself in mortal life, and turned away from the Kingdom
potential.
Psa 76:10
LXX points this differently: "For
the inward thought of man shall give thanks to thee: and the memorial of
his inward thought shall keep a feast to thee". We see the constant
interest of God in the inward man; the idea would be that God's saving
activity would permanently affect the inward thoughts of those who saw it,
and would lead them to keep a feast of celebration to Him- just as we keep
the breaking of bread feast from the same basic motives and experience.
Psa 76:11
An invitation to the surrounding nations to enter into covenant
relationship with Yahweh as their God.
This was fulfilled at Hezekiah's time, but Hezekiah misused this and
didn't bring those neighbours to Israel's God as was prophetically
intended.
Psa 76:12
AV "He is terrible to the kings...". A primary reference to the likes
of Sennacherib and Rabshakeh with the princes of Assyria who were with the
Assyrian army when it was destroyed. But as discussed on :10, this
could again be God's interest in the internal, spiritual, psychological
effect of His work of salvation and judgment.
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