Psalm 76 Feb. 12 For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm by Asaph. A song.  1In 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 deep 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 Yahweh your God, and fulfil them! Let all of His neighbours 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 land.    

Commentary

76:1 Judah and Israel are often paralleled. Judah refers to the two tribe kingdom based around the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and the half tribe of Manasseh; which Israel refers to the ten tribe kingdom. This division of God’s people was a tragedy; and yet from God’s perspective they were one, hence His frequent parallel of them. All divisions within the body of Christ are likewise only real from an earthly perspective; God sees His people as one, as we should.
76:3 This reference to a dramatic military victory by God in the Jerusalem area and the subsequent plundering of the invaders, resulting in the neighbouring kings bringing presents to Jerusalem (:11) is all relevant to the situation when the Assyrians were destroyed by God at the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:35; 2 Chron. 32:23).