Psalm 76 3

Psalm 76:3 kjv

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

Psalm 76:3 nkjv

There He broke the arrows of the bow, The shield and sword of battle. Selah

Psalm 76:3 niv

There he broke the flashing arrows, the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.

Psalm 76:3 esv

There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah

Psalm 76:3 nlt

There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy,
the shields and swords and weapons of war. Interlude

Psalm 76 verses

Psalm 76 3 Meaning

Psalm 76:3 proclaims God's decisive and powerful victory, demonstrating His irresistible might over all earthly military forces. It states that in Jerusalem, the very weapons designed for destruction and defense—flaming arrows, shields, swords, and the capacity for war itself—were completely broken by the Lord. This signifies God’s sovereignty in rendering human instruments of conflict utterly useless, establishing peace through divine intervention.

Psalm 76 3 Context

Psalm 76 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving, likely commemorating a spectacular act of deliverance by God for Judah and Jerusalem against a formidable enemy. The traditional and widely accepted historical backdrop is the Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib during the reign of King Hezekiah, described in 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 36-37. In this event, a vast Assyrian army, besieging Jerusalem, was miraculously destroyed by the "angel of the Lord" overnight without any human battle.

The preceding verses (76:1-2) declare God’s renown in Judah and His dwelling place in Salem (Jerusalem) and Zion. Verse 3 directly follows, detailing where and what God did in this place. The context sets up God as the ultimate Victor, revealing His power not in the midst of human combat, but through His direct, overwhelming intervention that disarms and disorients the enemy without effort from His people. This highlights God's unique power and challenges the typical ancient Near Eastern reliance on military strength, showcasing His immediate and superior authority over all earthly armies.

Psalm 76 3 Word analysis

• שָׁמָּה (shā́mmāh): "There." This adverb emphatically points back to the location established in verse 2: Salem (Jerusalem) and Zion, the holy city of God. It highlights that God's great act of power was not in some distant land but specifically in His dwelling place, demonstrating His personal involvement and protection of His chosen city and people. It underscores Jerusalem as the place where God makes His might known, contrasting human expectations of battlefield victories.

• שִׁבַּר (shibbár): "He broke / shattered / smashed." This is a Piel perfect verb, indicating a completed action that is intense, violent, and utterly decisive. It signifies not merely a disabling but a total destruction and rendering useless. God's act is complete and absolute, implying that what He breaks cannot be mended or restored to its previous function.

• רִשְׁפֵי־קָשֶׁת (rishphê-qéšhet): "Flaming arrows / fiery darts of the bow."

  • Rishphê: (Plural of resheph) refers to "flames, flashes, burning coals, or fiery projectiles." These were arrows often tipped with flammable material, designed to cause widespread destruction or ignite structures. They represent the cutting edge, most formidable, and destructive weaponry of the time, designed to inflict maximum terror and damage from a distance.
  • Qéšhet: "Bow." The instrument used to launch these flaming arrows, a symbol of military power and striking force from afar.
  • This phrase emphasizes the potency and advanced nature of the enemy's attack; God’s power is such that He can dismantle even their most sophisticated and destructive armaments. In a broader, spiritual sense, it echoes the "fiery darts of the evil one" mentioned in Ephesians 6:16, implying God's ability to nullify spiritual attacks as well.

• מָגֵן (māgēn): "Shield." This is a defensive weapon, used to ward off blows. By breaking the shield, God demonstrates that the enemy’s attempts at protection, self-preservation, or defiance are also nullified. It shows that God disarms them completely, stripping away their ability to defend themselves against divine judgment.

• וְחֶרֶב (wə́ḥerev): "And sword." The primary offensive weapon for close combat. God breaks the sword, signifying the incapacitation of the enemy's direct attacking power. Combined with the bow, it covers both ranged and melee weaponry, illustrating a complete dismantling of all their means of aggression.

• וּמִלְחָמָה (ū́milḥāmāh): "And war / battle." This term goes beyond specific weaponry. It represents the very act of warfare, the entire apparatus and intent of conflict. By breaking "war" itself, the verse implies that God not only destroys the physical tools of battle but also incapacitates the enemy's capacity, will, or effectiveness in waging war. It highlights that God's intervention ends the entire hostile enterprise, not just a part of it. This has strong polemical undertones against contemporary powers who prided themselves on their military prowess; God brings their entire military endeavor to naught.

• Group analysis (rishpey-qeshet, magen v'cherev u'milchamah): This specific listing of weaponry — flaming arrows, shields, swords, and war itself — signifies an all-encompassing defeat of military power. The progression moves from specialized, long-range offensive weapons (flaming arrows), to defensive protection (shields), to close-quarters offense (swords), culminating in the very concept of "war" itself. This poetic structure indicates that God dismantles every facet of human military endeavor, from the most advanced offensive strategies to defensive bulwarks, ultimately eliminating the conflict itself. This showcases God's total dominion over all earthly conflict, confirming that no human power, no matter how equipped or strategized, can stand against His divine will.

Psalm 76 3 Bonus section

The breaking of the "flaming arrows" can be understood in parallel with the "fiery darts" (KJV) or "flaming arrows" (NIV) of the evil one mentioned in Eph 6:16. Just as God physically breaks the weapons of human enemies, He spiritually equips believers with the shield of faith to quench the spiritual fiery assaults of Satan. This draws a connection between God's physical victory over hostile armies and His spiritual provision against unseen adversaries.

The imagery of weapons being shattered and burned (Ps 46:9; Hos 2:18; Isa 9:5) is a consistent biblical theme foretelling a time of universal peace under God's rule, where the instruments of war will be dismantled or transformed for peaceful purposes. Psalm 76:3, therefore, not only celebrates a past victory but also offers a glimpse of that ultimate messianic era of perfect peace, demonstrating God's consistent intention to bring an end to all conflict and violence.

Furthermore, this Psalm belongs to the "Songs of Ascent" or a group of psalms likely used by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for festivals. This context means verse 3 would have served as a powerful declaration for worshipers, reinforcing their faith in Jerusalem's divine protector and in the God who effortlessly overcomes all threats, fostering a sense of awe and security.

Psalm 76 3 Commentary

Psalm 76:3 encapsulates a profound theological truth: God’s ultimate sovereignty over all human and cosmic powers. In this specific verse, set within the context of Jerusalem’s miraculous deliverance, the breaking of enemy weapons—flaming arrows, shields, and swords—is a potent symbol of God’s unmatched power. This divine act is portrayed as effortless and absolute ("He broke"), rendering even the most fearsome and advanced armaments utterly useless. The culmination, "and war," emphasizes that God's intervention is so decisive that it nullifies not merely the instruments but the very possibility and spirit of conflict. It teaches that true security and victory come not from military might or human strategy, but from the Lord of Hosts, who silences the boastful and saves His people through supernatural means. It also carries a polemical message, dismantling any human confidence placed in armies, chariots, or superior weaponry by demonstrating their futility against the Lord. For believers, this serves as a reminder that their ultimate refuge and deliverer is God, who can, in an instant, bring peace to the stormiest conflicts, whether literal battles or spiritual struggles.