The Meaning of Psalms 76:3 Explained

Psalms 76:3

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

YLT: There he hath shivered arrows of a bow, Shield, and sword, and battle. Selah.

Darby: There broke he the flashings of the bow, shield and sword and battle. Selah.

ASV: There he brake the arrows of the bow; The shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Psalms 76:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 76:1-12 - "the Wrath Of Man Shall Praise Thee"
In Psalms 76:2, tabernacle may be rendered "covert," and dwelling-place, "lair." God is compared to the lion, that dreaded monarch of beasts, who finds his home in a den, into which no inferior animal may intrude. Even the hunter's bows and arrows are broken in pursuit of him. As the mountains yielded prey to the young lion, so the hills around Jerusalem, where Sennacherib had pitched his camp, would be full of Assyrian spoil for the armies of the Lion of Judah. The stout-hearted captains of Assyria would there sleep their last sleep, Psalms 76:5.
Some of the meek of the earth may read these lines, Psalms 76:9. They do not avenge themselves. Weak and helpless, they turn their eyes to God, who cannot fail them. When He speaks His sentence of acquittal, no voice will be raised to dispute it. For when He arises in judgment He will save all the meek of the earth. There is a "thus far and no farther" to the wrath of man. God will not allow it to go beyond certain limits, and it is remarkable how He is able to make man's wrath to subserve His purposes. Bring God the gift, of your love. Fear not, ye humble souls, but let your enemies be in fear! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 76

1  A declaration of God's majesty in the church
11  An exhortation to serve him reverently

What do the individual words in Psalms 76:3 mean?

There He broke the arrows of the bow the shield and sword and of battle Selah
שָׁ֭מָּה שִׁבַּ֣ר רִשְׁפֵי־ קָ֑שֶׁת מָגֵ֬ן וְחֶ֖רֶב וּמִלְחָמָ֣ה סֶֽלָה

שִׁבַּ֣ר  He  broke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
רִשְׁפֵי־  the  arrows 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֶשֶׁף  
Sense: flame, firebolt, spark.
קָ֑שֶׁת  of  the  bow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.
מָגֵ֬ן  the  shield 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: מָגֵן 
Sense: shield, buckler.
וְחֶ֖רֶב  and  sword 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּמִלְחָמָ֣ה  and  of  battle 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
סֶֽלָה  Selah 
Parse: Interjection
Root: סֶלָה  
Sense: to lift up, exalt.