Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryPsalms 76:12
He will cut off the spirit of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth. Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Wesley's Notes • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Benson's Commentary • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryHe shall cut off the spirit of princes - Even in the midst of their conquests, he can fill them with terror and dismay, or cut them off in their career of victory. He is terrible to the icings of the earth - "He is the only Ruler of princes;" to him they must account. And a terrible account most of them will have to give to the great God; especially those who, instigated by the desire of dominion, have, in the lust of conquest which it generates, laid countries waste by fire and sword, making widows and orphans without number, and extending the empire of desolation and death. Thus all are under his dominion, and are accountable to him. Even those whom man cannot bring to justice, God will; and to judge them is one grand use of a final judgment day.
Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleHe shall cut off the spirit of princes - That is, He will cut down their pride; he will break them down. Luther renders it, “He shall take away the wrath of princes.” The allusion is to what he had done as celebrated in this psalm. He had shown that he could rebuke the pride and self-confidence of kings, and could bring them low at his feet. He is terrible to the kings of the earth - When they are arrayed against him. (1) they are wholly under his control. (2) he can defeat their plans. (3) he can check them when he pleases. (4) he can, and will, make their plans - even their wrath - the means of promoting or carrying out his own purposes. (5) he will allow them to proceed no further in their plans of evil than he can make subservient to the furtherance of his own. (6) he can cut down the most mighty of them at his pleasure, and destroy them forever. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleHe shall cut off the spirit of princes,.... The pride of their spirits, as the Targum, humble their proud spirits, and bring them down; or dispirit them, take away their courage from them, upon which they flee apace to rocks and mountains to cover them; or confound them, blast their schemes, and carry their counsel headlong, and even take away their breath, or life; which he can as easily do as a man can cut off a bunch of grapes from the vine, as the word he is terrible to the kings of the earth; as he was to the king of Assyria, when he sent his angel, and destroyed his army; and as he has been to others in all ages; so he will be to the kings of the earth that have committed fornication with the whore of Rome, who will be in the utmost panic at the time of her destruction, Revelation 18:9, and who will themselves be overcome by the Lamb, Revelation 16:14. The Targum is, he is to be feared above all the kings of the earth. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleHe shall i cut off the spirit of princes: [he is] terrible to the kings of the earth.(i) The Hebrew word signifies "to vintage or gather grapes" meaning that he will make the counsels and enterprises of the wicked tyrants foolish and vain. Copyright Statement Bibliography Wesley's Explanatory NotesHe shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth. Cut off — As men do their grapes in time of vintage; so the Hebrew verb implies. The spirit — Their breath and life, as he did in the Assyrian army. Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the Bible12.He will cut off (285) the spirit of princes. As the Hebrew word בצר, batsar, occasionally signifies to strengthen, some think it should be so translated in this passage. But as in the two clauses of the verse the same sentiment is repeated, I have no doubt that by the first clause is meant that understanding and wisdom are taken away from princes; and that by the second, God is represented in general as terrible to them, because he will cast them down headlong from their loftiness. As the first thing necessary to conduct an enterprise to a prosperous issue is to possess sound foresight, in which the people of God are often deficient from the great perplexity in which they are involved in the midst of their distresses, while, on the other hand, the ungodly are too sharp-sighted in their crafty schemes; it is here declared that it is in the power of God to deprive of understanding, and to inflict blindness on those who seem to surpass others in acuteness and ingenuity. The majority of princes being enemies to the Church of God, it is expressly affirmed, that He is sufficiently terrible to subdue all the kings of the earth. When it is said, that their spirit is cut off, or taken away from them, it is to be limited to tyrants and robbers whom God infatuates, because he sees that they apply all their ingenuity and counsels to do mischief. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryPsalms 76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: [he is] terrible to the kings of the earth. Ver. 12. He shall cut off the spirit of princes] Vindemiabit, he shall slip them off as one would do a bunch of grapes, or a flower between one’s fingers; easily, suddenly, as he dealt by Sennacherib’s princes, Auferet de vita, ut de vite botros.
He is terrible to kings] Enemies to his Church, as most kings are. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BiblePsalms 76:12. He shall cut off, &c.— Him that cutteth off, or bringeth down, &c. The spirit signifies the pride and elation of the mind; such as was that of the king of Assyria, before he was forced to return with shame of face to his own land. REFLECTIONS.—The church of God is often made to sing her triumphant songs, even here below. 1. God is here represented as eminently appearing for her. In Judah is God known; there he had made the most glorious revelation of himself, and of his will: his name is great in Israel, exalted and praised by his people, and magnified in the wonders he had wrought on their behalf. In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion; favoured with his immediate presence, visible in the Shecinah of glory. And this may refer to the incarnation of the Son of God, made known in Judah by the preaching of the Baptist, as Israel's exalted Saviour, who pitched his tabernacle among men, appeared in the flesh at Jerusalem; and in his church, the spiritual Zion, continues to take up his abode. 2. A glorious victory is obtained, whether by David, by Jehoshaphat, by Hezekiah, or, by the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom emphatically it may be applied, over the powers of sin, Satan, death, and hell. The enemies are represented as stout hearted, as men of might, as completely armed. But there is no contending against God; the arrows are broken, the shield, the sword, and the battle: unable to defend themselves, the mighty are fallen with their chariots and horses; they sleep the sleep of death, and the weak take the spoil. Thus hath our Redeemer spoiled principalities and powers; and, following him, the weakest believer seizes the prey, and triumphs over vanquished foes; for all the enemies of Christ's church and people, however many or mighty, shall be rooted out at the last. 3. The whole is ascribed to God alone, his is the work, to him must be the praise. Not by our might or power, but at thy rebuke, O God, they are cast down. Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey; tyrannical kings, and all the persecuting powers, are nothing in the hands of his omnipotence; the higher they are exalted, the more will he be glorified in their abasement; for every mountain shall be brought low. Note; In all the dangers to which God's people are exposed, they must look to the glorious power of God, engaged for them, and not be afraid. Copyright Statement Bibliography Hawker's Poor Man's CommentaryREFLECTIONS MY soul, thou hast been looking at the happy state of Israel, when living under the divine presence, and beheld the blessedness of having the Lord Jehovah in the midst of his Zion, to comfort and to strengthen her. There, indeed, as the prophet sang, the glorious Lord was unto them as a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein no galley with oars from the enemy could go, neither any of their gallant ships pass by: for if the Lord himself was the river and streams of his people, surely upon all the glory was there a defense. And are the advantages of God's people less now? No, in no wise. If in Judah God was known, and his name was great in Israel, is not God truly known in Him and by Him who sprang out of Judah? And hath he not made himself truly known in and by the revelation of his dear Son? Hath not the name of Jehovah been made great and gracious also, since Jesus came and proclaimed, in his own and his Father's name, salvation to poor sinners in his blood and righteousness? Was the tabernacle at Salem glorious when the Shechinah was manifested there, and God's dwelling known to be in Zion by these marks and testimonies? And are these mercies less, or rather, are they not all abundantly heightened, since Jesus came down and tabernacled in our nature, and fulfilled the promise which John heard: Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Oh! thou precious Lord Jesus! it is thou, that hast brought us truly acquainted with God, and art not only come nigh unto us, but hast brought us nigh by thy blood. There, indeed, in thy tabernacling in our flesh, didst thou break the arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword, and the battle; for in our nature, and for our salvation, thou hast destroyed all the powers of the enemy, and thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. Hail! thou blessed and victorious Friend of poor sinners! Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleCut off; as men do their grapes in time of vintage, as the Hebrew verb implies, to wit, suddenly, violently, and irresistibly. This is all which they shall get by opposing him, and therefore it is their wisdom to bring presents to him. The spirit of princes; either, 1 Their courage. Or rather, 2. Their breath and life, as he did in the Assyrian army. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible12. Cut off the spirit of princes—The breath of princes, as in Job 9:18; Psalms 104:29. Or, the spirit of princes may be taken for the ambition, haughtiness, pride, of princes. “God puts an end to the defiant, arrogant bearing of the tyrants of the earth, and becomes at last the feared of all the kings of the earth.”—Delitzsch. Copyright Statement Bibliography Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 76:12. He shall cut off — Dr. Waterland reads, bring down, and Dr. Horne, restrain, the spirit of princes — Their pride and elation of mind, such as was that of the king of Assyria, before he was forced to return with shame of face to his own land. Or their courage; he can dispirit those that are most daring, and make them heartless; for he is, or will be, terrible to the kings of the earth — And sooner or later, if they be not so wise as to submit themselves to him, he will force them to call in vain to rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from his wrath, Revelation 6:15. The original word, however, יבצר, jibtzar, is borrowed from gathering the vintage, and signifies literally, He shall cut off their spirit, that is their breath and life, as men do their grapes in the time of vintage, namely, suddenly, violently, and irresistibly, as he did the Assyrian army. This is all they shall get by opposing him. Since, then, there is no contending with him, it is as much the wisdom, as it is the duty, of all, even of captains and generals of armies, of princes and kings, to submit to him, and make their peace with him. Reader, let this be thy care. Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryBeginning. In favour of Israel, or rather of all the just from Abel. (Haydock) Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notesspirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9. Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) He shall cut off . . .—Literally, lop off, as a vinedresser prunes a vine. For the image see Joel 3:13; Isaiah 18:5; Revelation 14:17 seq. Spirit—i.e., the life. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeHe shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
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