Psalm 76 is the 76th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "In Judah is God known; His name is great in Israel". The Book of Psalms forms part of the Ketuvim section of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 75. In Latin, it is known as "Notus in Judaea". It is one of the psalms of Asaph. It refers to the "Majesty of God in Judgment". The Jerusalem Bible regards it as an "ode to God the awe-inspiring". This psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music, including in works in German by Heinrich Schütz, and in Latin by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Jean-Baptiste Lully.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

Verse numbering

In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 76:1 comprises the designation From then on verses 2–13 in the Hebrew text correspond to verses 1–12 in English versions.

Commentary

This psalm shares some similarities with Psalms 46 and 48, and has been interpreted as: The division of the text (e.g., in the New Revised Standard Version) is usually: According to Gordon Churchyard in the EasyEnglish Translation of the Psalms, this psalm explains that Judah and Israel are both names for God's chosen people. The Jerusalem Bible suggests that the psalm "apparently refers to the defeat of Sennacherib in 701 BC at the gates of Jerusalem": see also Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. The Sela in verses 3 and 9 provides a 'threefold structure' with the middle section focusing on the 'description of God'.

Uses

Judaism

This psalm is recited on the first day of Sukkot.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the fifteenth day of the month.

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 76 in a metred version in German, "In Juda ist der Herr bekannt", SWV 173, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628. Marc-Antoine Charpentier set : Jean-Baptiste Lully set it as a motet, Notus in Judea Deus, LWV 77.