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Psalm 76 · a question people ask

What does "Surely the wrath of man praises you" (76:10) mean?

In the text

The psalm doesn't explain it, and these notes won't add an explanation. Here is what the verse says: "Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained" (76:10). In Hebrew wrath is one word both times, chemah (tap wrath), and the second time it is plural. Praises is yadah, the verb of "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good" (Psalm 107:1). Survivors is she'erit, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "rest, residue, remnant, remainder". And are restrained is chagar, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "gird, gird on, gird oneself". What the verses around it say is plain: God arose "to save all the afflicted ones of the earth" (Psalm 76:9), and "He will cut off the spirit of princes" (Psalm 76:12).

The verses

“when God arose to judgment, to save all the afflicted ones of the earth. Selah. Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.”
Psalm 76:9-10 · World English Bible
“He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.”
Psalm 76:12 · World English Bible
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 76

Psalm 76: In Judah, God is known

Two of the psalm's words for where God dwells (Psalm 76:2) are words other verses use of a lion's lair, and Deuteronomy 33:27 uses one of them of God himself. The valiant men "slept their last sleep" (Psalm 76:5) with the verb of Psalm 121:4, where the one who keeps Israel never slumbers. And God arose to judgment "to save all the afflicted ones of the earth" (Psalm 76:9).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions