Psalms 76:12
in Psalms 76He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He will cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth.
KJV
He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
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This verse in Psalms 76
Commentary
13 notes on this verseTo the terrible one. To whom? To God. And to him who takes away the spirit of princes. When we see certain powerful men, for example, emperors, prefects, and men exceedingly powerful in this world, let us too say to God: Who takes away the spirit of princes. By "spirit" we can speak both of the soul, and we can speak also of pride. Let us understand it also in another way. Who takes away the spirit of princes. Let us here understand "princes" as the saints.
This site's exposition
Even the wrath of man
on Psalms 76:10-12
Even the wrath of man will end in praise to God, and the survivors of that wrath He puts on like a garment. The call that follows is to make vows to the LORD and keep them, and bring tribute from the lands around. He breaks the spirits of princes.
This site's exposition
He breaks the spirits of princes
Wesley said the verb for breaks pictures a vintage, with grapes cut from the vine. Spurgeon added that the kings of the earth, feared by others, are themselves in fear of God. The spirits of princes are brought low.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
To whom shall they offer gifts? "To Him terrible, and to Him that taketh away the spirit of princes" (ver. 12). For the spirits of princes are proud spirits. They then are not His Spirits; for if they know anything, their own they will it to be, not public; but, that which setteth Himself forth as equal toward all men, that setteth Himself in the midst, in order that all men may take as much as they can, whatever they can; not of what is any man's, but of what is God's, and therefore of their own because they have become His. Therefore they must needs be humble: they have lost their own spirit, and they have the Spirit of God....For if thou shalt have confessed thyself dust, God out of dust doth make man. All they that are in the circuit of Him do offer gifts. All humble men do confess to Him, and do adore Him. "To Him terrible they offer gifts." Whence to Him terrible exult ye with trembling: "and to Him that taketh away the spirit of princes:" that is, that taketh away the haughtiness of proud men. "To Him terrible among the kings of the earth." Terrible are the kings of the earth, but He is above all, that doth terrify the kings of the earth. Be thou a king of the earth, and God will be to thee terrible. How, wilt thou say, shall I be a king of the earth? Rule the earth, and thou wilt be a king of the earth. Do not therefore with desire of empire set before thine eyes exceeding wide provinces, where thou mayest spread abroad thy kingdoms; rule thou the earth which thou bearest. Hear the Apostle ruling the earth: "I do not so fight as if beating air, but I chasten my body, and bring it into captivity, lest perchance preaching to other men, I myself become a reprobate."...
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Cut off - As men do their grapes in time of vintage; so the Hebrew verb implies.
Not that God needs any present we can bring, or can be benefited by it; but thus we must give him honour and own that we have our all from him. Our prayers and praises, and especially our hearts, are the presents we should bring to the Lord our God. The reasons to enforce this duty: Render to all their due, fear to whom fear is due; and is it not due to God?
4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. 5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. 6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
He shall cut off the spirit of princes,....
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Since there is no contending with God, it is as much our wisdom as it is our duty to submit to him.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
He shall cut off the spirit of princes. Their courage, skill, and life are in his hands, and he can remove them as a gardener cuts off a slip from a plant. None are great in his hand. Caesars and Napoleons fall under his power as the boughs of the tree beneath the woodman's axe. He is terrible to the kings of the earth. While they are terrible to others, he is terrible to them.
He shall cut off the spirit of princes. Their courage, skill, and life are in his hands, and he can remove them as a gardener cuts off a slip from a plant. None are great in his hand. Caesars and Napoleons fall under his power as the boughs of the tree beneath the woodman's axe. He is terrible to the kings of the earth. While they are terrible to others, he is terrible to them. If they oppose themselves to his people, he will make short work of them; they shall perish before the terror of his arm, "for the Lord is a man of war, the Lord is his name." Rejoice before him all ye who adore the God of Jacob.
He 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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He 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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
For man’s anger will thank you The anger of the wicked results in the creatures thanking the Holy One, blessed be He. When they show their anger and the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes them, everyone praises Him when they see that their anger is of no avail.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִ֭בְצֹר | yivtzor | he humbles | H1219 → | |
| ר֣וּחַ | ruach | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| נְגִידִ֑ים | negidim | rulers | H5057 → | |
| נ֝וֹרָ֗א | nora' | [he is] to be feared | H3372 → | 315 times |
| לְמַלְכֵי־ | lemalkhei- | by [the] kings of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אָֽרֶץ׃ | ʾaretz | [the] earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
יִ֭בְצֹרhe humbles
yivtzorH1219 →
ר֣וּחַ[the] spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
נְגִידִ֑יםrulers
negidimH5057 →
נ֝וֹרָ֗א[he is] to be feared
nora'H3372 →315 times
לְמַלְכֵי־by [the] kings of
lemalkhei-H4428 →2525 times
אָֽרֶץ׃[the] earth
ʾaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 6:15Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
it leads to
- Isaiah 2:19
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
- Isaiah 2:21
They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
- Isaiah 24:21–22
In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
- Isaiah 2:10
Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.
- Psalms 2:10–12
Therefore be wise, O kings; be admonished, O judges of the earth.
- Isaiah 2:19
Through
Psalms 68:12“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.
it leads to
- Joshua 10:16
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
- Joshua 10:16
Through
Zephaniah 3:6“I have cut off the nations; their corner towers are destroyed. I have made their streets deserted with no one to pass through. Their cities are laid waste, with no man, no inhabitant.
it leads to
- Zephaniah 2:5
Woe to the dwellers of the seacoast, O nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you, and no one will…
- 1 Corinthians 10:6
These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
- Zephaniah 2:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 76; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Jerome, Homily 9, on Psalm 75; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.