Psalms 78:61

61 And gave up His ¹strength to captivity And His glory ²into the hand of the adversary.

Psalms 78:61 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:61

And delivered his strength into captivity
That is, the ark, called his strength, and the ark of his strength, ( Psalms 105:4 ) ( 132:8 ) , because it was a token of his strength, and by means of which he displayed it, as when the Israelites passed through Jordan into Canaan's land, and encompassed the city of Jericho; and besides, it was typical of Christ, the man of God's right hand, made strong for himself, and in whom is strength as well as righteousness for his people; now this was delivered up into the hands of the Philistines, and carried captive, ( 1 Samuel 4:11 ) . The Targum renders it, "his law", because the two tables of the law were in the ark; so Jarchi interprets it, the ark and the tables:

and his glory into the enemy's hand;
which designs the same thing, the ark being the glory of God, over which upon the mercy seat the glorious majesty of the Lord was; hence Phinehas's wife, when she heard the ark was taken, fell into labour, her time being near, and brought forth a son, and called him Ichabod, saying, the glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken, ( 1 Samuel 4:21 1 Samuel 4:22 ) .

Psalms 78:61 In-Context

59 When God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel;

60 So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men,

61 And gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the adversary.

62 He also delivered His people to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

63 Fire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 63:2; Psalms 132:8
• 2. 1 Samuel 4:17