The Meaning of Psalms 76:5 Explained

Psalms 76:5

KJV: The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.

YLT: Spoiled themselves have the mighty of heart, They have slept their sleep, And none of the men of might found their hands.

Darby: The stout-hearted are made a spoil, they have slept their sleep; and none of the men of might have found their hands.

ASV: The stouthearted are made a spoil, They have slept their sleep; And none of the men of might have found their hands.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The stouthearted  are spoiled,  they have slept  their sleep:  and none of the men  of might  have found  their hands. 

What does Psalms 76:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 76:1-12 - "the Wrath Of Man Shall Praise Thee"
In Psalms 76:2, tabernacle may be rendered "covert," and dwelling-place, "lair." God is compared to the lion, that dreaded monarch of beasts, who finds his home in a den, into which no inferior animal may intrude. Even the hunter's bows and arrows are broken in pursuit of him. As the mountains yielded prey to the young lion, so the hills around Jerusalem, where Sennacherib had pitched his camp, would be full of Assyrian spoil for the armies of the Lion of Judah. The stout-hearted captains of Assyria would there sleep their last sleep, Psalms 76:5.
Some of the meek of the earth may read these lines, Psalms 76:9. They do not avenge themselves. Weak and helpless, they turn their eyes to God, who cannot fail them. When He speaks His sentence of acquittal, no voice will be raised to dispute it. For when He arises in judgment He will save all the meek of the earth. There is a "thus far and no farther" to the wrath of man. God will not allow it to go beyond certain limits, and it is remarkable how He is able to make man's wrath to subserve His purposes. Bring God the gift, of your love. Fear not, ye humble souls, but let your enemies be in fear! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 76

1  A declaration of God's majesty in the church
11  An exhortation to serve him reverently

What do the individual words in Psalms 76:5 mean?

Were plundered the mighty of heart they have sunk into their sleep and none have found the use of the men mighty their hands
אֶשְׁתּוֹלְל֨וּ ׀ אַבִּ֣ירֵי לֵ֭ב נָמ֣וּ שְׁנָתָ֑ם וְלֹא־ מָצְא֖וּ כָל־ אַנְשֵׁי־ חַ֣יִל יְדֵיהֶֽם

אֶשְׁתּוֹלְל֨וּ ׀  Were  plundered 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁלַל 
Sense: (Qal) to draw out.
אַבִּ֣ירֵי  the  mighty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: אַבִּיר  
Sense: mighty, valiant.
לֵ֭ב  of  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
נָמ֣וּ  they  have  sunk  into 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נוּם  
Sense: to be drowsy, slumber, sleep.
שְׁנָתָ֑ם  their  sleep 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁנָא 
Sense: sleep.
וְלֹא־  and  none 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
מָצְא֖וּ  have  found  the  use 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
אַנְשֵׁי־  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
חַ֣יִל  mighty 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
יְדֵיהֶֽם  their  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.