The Meaning of Psalms 76:4 Explained

Psalms 76:4

KJV: Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

YLT: Bright art Thou, honourable above hills of prey.

Darby: More glorious art thou, more excellent, than the mountains of prey.

ASV: Glorious art thou and excellent, From the mountains of prey.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou [art] more glorious  [and] excellent  than the mountains  of prey. 

What does Psalms 76:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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: Psalms 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 76:4 mean?

More glorious You [are] and excellent [Than] the mountains of prey
נָ֭אוֹר אַתָּ֥ה אַדִּ֗יר מֵֽהַרְרֵי־ טָֽרֶף

נָ֭אוֹר  More  glorious 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: to be or become light, shine.
אַתָּ֥ה  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
אַדִּ֗יר  and  excellent 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַדִּיר  
Sense: great, majestic.
מֵֽהַרְרֵי־  [Than]  the  mountains 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: mountain, hill, hill country, mount.
טָֽרֶף  of  prey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֶרֶף  
Sense: prey, food, leaf.