The Meaning of Psalms 78:61 Explained

Psalms 78:61

KJV: And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.

YLT: And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an adversary,

Darby: And gave his strength into captivity, and his glory into the hand of the oppressor;

ASV: And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the adversary's hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And delivered  his strength  into captivity,  and his glory  into the enemy's  hand. 

What does Psalms 78:61 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 78:59-72 - God Raises Up His Shepherd David
This paragraph continues the history of the Judges, and tells the story of what befell after the battle in which Eli's sons were slain. See 1 Samuel 4:1-22. It is difficult to estimate the despair which that disaster caused, because Israel seemed the light-bearer of the world. What hope was there for mankind, if its lamp of testimony was extinguished!
It inspires great confidence, however, to read in Psalms 78:65 of God's awakening. The language, of course, is highly metaphorical, because He neither slumbers nor sleeps. But there have been many times in the history of the Church when He has seemed to be indifferent. Sin and evil have held undisputed sway. Then a time of revival has suddenly set in. Some David or Daniel, some Athanasius or Augustine, some Wycliffe or Luther, some Spurgeon or Moody, has been brought from an obscure family-"one of the least of the thousands of Judah"-and he has led the host of God with unerring accuracy and success. Even at this hour, amid the sheepfolds or the far-spreading acres of the Western world, God is probably training the ardently looked-for leaders of His Church. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 78

1  An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9  The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67  The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David

What do the individual words in Psalms 78:61 mean?

and delivered into captivity His strength and His glory into the hand of enemy
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לַשְּׁבִ֣י עֻזּ֑וֹ וְֽתִפְאַרְתּ֥וֹ בְיַד־ צָֽר

וַיִּתֵּ֣ן  and  delivered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לַשְּׁבִ֣י  into  captivity 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
עֻזּ֑וֹ  His  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.
וְֽתִפְאַרְתּ֥וֹ  and  His  glory 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תִּפְאֶרֶת  
Sense: beauty, splendour, glory.
בְיַד־  into  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
צָֽר  of  enemy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.