Verse 1
"To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph."
A dedication to the leader of the music, to be played on stringed instruments. Asaph was one of the chief Levite singers appointed by David.
(Words: "Neginoth" — stringed instruments, musical accompaniment)
Verse 2
"In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel."
The heart of the psalm and of the chorus. There is one place in the world where God's greatness is not only believed but known — Judah and Israel, who saw His deeds with their own eyes.
Verse 3
"In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion."
The place He chose for His presence. "Salem" is the ancient name of Jerusalem from the days of Melchizedek, and there — in Zion — He set His dwelling.
(Words: "Salem" — ancient Jerusalem; "tabernacle" — His tent, the place of His presence)
Verse 4
"There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah."
There, at the gates of His city, all the weapons were broken. Note the order: last in the list, "the battle" itself is broken.
(Words: "arrows of the bow" — in the Hebrew, fiery shafts, arrows burning like sparks; "Selah" — a word of pause and emphasis in the Psalms)
Verse 5
"Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey."
Facing the mighty empires — likened to mountains from which beasts of prey descend on all around — You are more radiant and mighty than them all.
(Words: "mountains of prey" — an image of tyrant kingdoms living on spoil)
Verse 6
"The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands."
The heroes who came to take spoil became spoil themselves. They sank into their final sleep, and at the moment of truth their hands could not be found.
(Words: "spoiled" — plundered, made into spoil; "found their hands" — their strength failed them, their hands would not obey)
Verse 7
"At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep."
Not a sword and not an army — one rebuke alone, a single word of reproof, and all the power of war, chariots and horses, freezes and sinks into an everlasting sleep.
In one line: in one night, at the gates of Jerusalem, the God of Jacob broke the war itself with one rebuke — and since then His name is great in Israel.