Psalms 78:61

61 And He giveth His strength to captivity, And His beauty into the hand of an 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 God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.

60 And He leaveth the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

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

62 And delivereth up to the sword His people, And with His inheritance shewed Himself angry.

63 His young men hath fire consumed, And His virgins have not been praised.