Psa 76:5-6 | NETfull | STEP | The bravehearted were plundered; they “fell asleep.” All the warriors were helpless.

Psalms 76:5-6

5 The bravehearted ^{▼▼ Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).} were plundered; ^{▼▼ The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 #54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).}
they “fell asleep.” ^{▼▼ Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”}
All the warriors were helpless. ^{▼▼ Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”}
6 At the sound of your battle cry, ^{▼▼ Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 18:15; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.} O God of Jacob,
both rider ^{▼▼ Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.} and horse “fell asleep.” ^{▼▼ Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.}