Psalm 18:34

34 他 教 導 我 的 手 能 以 爭 戰 ， 甚 至 我 的 膀 臂 能 開 銅 弓 。

Psalm 18:34 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:34

He teacheth my hands to war
From whence it appears, that war, in some cases, is lawful; and that all the skilfulness and art in training men for war, in the use of armour, in marshalling of armies, in forming sieges is all from God; see ( Psalms 144:1 ) ; and so is all that spiritual skill, in making use of the whole armour of God against every enemy, sin, Satan, and the world; and even the wisdom and skill, counsel and instruction, which Christ as man and Mediator had, when it was the hour and power of darkness; when he was engaged with principalities and powers, and got the victory over them, were from the Lord: see ( Psalms 16:7 ) ;

so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms;
that is, the bow of an enemy falling into his hands, which might be literally true of David. It is in the Hebrew text, "a bow of brass"; and so Apollinarius renders it; which Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret strong iron, that is, steel; and so the Targum; see ( Job 20:24 ) ; Satan is an archer; his temptations are darts, and fiery ones; and his strong bow may be said to be broken by the arms of faith, when his temptations, under the influence of divine grace, are repelled and rendered ineffectual; and especially his bow was broken by Christ, not only in the wilderness, when he was vanquished by him; but in the garden, and on the cross, when Satan could find nothing in him, and get no other advantage over him, but to bruise his heel; when he himself had his head broke, his works ruined, and he himself destroyed. Some render the words, "mine arms have bent a bow of steel": that is, such skill and strength were given him that he was able to bend, draw, and shoot a bow or steel: the Targum is, "and hath strengthened mine arm as a bow of brass", or "steel"; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions; and to the same purpose the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions; or it may be rendered, "my arms have bent", or "made to descend ^F15, a bow of brass"; for when a bow is bent, the horns or corners of it are made to descend towards a man.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (htxnw) "ut current", Cocceius; so Michaelis; "ut descendat vel deprimatur", Gejerus; vid. Gussetii Comment. Ebr. p. 507. so Jarchi.

Psalm 18:34 In-Context

32 惟 有 那 以 力 量 束 我 的 腰 、 使 我 行 為 完 全 的 ， 他 是 神 。

33 他 使 我 的 腳 快 如 母 鹿 的 蹄 ， 又 使 我 在 高 處 安 穩 。

34 他 教 導 我 的 手 能 以 爭 戰 ， 甚 至 我 的 膀 臂 能 開 銅 弓 。

35 你 把 你 的 救 恩 給 我 作 盾 牌 ； 你 的 右 手 扶 持 我 ； 你 的 溫 和 使 我 為 大 。

36 你 使 我 腳 下 的 地 步 寬 闊 ； 我 的 腳 未 曾 滑 跌 。