The Meaning of Psalm 21:13

Psalm Overview

Exegetical issues for Psalm 21:

The Subject(s) in Ps. 21:9-13

The Text and Meaning of Ps. 21:10a

The Meaning of Psalm 21:13

Introduction

The Hebrew Masoretic text of Ps 21:13 (Eng. 12) reads:

כִּ֭י תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ שֶׁ֑כֶם בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

This verse presents some significant challenges to translation:

1. how to understand כִּי תְּשִׁיתֵמֹו שֶׁכֶם “for you make/place them a shoulder”;
2. and how to understand בְּמֵיתָרֶיךָ תְּכֹונֵן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם "with your bowstrings/tent cords/remnants you set against their faces."

The first clause (כִּי תְּשִׁיתֵמֹו שֶׁכֶם) is somewhat awkward and difficult, but the text and essential meaning is not in doubt. Virtually all translations--ancient and modern--either render this extremely woodenly (such as “for you make/place them a shoulder”) or provide a more functional translation indicating that the king (or YHWH) will set his enemies to flight. The idea seems to be that the king will make his enemies turn their shoulders (>> backs) towards him and flee the battlefield (see, esp., 1 Sam 10:9). Thus,

"You will make them turn their backs" (NIV).

"For you will put them to flight" (ESV).

The second clause (בְּמֵיתָרֶיךָ תְּכֹונֵן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם) is more controversial, largely dependent upon the lexical semantics of מֵיתָר. Three lines of interpretation are evident in the versions:

1. מֵיתָר as "bowstring"
2. מֵיתָר as "tent cord"
3. מֵיתָר as "remnant"

The argument maps below evaluate these different interpretations.

Argument Maps

מֵיתָר as "bowstring"

Most modern versions interpret מֵיתָר as "bowstring," yielding roughly "you set (with/on) your bowstrings against their faces."

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[Bowstring]: מֵיתָר in the context of Ps 21:13 should be understood as "bowstring" (HALOT :D:; NIDOTTE :D:; DCH :D:; BDB :D:; TWOT :D:; SDBH :D:; TDOT :D:; Rashi :C:; Radak :C:).
 + <Etymology>: מֵיתָר is derived from יתר II; it is cognate to יֶתֶר II  meaning "tendon, string, cord, rope," which is also used of bowstrings (Ps 11:2). Cf. Arabic watara "bowstring."
  + [Ps 11:2]: כִּ֤י הִנֵּ֪ה הָרְשָׁעִ֡ים יִדְרְכ֬וּן קֶ֗שֶׁת כּוֹנְנ֣וּ חִצָּ֣ם עַל־יֶ֑תֶר לִיר֥וֹת בְּמוֹ־אֹ֝֗פֶל לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃
 + <Context>: The context of warfare envisioned in Ps 21:8-12 strongly supports the meaning "bowstring."
 - <Predominant Usage>: מֵיתָר is most frequently used for “tent cord,” especially in conjunction with the pegs and bases of the tabernacle, not for "bow string." #dispreferred
  + [Predominant Usage]: Exod 35:18; 39:40; Num 3:26, 37; 4:26, 32; Isa 54:2; Jer 10:20). #dispreferred

מֵיתָר as "tent cord"

The Psalms Targum understood מֵיתָר as "tent cord," as in the cords used specifically for the tabernacle of YHWH.

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[Tent Cord]: מֵיתָר in the context of Ps 21:13 should be understood as "tent cord" (TgPs). #dispreferred
 + <Predominant Usage>: מֵיתָר is frequently used for “tent cord,” especially in conjunction with the pegs and bases of the tabernacle (Exod 35:18; 39:40; Num 3:26, 37; 4:26, 32; Isa 54:2; Jer 10:20). #dispreferred
 - <Context>: Tent cords are not relevant in the context of battle envisioned in Ps 21:8-12. Even if armies camp in tents, there is nothing particularly fearsome about the cords of their tents.
 + <Targum Psalms>: The Psalms Targum understood מֵיתָר as "tent cord," as in the cords used specifically for the tabernacle of YHWH. #dispreferred
  + [Targum Psalms]: "Within the cords of your tabernacle (באיטוני משכניך) you will establish the Law before them" (Stec 2004:57). #dispreferred
  <_ <Spiritualizing Reading>: The TgPs references to the tabernacle and Law reflect a spiritualizing reading that departs from the plain sense of the psalm (cf. Stec 2004:4-10).

מֵיתָר as "remnant"

Some ancient versions understood מֵיתָר to mean "remnant."

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[Remnant]: מֵיתָר in the context of Ps 21:13 should be understood as "remnant" (LXX; Symmachus). #dispreferred
 + <Etymology>: מֵיתָר is derived from יתר I; it is cognate to יֶתֶר I meaning "remnant, what is left behind." #dispreferred
  - <Unattested word>: מֵיתָר is not attested elsewhere in with the meaning "remnant."
 + <Ancient versions>: The LXX, followed by Symmachus, understood מֵיתָר to mean "remnant." #dispreferred
  + [Ancient versions]: LXX: "in your survivors (ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου) you will prepare their face" (NETS); cf. Symmachus: τοῖς περιλειπομένος σου. #dispreferred
  <_ <Misunderstanding>: The LXX and aligned versions have probably misunderstood the rarer technical meaning of the word and misanalysed it under the influence of the more common root I יתר.
 - <Context>: "Remnants" or survivors on the side of YHWH and the king do not seem to be in view in the context of Ps 21:8-12.
  - <Survivors as victors>: According to Zeph 2:9, the survivors of YHWH's people will plunder and possess their enemies as his "weapon of punishment" (TWOT, 421 :D:). #dispreferred
   + [Zeph 2:9]: שְׁאֵרִ֤ית עַמִּי֙ יְבָזּ֔וּם וְיֶ֥תֶר גּוֹיִ֖ יִנְחָלֽוּם׃ #dispreferred

Conclusion

Along with almost all modern versions, lexica, and commentators, the meaning of מֵיתָר in Ps 21:13 is best interpreted as a technical term for "bowstring." מֵיתָר is a well-documented Classical Hebrew word for "string/cord," and the contextual domain of warfare and battle (supported by the Arabic cognate) strongly supports the meaning "bowstring" here.

Interpretations that take מֵיתָר as "tent cord" fail to take account of its likely technical usage in the context of warfare. And a meaning of "remnant" for מֵיתָר is unattested in Classical Hebrew and again contrary to the context.

It thus seems clear that the meaning of Ps 21:13 is related to readying bows to shoot arrows at the enemies, who will turn and flee. תְּכֹונֵן "you will set" could be interpreted as:

1. stringing the bow >> preparing for battle (cf. Ps 7:13);
2. setting an arrow on the bowstring >> preparing to shoot (NKJV, "You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces"; HALOT, 465, "tech. term, to fix the arrow upon the bow > to take aim"; cf. Ps 11:2);
3. drawing the bowstring >> taking aim (NIV, "when you aim at them with drawn bow"; NIDOTTE, 2:574, "a 'bowstring' that Yahweh will draw back for bringing judgment on the wicked."
4. or מֵיתָרֶיךָ may simply be metonymy for bows/archers with or among which the king (or YHWH) is set against his enemies (cf. ESV, "you will aim at their faces with your bows").

Options 1 and 3 (and possibly 4) suggest taking the בְּ in בְּמֵיתָרֶיךָ as instrumental ("with your bowstrings[/bows]"), while option 2 (and possibly 4) suggests understanding בְּ as spatial ("on your bowstrings[/among your archers]"). עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם "against their faces" may be compatible with options 1, 2, and 4 if interpreted as preparing for battle generally "against" the enemies, but if it is interpreted in a directional sense, drawing the bowstring seems preferable, since that is the point when archers actually aim at their targets. All viable options refer to multiple bowstrings, which implies an army of archers, rather than a single bow of YHWH (see the exegetical issue The Subject(s) in Ps. 21:9-13).

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς νῶτον· ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου ἑτοιμάσεις τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν. ("because you make them a back; in your survivors you will prepare their face.")

• Aquila: ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς ὦμον, ἐν τοῖς κάλος σου ἑδράσεις ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἀυτῶν. ("because you will make them a shoulder, in your strings you will place on their face.")

• Symmachus: ὅτι τάξεις αὐτοὺς ἀποστρόφους, τοῖς περιλειπομένος σου ἑδρασεις κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν. ("because you will make them turned aside, for those of yours who remain you will set against their face.")

• Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): quia pones eos umerum funes tuos firmabis contra facies eorum ("because you make them a shoulder, you will fasten your ropes against their faces.")

• Peshitta: ܬܣܝܡ ܒܗܘܢ ܟܘܬܡܐ܂ ܘܛܘܝܒܟ ܬܬܩܢ ܥܠ ܦܪ̈ܨܘܦܝܗܘܢ܂ ("You will put a mark(/scar) on them; you will make ready your preparations against them.")

• Targum: מטול דשויתינון לעמך כתף חד באיטוני משכנ(י)ך תסדר אוריתך קדמוהי(/תתקן אורחהון קדמיהון)׃ ("For you will make them one back(/shoulder) to your people; within the cords of your tabernacle you will establish the Law (/arrange their ways) before them.")

Modern

Bowstrings >> making (bows/arrows) ready

• Therefore You will make them turn their back; You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces (NKJV).
• For thou shalt make them turn their back, thou shalt make ready with thy bowstrings against the face of them (JPS 1917).
• pues tú los pondrás en fuga; en tus cuerdas dispondrás saetas contra sus rostros (RVR95).

Bowstrings >> drawing/aiming (bows/arrows)

• For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them (NLT).
• You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow (NIV).
• For You will make them turn their back; You will take aim at their faces with Your bowstrings (NASB).
• For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows (ESV).
• but you will aim at their faces with your bows and force them to turn in flight (REB).
• For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows (NRSV).
• For You make them turn back by Your bows aimed at their face (JPS 1985).
• Denn du wirst machen, dass sie den Rücken kehren; mit deinem Bogen wirst du auf ihr Antlitz zielen (Luther 2017).
• Kaum zielst du mit deinem Bogen auf sie, ergreifen sie schon die Flucht (HFA).
• Du wirst sie in die Flucht schlagen und deine Pfeile auf sie richten (NGÜ).
• car tu les met sur le dos, avec ton arc, tu les vises en pleine face (TOB).
• Oui, tu tendras ton arc contre eux, tu les viseras et tu les mettras en fuite (PDV).
• Porque tú los harás retroceder cuando tenses tu arco contra ellos (NVI).
• pues tú los pondrás en fuga; con tu arco apuntarás contra ellos (DHH).
• Pues los harás huir con tus cuerdas, Apuntarás contra sus rostros (BTX4).

Bowstrings >> firing arrows

• You will make them run away by shooting your arrows at their faces (CEV).
• For you make them retreat when you shoot your arrows at them (NET).
• He will shoot his arrows at them and make them turn and run (GNT).
• car tu leur feras tourner le dos, et avec ton arc tu tireras sur eux (NBS).
• Tu les mettras en fuite, en décochant tes flèches sur eux (BDS).

Secondary Literature

Bratcher, Robert G., and William David Reyburn. 1991. A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Grace Briggs. 1906–1907. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. New York: Scribner’s.

Goldingay, John. 2006. Psalms: Psalms 1–41. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms 1–41. Edited by Tremper Longman III. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

VanGemeren, Willem A. 2008. Psalms. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Revised Edition) 5. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

References

21:13 Approved