For You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them. For You will put them to flightThis phrase highlights the divine intervention and power of God in the face of adversaries. The Hebrew root for "put to flight" is "נוס" (nus), which conveys the idea of causing to flee or driving away. Historically, this reflects the numerous instances in the Old Testament where God intervenes on behalf of His people, ensuring victory over their enemies. It underscores the belief that God is a warrior who fights for His people, a theme prevalent throughout the Psalms and the broader biblical narrative. This assurance of divine protection and victory is a source of comfort and strength for believers, emphasizing that God is actively involved in the battles they face. when Your bow is aimed
The imagery of a bow being aimed is a powerful metaphor for God's precision and readiness to act against those who oppose Him. The Hebrew word for "bow" is "קֶשֶׁת" (qeshet), often used in the Old Testament to symbolize strength and warfare. In ancient times, the bow was a crucial weapon in battle, representing both offensive and defensive capabilities. This phrase suggests that God is not only prepared but also deliberate in His actions against the wicked. It reassures believers of God's strategic and purposeful intervention in their lives, aligning with the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty and control over all circumstances. at their faces
The phrase "at their faces" indicates a direct and personal confrontation. In Hebrew, the word for "face" is "פָּנִים" (panim), which can also imply presence or countenance. This suggests that God's actions are not distant or impersonal but are instead direct and unavoidable for those who oppose Him. Historically, facing an enemy directly was a sign of courage and determination in battle. This imagery reinforces the idea that God's judgment is inescapable and that His presence is both protective for the righteous and formidable for the wicked. For believers, this serves as a reminder of God's intimate involvement in their lives and His commitment to justice. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 21, King David is expressing gratitude and confidence in God's deliverance and protection. 2. Enemies of IsraelThe adversaries who oppose David and, by extension, the people of God. They are the ones being put to flight. 3. GodThe central figure who acts as the divine warrior, defending His people and ensuring victory over their enemies. Teaching Points God as ProtectorGod actively defends His people, ensuring their safety and victory over adversaries. Believers can trust in God's power to protect them from spiritual and physical threats. Divine JusticeGod’s justice is evident as He turns the plans of the wicked against them. We can find comfort in knowing that God will ultimately right the wrongs and bring justice. Spiritual WarfareThe imagery of God aiming His bow reminds us of the spiritual battles we face. We are called to rely on God's strength and not our own in these battles. Confidence in God’s DeliveranceJust as David was confident in God’s deliverance, we too can have confidence that God will deliver us from our trials. This confidence should lead us to praise and worship God for His faithfulness. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding God as a divine warrior impact your view of the challenges you face in life? 2. In what ways can you apply the imagery of God aiming His bow to your personal spiritual battles? 3. How does the assurance of God’s protection influence your daily walk with Him? 4. Can you identify a situation where you have seen God’s justice prevail in your life or the lives of others? 5. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God’s deliverance, as demonstrated by David in this Psalm? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 18:14This verse also speaks of God using His bow against the enemies, emphasizing His role as a divine warrior. Ephesians 6:16The imagery of a bow and arrows can be connected to the "shield of faith" in the armor of God, which protects believers from the fiery darts of the enemy. Exodus 15:3Describes the Lord as a warrior, reinforcing the theme of God fighting on behalf of His people. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Aim, Arrows, Backs, Bow, Bows, Bowstring, Bowstrings, Butt, Cords, Drawn, Face, Faces, Flight, Makest, Preparest, Ready, Strings, Turn, WiltDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 21:12 5127 back Psalm 21:11-12 5236 bow and arrow
6186 evil scheming Library Epistle Lviii. To all the Bishops Throughout Helladia .
To all the Bishops throughout Helladia [1626] . Gregory to all bishops constituted in the province of Helladia. I return thanks with you, dearest brethren, to Almighty God, who has caused the hidden sore which the ancient enemy had introduced to come to the knowledge of all, and has cut it away by a wholesome incision from the body of His Church. Herein we have cause both to rejoice and to mourn; to rejoice, that is, for the correction of a crime, but to mourn for the fall of a brother. But, since …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatMy Brethren.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ calls those for whom He died and who have believed on Him "My Brethren." What a word it is! The Brethren of the Man in Glory! Brethren of Him who is at the right hand of God, the upholder and heir of all things! Pause for a moment, dear reader. Let your heart lay hold anew of this wonderful message of God's Grace; Brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ! What depths of love and grace these words contain! What heights of glory they promise to us, who were bought by His own precious …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Fourteenth Day for the Church of the Future
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future "That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."--PS. lxxviii. 8. "I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."--ISA. xliv. 3. Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in association and societies …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Of Deeper Matters, and God's Hidden Judgments which are not to be Inquired Into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of Olives: Discoures to the Disciples Concerning the Last Things.
THE last and most solemn denunciation of Jerusalem had been uttered, the last and most terrible prediction of judgment upon the Temple spoken, and Jesus was suiting the action to the word. It was as if He had cast the dust of His Shoes against the House' that was to be left desolate.' And so He quitted for ever the Temple and them that held office in it. They had left the Sanctuary and the City, had crossed black Kidron, and were slowly climbing the Mount of Olives. A sudden turn in the road, and …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 21:12 NIVPsalm 21:12 NLTPsalm 21:12 ESVPsalm 21:12 NASBPsalm 21:12 KJV
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