Psalm 44:6 Study Bible: For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

◄ Psalm 44:6 ►

For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me.

I do not trust in my bow
The phrase "I do not trust in my bow" reflects a profound declaration of reliance on God rather than on human strength or military might. The Hebrew word for "trust" here is "בָּטַח" (batach), which conveys a sense of confidence or security. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a bow was a symbol of military power and personal defense. By stating "I do not trust in my bow," the psalmist acknowledges that true security and victory come not from human instruments of war but from the Lord. This echoes the broader biblical theme found in passages like Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." It is a call to place faith in divine providence over human capability.

nor does my sword deliver me
The continuation with "nor does my sword deliver me" reinforces the message of the previous phrase. The Hebrew word for "deliver" is "יָשַׁע" (yasha), meaning to save or rescue. In the historical context of ancient Israel, swords were essential for battle and personal protection. However, the psalmist emphasizes that deliverance is not achieved through physical weapons. This reflects a deep understanding of God's sovereignty and the belief that ultimate salvation and victory are acts of divine intervention. The psalmist's declaration serves as a reminder that while human efforts and tools have their place, they are ultimately insufficient without God's blessing and intervention. This perspective encourages believers to seek God's guidance and strength in all endeavors, trusting that He is the true source of deliverance.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Sons of Korah
The authors of Psalm 44, a group of Levitical singers and musicians in the temple, known for their deep and reflective psalms.

2. Israel
The nation to whom this psalm is directed, often facing battles and relying on God for deliverance.

3. God
The central figure in the psalm, the ultimate source of deliverance and strength for Israel.

4. Enemies of Israel
The opposing forces that Israel faces, representing challenges and adversities in life.

5. The Psalmist
The voice in the psalm expressing trust in God over human means of warfare.

Teaching Points

Trust in God Over Human Means
The psalmist emphasizes that true security and victory come from God, not from human strength or weapons. In our lives, we should prioritize reliance on God over our own abilities or resources.

Acknowledging God's Sovereignty
Recognizing that God is in control of all situations helps us to surrender our fears and anxieties, knowing that He is our ultimate deliverer.

Spiritual Warfare
Just as the psalmist does not trust in physical weapons, we are called to engage in spiritual battles with faith, prayer, and the Word of God as our primary tools.

Humility in Success
When we experience victories or successes, it is important to attribute them to God’s provision and guidance rather than our own efforts.

Faith in Adversity
In times of trouble, our faith should be anchored in God’s promises and past faithfulness, rather than in temporary or unreliable solutions.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Psalm 44:6 challenge you to evaluate where you place your trust in times of difficulty?

2. In what ways can you apply the principle of relying on God rather than human means in your daily life?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced a "victory" in life. How did you acknowledge God's role in that success?

4. How can the concept of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18 be integrated into your understanding of Psalm 44:6?

5. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper trust in God’s sovereignty and provision in your current circumstances?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Psalm 20:7
This verse contrasts trust in chariots and horses with trust in the name of the Lord, similar to the theme of Psalm 44:6.

1 Samuel 17:45
David's declaration to Goliath that he comes in the name of the Lord, not with sword or spear, echoes the sentiment of reliance on God rather than weapons.

Proverbs 21:31
This proverb states that safety is of the Lord, even though the horse is prepared for battle, reinforcing the idea that ultimate deliverance comes from God.

2 Corinthians 10:4
Paul speaks of the weapons of our warfare not being carnal but mighty through God, aligning with the theme of divine reliance over physical means.

Ephesians 6:10-18
The armor of God passage emphasizes spiritual readiness and reliance on God’s power rather than physical weapons.

Sermons

A Prayer for Help Against Foreign Enemies	C. Short	Psalm 44:1-26
Aspects of National Piety	Homilist	Psalm 44:1-26
Early Israel, the Lord's Host	John Thomas, M. A.	Psalm 44:1-26
God's Doings of Old	Homilist	Psalm 44:1-26
In the Days of Old	W. Forsyth	Psalm 44:1-26
Lessons from the Past	Canon Liddon.	Psalm 44:1-26
The Days of Old	J. A. Jacob, M. A.	Psalm 44:1-26
The Eternal Providence of God	J. Parker, D. D.	Psalm 44:1-26
The Story of God's Mighty Acts		Psalm 44:1-26
God's Gift of Victory	D. Dickson.	Psalm 44:5-8
The Better Confidence		Psalm 44:5-8

People

Jacob, Korah, Psalmist

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Bow, Bring, Confidence, Faith, Salvation, Save, Sword, Trust, Victory

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 44:6

     5973   unreliability
     8354   trustworthiness
     8719   distrust

Psalm 44:3-7

5597 victory, act of God

Psalm 44:4-8

5957 strength, spiritual

Psalm 44:6-7

     5236   bow and arrow
     8032   trust, lack of
     8820   self-confidence

Psalm 44:6-8

8352 thankfulness

Library

Second Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Sermon at the Opening Services of the General Convention, October 2, 1889
"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst their days, in the times of old."--PSALM xliv. I. Brethren: I shall take it for granted that there is a visible Church; that it was founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, and has His promise that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. We believe that ours is a pure branch of the apostolic Church; that it has a threefold ministry; that its two sacraments--Baptism and the Supper of the Lord--are of perpetual …
H.B. Whipple—Five Sermons

The Story of God's Mighty Acts
Now, my dear friends, this morning I intend to recall to your minds some of the wondrous things which God has done in the olden time. My aim and object will be to excite your minds to seek after the like; that looking back upon what God has done, you may be induced to look forward with the eye of expectation, hoping that he will again stretch forth his potent hand and his holy arm, and repeat those mighty acts he performed in ancient days. First, I shall speak of the marvellous stories which our …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Name Date No.
NAME DATE No. A Abelard, Rev. Peter 1079-1142 544 Adams, Mrs. Sarah (Flower) 1805-1848 222 Addison, Joseph 1672-1719 237, 252, 317 Ainger, Arthur Campbell 1841-1919 483 Alexander, Mrs. Cecil Frances (Humphreys) 1823-1895 87, 138, 156, 159, 179, 268, 283, 349, 358, 525, 553 Alford, Dean Henry 1810-1871 270, 344, 421, 531, 541 Allen, Rev. James 1734-1804 157 Anonymous 37, 173, 197, 209, 257, 284, 347, 355, 356, 377, 398 Armstrong, Bishop John 1813-1856 454 Auber, Miss Harriet 1773-1862 199 cNAME DATE …
Various—The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA

Letter xv. To Turribius, Bishop of Asturia , Upon the Errors of the Priscillianists.
To Turribius, Bishop of Asturia [137] , upon the errors of the Priscillianists. Leo, bishop, to Turribius, bishop, greeting. I. Introductory. Your laudable zeal for the truth of the catholic Faith, and the painstaking devotion you expend in the exercise of your pastoral office upon the Lord's flock is proved by your letter, brother, which your deacon has handed to us, in which you have taken care to bring to our knowledge the nature of the disease which has burst forth in your district from the …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Mystery
Of the Woman dwelling in the Wilderness. The woman delivered of a child, when the dragon was overcome, from thenceforth dwelt in the wilderness, by which is figured the state of the Church, liberated from Pagan tyranny, to the time of the seventh trumpet, and the second Advent of Christ, by the type, not of a latent, invisible, but, as it were, an intermediate condition, like that of the lsraelitish Church journeying in the wilderness, from its departure from Egypt, to its entrance into the land …
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

Appendix iv. An Abstract of Jewish History from the Reign of Alexander the Great to the Accession of Herod
The political connection of the Grecian world, and, with it, the conflict with Hellenism, may be said to have connected with the victorious progress of Alexander the Great through the then known world (333 b.c.). [6326] It was not only that his destruction of the Persian empire put an end to the easy and peaceful allegiance which Judæa had owned to it for about two centuries, but that the establishment of such a vast Hellenic empire. as was the aim of Alexander, introduced a new element into …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Epistle Lxvii. To Quiricus, Bishop, &C.
To Quiricus, Bishop, &c. Gregory to Quiricus, Bishop, and the other catholic bishops in Hiberia [183] . Since to charity nothing is afar off, let those who are divided in place be joined by letter. The bearer of these presents, coming to the Church of the blessed Peter, Prince of the apostles, asserted that he had received letters for us from your Fraternity, and had lost them, with other things also, in the city of Jerusalem. In them, as he says, you were desirous of enquiring with regard to priests …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Under the Shepherd's Care.
A NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS. "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."--1 Peter ii. 25. "Ye were as sheep going astray." This is evidently addressed to believers. We were like sheep, blindly, willfully following an unwise leader. Not only were we following ourselves, but we in our turn have led others astray. This is true of all of us: "All we like sheep have gone astray;" all equally foolish, "we have turned every one to his own way." Our first …
J. Hudson Taylor—A Ribband of Blue

Introduction. Chapter i. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers.
St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple …
St. Hilary of Poitiers—The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers

Triumph Over Death and the Grave
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. T he Christian soldier may with the greatest propriety, be said to war a good warfare (I Timothy 1:18) . He is engaged in a good cause. He fights under the eye of the Captain of his salvation. Though he be weak in himself, and though his enemies are many and mighty, he may do that which in other soldiers …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Calvin -- Enduring Persecution for Christ
John Calvin was born in 1509, at Noyon, France. He has been called the greatest of Protestant commentators and theologians, and the inspirer of the Puritan exodus. He often preached every day for weeks in succession. He possest two of the greatest elements in successful pulpit oratory, self-reliance and authority. It was said of him, as it was afterward said of Webster, that "every word weighed a pound." His style was simple, direct, and convincing. He made men think. His splendid contributions to …
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Volume I

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

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