1 Samuel 2:4
New International Version
“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

New Living Translation
The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong.

English Standard Version
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength.

Berean Standard Bible
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.

King James Bible
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

New King James Version
“The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

New American Standard Bible
“The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces, But those who have stumbled strap on strength.

NASB 1995
“The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength.

NASB 1977
“The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength.

Legacy Standard Bible
The bows of the mighty are shattered, But those who stumble gird on strength.

Amplified Bible
“The bows of the mighty are broken, But those who have stumbled equip themselves with strength.

Christian Standard Bible
The bows of the warriors are broken, but the feeble are clothed with strength.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The bows of the warriors are broken, but the feeble are clothed with strength.

American Standard Version
The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength.

Contemporary English Version
Our LORD, you break the bows of warriors, but you give strength to everyone who stumbles.

English Revised Version
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumble are armed with strength.

Good News Translation
The bows of strong soldiers are broken, but the weak grow strong.

International Standard Version
The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble are equipped with strength.

Majority Standard Bible
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.

NET Bible
The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.

New Heart English Bible
The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.

Webster's Bible Translation
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

World English Bible
“The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Bows of the mighty are broken, "" And the stumbling have girded on strength.

Young's Literal Translation
Bows of the mighty are broken, And the stumbling have girded on strength.

Smith's Literal Translation
The bows of the mighty being broken, and the weak were girded with strength.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with strength.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.

New American Bible
“The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.

New Revised Standard Version
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that are weak are girded with strength.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The bows of mighty men shall be broken and the week are strengthened in power!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The bows of the mighty men are broken, And they that stumbled are girded with strength.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hannah's Prayer of Thanksgiving
3Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed. 4The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength. 5The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.…

Cross References
Psalm 37:15
But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

Psalm 46:9
He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.

Psalm 76:3
There He shattered the flaming arrows, the shield and sword and weapons of war. Selah

Psalm 147:10
He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

Isaiah 2:4
Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.

Isaiah 10:33-34
Behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled. / He will clear the forest thickets with an axe, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 9:23
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.

Jeremiah 50:36
A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror.

Ezekiel 30:21-22
“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. See, it has not been bound up for healing, or splinted for strength to hold the sword. / Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand.

Hosea 2:18
On that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that crawl on the ground. And I will abolish bow and sword and battle in the land, and will make them lie down in safety.

Zechariah 10:5-6
They will be like mighty men in battle, trampling the enemy in the mire of the streets. They will fight because the LORD is with them, and they will put the horsemen to shame. / I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them, and they will be as though I had not rejected them. For I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them.

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Luke 1:52
He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.


Treasury of Scripture

The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

The bows

Psalm 37:15,17
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken…

Psalm 46:9
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Psalm 76:3
There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.

stumbled

Isaiah 10:4
Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Jeremiah 37:10
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

2 Corinthians 4:9,10
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; …

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1 Samuel 2
1. Hannah's song in thankfulness
12. The sin of Eli's sons
18. Samuel's ministry
20. by Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful
22. Eli reproves his sons
27. A prophecy against Eli's house














The bows of the mighty
This phrase evokes the imagery of warriors and strength, as bows were essential weapons in ancient warfare. The Hebrew word for "bows" is "קֶשֶׁת" (qeshet), symbolizing power and military might. Historically, bows were a primary tool for defense and conquest, representing the strength of a nation's army. In the context of Hannah's prayer, this phrase signifies the reversal of fortunes, where those who rely on their own strength and power find their might shattered. It serves as a reminder that human strength is ultimately fragile and subject to God's sovereign will.

are broken
The Hebrew word "חָתַת" (chatat) means to be shattered or dismayed. This conveys a complete and utter destruction of what was once strong and formidable. In the biblical narrative, this breaking of the bows symbolizes God's intervention in human affairs, where He humbles the proud and powerful. It reflects the biblical theme that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). The breaking of the bows is a divine act, demonstrating that true strength and victory come from God alone.

but the feeble
The term "feeble" translates from the Hebrew "כָּשַׁל" (kashal), meaning to stumble or be weak. This word describes those who are physically or metaphorically weak, lacking power or influence. In the ancient world, the feeble were often marginalized and overlooked. However, in God's economy, the feeble are not forgotten. This phrase highlights the biblical principle that God often chooses the weak and lowly to accomplish His purposes, as seen throughout Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:27).

are equipped with strength
The Hebrew word for "equipped" is "אָזַר" (azar), meaning to gird or arm oneself. This implies being prepared and strengthened for a task or battle. The transformation from feebleness to strength is a divine empowerment, illustrating God's ability to equip and enable those who trust in Him. The word "strength" is "כֹּחַ" (koach), denoting not just physical power but also inner fortitude and resilience. This phrase encapsulates the hope and assurance that God provides strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29). It is a testament to God's grace and the transformative power of His presence in the lives of believers.

(4) The bows of the mighty men are broken.--God reverses human conditions, bringing low the wicked, and raising up the righteous.

Von Gerlach writes of these verses that "Every power which will be something in itself is destroyed by the Lord: every weakness which despairs of itself is transformed into power." "The bows of the heroes," that is to say, the heroes of the bow, the symbol of human power being poetically put first instead of the bearer of the symbol. The next line contains the antithesis: while the heroes rejoicing in their strength are shattered, the tottering, powerless ones are by Him made strong for battle.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The bows
קֶ֥שֶׁת (qe·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7198: A bow, for, shooting, the iris

of the warriors
גִּבֹּרִ֖ים (gib·bō·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

are broken,
חַתִּ֑ים (ḥat·tîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2844: Crushed, afraid, terror

but the feeble
וְנִכְשָׁלִ֖ים (wə·niḵ·šā·lîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3782: To totter, waver, to falter, stumble, faint, fall

are equipped
אָ֥זְרוּ (’ā·zə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 247: To gird, encompass, equip

with strength.
חָֽיִל׃ (ḥā·yil)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength


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OT History: 1 Samuel 2:4 The bows of the mighty men (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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