Psalms 89:43

Psa 89:43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.

Ver. 43. Thou hast also turned the edge] Disarmed and disabled him.

And hast not made him, &c.] But turned his courage into cowardice.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

44. (Psa 89:43) Also thou turnest the edge of his sword, and dost not allow him to stand in the battle. The particle (Jx) at the beginning indicates a climax. Not only was his enemy superior, but himself delinquent and disgraced. Edge, literally rock, of his sword. The idea suggested may be that of hardness, as a hard edge is essential to a serviceable weapon. See my note on Isa 27:1. Some interpreters, however, think it best to adhere to the ordinary usage of rock in Hebrew as an emblem of strength, and to understand the whole phrase as meaning the strength of his sword, either in the strict sense or in that of strong sword, both of which are here appropriate. See above, on Psa 89:26. The construction in the last clause is ambiguous, as the pronoun may refer to sword or rock, no less grammatically than to its possessor. The general sense remains the same, however, as in the similar case above, Psa 89:29.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 43. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword.] The arms and military prowess of thy people are no longer of any use to them; THOU art against them, and therefore they are fallen. In what a perilous and hopeless situation must that soldier be who, while defending his life against his mortal foe, has his sword broken, or its edge turned; or, in modern warfare, whose gun misses fire! The Gauls, when invaded by the Romans, had no method of hardening iron; at every blow their swords bended, so that they were obliged, before they could strike again, to put them under their foot or over their knee, to straighten them; and in most cases, before this could be done, their better armed foe had taken away their life! The edge of their sword was turned, so that they could not stand in battle; and hence the Gauls were conquered by the Romans.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(43) Edge of his sword.—The Hebrew is tsûr, i.e., rock, and a comparison with Jos_5:2 (margin) suggests that we have here a reminiscence of the “stone age.” The word “flint” for the edge of a weapon might easily survive the actual use of the implement itself. So we should still speak of “a foeman’s steel” even if the use of chemical explosives entirely abolished the use of sword and bayonet. This is one of the cases where the condition of modern science helps us in exegesis of the Bible. The ancient versions, who knew nothing of the stone or iron ages, paraphrase, by “strength,” or “help.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

43. Yea, thou turnest back the edge of his sword (R.V.): i.e. not as A.V. might seem to mean, bluntest it, but as the parallelism shews, makest it give way in battle. Cp. 2Sa_1:22.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou hast made his glory to cease,.... The glory of his deity, though it did not properly cease, yet it seemed to do so, being covered, and out of sight, and seen but by a very few, while he appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh; and the glory of his humanity was made to cease, in which he was fairer than the children of men, and his visage was more marred than any man's, and his form than the sons of men; and the glory of his offices, prophetical, priestly, and kingly, which were reproached and vilified, and disputed and contradicted by the Jews, Mat 26:68, it may be rendered, "his purity" (b), which seemed to cease when he was clothed with our filthy garments; or had all our sins laid upon him, and imputed to him, by his Father; and he was made sin for us, who knew none: the Targum is,

"thou hast made the priests to cease who sprinkle upon the altar, and purify his people:''

and cast his throne down to the ground; this seems contrary, and is an objection to Psa 89:29, but is not; for not withstanding the usage of Christ by the Jews, who rejected him as the King Messiah; see Gill on Psa 89:39, yet he is now upon the same throne with his Father, and will sit upon a throne of glory when he comes to judge the world, and so in the New Jerusalem church state, and to all eternity.

(b) "puritatem ejus", Montanus, Michaelis.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword - That is, Thou hast turned it away, so that when it is raised to strike, it does not descend on the object aimed at by the blow. The meaning is, that he had not been successful in battle, or had been defeated.

And hast not made him to stand in the battle - To stand firm; to hold his ground. He has been driven back; his forces have fled.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Turned the edge of his sword; so that he can neither offend his enemies, nor defend himself.

Not made him to stand, but to flee and fall before his enemies; for more is understood than what is expressed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 43. Also turned the edge of his sword. When he goes to war he is as unsuccessful as though his sword refused to cut, and gave way like a sword of lead. His weapons fail him.

And hast not made him to stand in the battle. His heart fails him as well as his swordhe wavers, he falls. This has happened even to naturally brave mena terrible dread has unmanned them. At this present the church has few swords of true Jerusalem metal; her sons are pliable, her ministers yield to pressure. We need men whose edge cannot be turned, firm for truth, keen against error, sharp towards sin, cutting their way into men's hearts. Courage and decision are more needed now than ever, for charity towards heresy is the fashionable vice, and indifference to all truth, under the name of liberal mindedness, is the crowning virtue of the age. The Lord send us men of the school of Elias, or, at least, of Luther and Knox.

Ver. 43. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, etc. The arms and military prowess of thy people are no longer of any use to them; Thou art against them, and therefore they are fallen. In what a perilous and hopeless situation must that soldier be who, defending his life against his mortal foe, has his sword broken, or its edge turned; or, in modern warfare, whose gun misses fire! The Gauls, when invaded by the Romans, had no method of hardening iron; at every blow their swords bent, so that they were obliged, before they could strike again, to put them under their foot or over their knee, to straighten them; and in most cases, before this could be done, their better armed foe had taken away their life! The edge of their sword was turned, so that they could not stand in battle; and hence the Gauls were conquered by the Romans. Adam Clarke.

Ver. 43. Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, that it cannot do execution as it has done; and what is worse, thou hast "turned the edge" of his spirit, and taken off his courage, and hast not made him to stand, as he used to do, in the day of battle. The spirit of men is what the Father and Former of spirits makes them; nor can we stand with any strength or resolution, farther than God is pleased to uphold us. If men's hearts fail them, it is God that dispirits them; but it is sad with the church when those cannot stand that should stand up for it. Matthew Henry.

Ver. 43. Cases in which the sword of the gospel appears to have its edge turned.

Psalms 89:44*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

43. Turned the edge of his sword—Contrast Psa_89:23

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword; literally, the rock of his sword. It is not quite clear whether a "blunting of the sword," or a "turning to flight of those who drew the sword," is intended. In either ease the phrase implies military disaster. And hast not made him to stand in the battle; i.e. "hast caused him to give way before his enemies." The words imply defeat in the open field.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.