He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Parallel translations
- WEB He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
- KJV He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
- BSB He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
- NASB He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
- NLT He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God trains David's hands for warfare so that he can bend even a bow of bronze. His military skill is a divine endowment, not mere natural talent.
Overview
David acknowledges that his prowess in combat is taught by God, who strengthens his arms for feats beyond ordinary human ability. The bronze bow conveys extraordinary, God-given strength. Scripture consistently traces deliverance to the Lord rather than to human power, foreshadowing the greater victory won not by Israel's armies but by Christ over sin and death.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 144:1By David. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to battle:
- Ps 46:9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire.
- Isa 28:6and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
- Isa 45:1Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and strip kings of their armor; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
- 2 Sam 22:36You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.
- Jer 49:35“Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
- Hos 1:5It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 18:34 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.