He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.
Parallel translations
- WEB He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
- NASB He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.
- NLT He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
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 makes wars cease to the ends of the earth, breaking the weapons of battle. It matters because true and lasting peace comes only from God.
Overview
God is shown ending warfare worldwide, shattering bow, spear, and chariot. He is the giver of peace who disarms the nations. This anticipates the peace that Christ, the Prince of Peace, brings, ultimately establishing a kingdom where war is no more and His people dwell in safety.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 2:4Then 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.
- Mic 4:3–4Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war.
- Mic 5:10“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots.
- Josh 11:9Joshua treated them as the LORD had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned up their chariots.
- Isa 60:18No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
- Ps 76:3–6There He shattered the flaming arrows, the shield and sword and weapons of war. Selah
- 1 Sam 2:4The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.
- Isa 11:9They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
- Ezek 39:3Then I will strike the bow from your left hand and dash down the arrows from your right hand.
- Josh 11:6Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots.”
- Ezek 39:9–10Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out, kindle fires, and burn up the weapons—the bucklers and shields, the bows and arrows, the clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 46:9 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.