Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, November 5th, 2024
the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Psalms 120:4

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arrow;   Falsehood;   Juniper;   Speaking;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arrows;   Lying;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Arrow;   Doeg;   Juniper;   Psalms, the Book of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bow;   Coal;   Dart;   Juniper;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Coal;   Juniper;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Broom Tree;   Dart;   Fuel;   Juniper;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Coal;   Fuel;   Hallel;   Jonah;   Juniper;   Psalms;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Coal;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Arrows;   Dart;   Juniper,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Psalms;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Degrees;   Psalms the book of;   Temple;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Arms, Armor;   Juniper,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Coal;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Broom;   Coal;   Hezekiah (2);   Juniper;   Psalms, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bow;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Archer, Archery;   Fire;   Fuel;   Juniper;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.
Update Bible Version
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
New Century Version
He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a warrior and with burning coals of wood.
New English Translation
Here's how! With the sharp arrows of warriors, with arrowheads forged over the hot coals.
Webster's Bible Translation
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
World English Bible
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
Amplified Bible
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.
English Standard Version
A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Scharpe arowis of the myyti; with colis that maken desolat.
English Revised Version
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Berean Standard Bible
Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of juniper!
Contemporary English Version
Your reward should be sharp and flaming arrows!
American Standard Version
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
Bible in Basic English
Sharp arrows of the strong, and burning fire.
Complete Jewish Bible
A warrior's sharp arrows, with red-hot coals from a broom tree.
Darby Translation
Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with burning coals of broom-wood.
Easy-to-Read Version
You will get a soldier's sharp arrow and hot coals to punish you.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of broom.
King James Version (1611)
Sharpe arrowes of the mightie: with coales of iuniper.
New Life Bible
He will punish you with sharp arrows of the soldier, and with the hot fire of the broom tree.
New Revised Standard
A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Geneva Bible (1587)
It is as the sharpe arrowes of a mightie man, and as the coales of iuniper.
George Lamsa Translation
The arrows of the mighty are sharp; they are as hot coals of oak.
Good News Translation
With a soldier's sharp arrows, with red-hot coals!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The arrows of the hero sharpened, with burning coals of broom.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(119-4) The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste.
Revised Standard Version
A warrior's sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
[So much] as sharpe arrowes of a strong man [in thy sydes:] with Iuniper coales [powred on thy head.]
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Sharpened weapons of the mighty, with coals of the desert.
Christian Standard Bible®
A warrior’s sharp arrowswith burning charcoal!
Hebrew Names Version
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
Lexham English Bible
The sharpened arrows of a warrior, with burning charcoals from broom trees.
Literal Translation
Sharp arrows of the mighty with coals of broom!
Young's Literal Translation
Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with broom-coals.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euen mightie & sharpe arowes, wt hote burnige coales.
New American Standard Bible
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree!
New King James Version
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.
Legacy Standard Bible
Sharp arrows of the warrior,With the burning coals of the broom tree.

Contextual Overview

1 In my distress I cried unto the Lord , and he heard me. 2 Deliver my soul, O Lord , from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? 4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Sharp: etc. or, It is as the sharp arrows of the mighty man, with coals of juniper. Psalms 57:4, Psalms 59:7, Proverbs 11:9, Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 11:18, Proverbs 16:27, Proverbs 18:8, Proverbs 18:21, James 3:5-8

arrows: Psalms 7:13, Psalms 52:5, Psalms 140:9, Psalms 140:11, Deuteronomy 32:23, Deuteronomy 32:24, Proverbs 12:22, Proverbs 19:5, Proverbs 19:9, Revelation 21:8

Reciprocal: Judges 9:20 - let fire come out 1 Chronicles 1:29 - Kedar Job 20:26 - a fire Psalms 18:13 - coals Psalms 59:12 - For the Psalms 140:10 - burning coals Proverbs 10:31 - the froward Proverbs 25:18 - General Proverbs 26:21 - General Song of Solomon 8:6 - the coals Isaiah 3:11 - given him Isaiah 5:28 - arrows Romans 12:20 - coals

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. Some think these words describe lying lips, and a false tongue; which are like arrows, sharp ones, sent out from a bow drawn with a mighty hand, which come with great force, suddenly and swiftly, and do much mischief; see

Psalms 11:2; and to "coals of juniper", very distressing and tormenting; the tongue being a fire, set on fire of hell, and sets on fire the course of nature; and throws out devouring words, which consume like fire, James 3:6. But rather the punishment of an evil tongue from the Lord is intended, whose sore judgments are often compared to arrows, Deuteronomy 32:23; because they come from above, and bring swift and sudden destruction with them; and are very sharp in the hearts of his enemies; are very severe and cutting, and come with power irresistible, being the arrows of the Almighty, Job 6:4; see Jeremiah 50:9; and these may be compared to "coals of juniper", which are very vehement and strong, and very lasting and durable. Jerom w and Isidore x say they will last a whole year; and the Midrash on the place reports of two men, who had prepared food with them, and at the end of a year returned and found them burning, and warmed their feet at them. These fitly express the lake of fire and brimstone, the portion of liars; whose fire is very strong, and flames devouring, being kindled by the breath of the Lord of hosts, like a stream of brimstone: and the fire of hell is everlasting; its burnings are everlasting burnings; a worm that dieth not, a fire that is not quenched; the smoke of the torments of which ascend for ever and ever,

Isaiah 30:23. The Targum speaks of these arrows as lightnings from above, and of the coals of juniper as kindled in hell below; and they are interpreted of hell in the Talmud y.

w Ad Fabiolam de 42. Mans. tom. 3. fol. 15. I. x Origin. l. 17. c. 7. Schindler. col. 1776. y T. Bab. Eracin, c. 3. fol. 15. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sharp arrows of the mighty - This is an answer to the question in Psalms 120:3. The consequence - the effect - of such a use of the tongue must be like sharp and piercing arrows, or like intensely burning coals. The “sharp arrows of the mighty” are the arrows of the warrior - as war was conducted mainly by bows and arrows. Those arrows were, of course, sharpened to make them piercing, penetrating, more deadly.

With coals of juniper - On the word here rendered “juniper,” see the notes at Job 30:4. The idea here is, that coals made from that would be intensely hot, and would cause severer pain than if made from other wood. The word refers to a species of broom or shrub growing in the deserts of Arabia, with yellowish flowers and a bitter root. See “Robinson’s Biblical Researches,” vol. i., p. 299. Burchardt says that he found the Bedouin of Sinai burning the roots into coal, and says that they make the best charcoal, and throw out the most intense heat. The shrub sometimes grows so large as to furnish a shade to those exposed to the heat of the sun in the desert, 1 Kings 19:4; “Land and the Book” (Thomson), vol. ii., pp. 438, 439. The cut given below will give an idea of this plant.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 120:4. Sharp arrows — The Chaldee has, "The strong, sharp arrows are like lightning from above, with coals of juniper kindled in hell beneath." On the juniper, Job 30:4, where this passage is explained. Fiery arrows, or arrows wrapped about with inflamed combustibles, were formerly used in sieges to set the places on fire. Ephesians 6:16.


 
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