Psalms 21:12

_THEREFORE SHALT THOU MAKE THEM TURN THEIR BACK, WHEN THOU SHALT MAKE READY THINE ARROWS UPON THY STRINGS AGAINST THE FACE OF THEM._ Turn their back - literally, 'thou shalt set them for shoulder;' i:e., make them to turn their back. The Hebrew х_ SHEKEM_ (H7926)] means, 'the back part of both shoulder-blades'-the back (cf. note, Psalms 18:40). THEREFORE - rather, 'For.' (WHEN) ... (THINE ARROWS). So the Hebrew ellipsis is rightly supplied, as appears from Psalms 11:2....

12._For thou wilt set them as a butt. _As the Hebrew word שכם,_shekem, _which we have rendered _a butt, _properly signifies _a shoulder, _some understand it in that sense here, and explain the sentence thus: Their heads shall be smitten with heavy blows, so that having their bodies bended, their shoulders shall appear sticking out. According to these interpreters, the subjugation of the enemies of God is here metaphorically pointed out. But there is another explanation which is more generally received even among the Jewish expositors, namely, that God will shut them up in some corner, and there keep them from doing mischief; (492) and they take this view, because the Hebrew word שכם, _shekem, _is often used to denote a _corner, quarter, _or _place. _As, however, the sacred writer, in the clause immediately foll

7-13 The psalmist teaches to look forward with faith, and hope, and prayer upon what God would further do. The success with which God blessed David, was a type of the total overthrow of all Christ's enemies. Those who might have had Christ to rule and save them, but rejected him and fought against him, shall find the remembrance of it a worm that dies not. God makes sinners willing by his grace, receives them to his favour, and delivers them from the wrath to come. May he exalt himself, by his all-powerful grace, in our hearts, destroying all the strong-holds of sin and Satan. How great should be our joy and praise to behold our Brother and Friend upon the throne, and for all the blessings we may expect from him! yet he delights in his exalted state, as enabling him to confer happiness and glory on poor sinners, who are taught to love and trust in him...

Verse Psalms 21:12. _THEREFORE SHALT THOU MAKE THEM TURN THEIR BACK_] God can in a moment strike the most powerful and numerous army, even in the moment of victory, with _panic_; and then even the _lame_, the army which they had nearly routed, shall take the prey, and divide the spoil. _AGAINST THE FACE OF THEM._] Thou shalt cause them to turn their backs and fly, as if a volley of arrows had been discharged in their faces. This seems to be the _sense_ of this difficult verse....

THEREFORE SHALT THOU MAKE THEM TURN THEIR BACK - Margin, “Thou shalt set them as a butt.” The word back also is rendered in the margin “shoulder.” The word translated “therefore” means in this placer or, and the rendering “therefore” obscures the sense. The statement in this verse in connection with the previous verse, is, that they would not be able to “perform” or carry out their well-laid schemes, “for” or “because” God would make them turn the back; that is, he had vanquished them. They were going forward in the execution of their purposes, but God would interpose and turn them back, or compel them to “retreat.” The word rendered “back” in this place - שׁכם _shekem_ - means properly “shoulder,” or, more strictly, the “shoulder-blades,” that is, the part where these approach each other behind; and then the upper part of the back. It is not, therefore, incorrectly rendered by the phras...

EXPOSITION Psalms 21:1 is generally regarded as a companion composition to Psalms 20:1, being the thanksgiving after the victory for which the preceding psalm was the supplication. It consists of three parts: (1) a direct thanksgiving to God, offered by the people on behalf of the king (Psalms 20:1); (2) an address to the king, auguring for him future successes on the ground of his recent victory (Psa 20:8 -12); and (3) a brief return to direct praise of God in two short ejaculatory sentences. Part 1 is interrupted by a pause ("Selah" ) at the end of Psalms 20:2

THEREFORE SHALL THOU MAKE THEM TURN THEIR BACK,.... Or flee and run away to private places, to hide themselves from the wrath of God and of the Lamb, though to no purpose; or "make them turn [behind thy] back": God will turn his back upon them, and be negligent and careless of them, and not regard them when they cry in their misery and destruction. Some Jewish interpreters e understand it of their being put together on one side, in one corner, and be separate from the people of God; to which sense the Targum inclines, rendering the word for "back" the "shoulder", which sometimes signifies unanimity and union, Zephaniah 3:9; and thus, being all together by themselves, the wrath of God shall be poured forth upon them, and they shall be destroyed at once: so the Christians were, by the providence of God, brought out of Jerusalem before its destruction; and the saints will be called out of B...

Psalms 21:1. _The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah._ God gave to Jesus the strength needed to accomplish the work which he came to do, and he is daily giving him to see of the travail of his soul that he may be satisfied. Psalms 21:3. _For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness:_ They go before him, like scouts or forerunners. Wherever Jesus comes, the blessings of goodness fly before him to the sons of men. Psalms 21:3. _Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head._ Let us crown him afresh ton

Psalms 21 The King's Glory Anticipated and Contemplated _ 1. The King's power, glory and salvation (Psalms 21:1)_ 2. His victory over the enemies (Psalms 21:7) Psalms 21:1. This is another Messianic Psalm in anticipation of the glory of the King. The prayers He offered up are all answered. (See Psalms 20:4) He shares the strength of Jehovah as the Risen and Exalted One. The desire of His heart is fulfilled, as it will be when the kingly crown of pure gold is set upon His head, the head which was once crowned with thorns. He had gone down

XXI. A THANKSGIVING FOR ROYAL VICTORY. The indications of date are the same as in Psalms 20, though the tone is less religious. PSALMS 21:4_ B_. For the hyperbole _cf._ 1 Kings 1:31; Psalms 61:7 f. Psalms 21:6. in thy presence: the king dwelt hard by the Temple. Psalms 21:9. Read, perhaps, Thou as a furnace shalt destroy them, like a fire at the time when thou appearest....