Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 89:43
Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
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.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword,…. Or the “sharpness” a of it blunted it, so that it could do no execution: the disciples of Christ were not allowed the use of the temporal sword to defend their master; and his house, his kingdom, not being of this world, Mt 26:51, other weapons were put into their hands; the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; and the edge of this was blunted, with respect to the Jews, being of little or no efficacy among them; it was turned off by them, and put away from them; but then it was turned towards the Gentiles, and was powerful and effectual among them; Christ girt it on his thigh, and rode forth in his glory and majesty, conquering, and to conquer, and by it subdued many, who fell under him, and gave up themselves unto him; see Eph 6:17, and ere long, with the twoedged sword, which proceeds out of his mouth, will he smite the antichristian nations; and the remnant of those that escape at the battle of Armageddon shall be slain with it, Re 19:15,
and hast not made him to stand in the battle; but to fall in it, being delivered up into the hands of wicked men, of justice, and death; and yet, by dying, he put away sin, finished it, made an end of it, and destroyed it; he conquered Satan, and led him captive; overcame the world, the spite and malice of it, and its prince; and abolished death itself.
a “acumen”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(43) Edge of his sword.The Hebrew is tsr, 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 foemans 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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
43. Turned the edge of his sword Contrast Psa 89:23
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
turned: Eze 30:21-25
not made: Lev 26:36, Lev 26:37, Num 14:42, Num 14:45, Jos 7:4, Jos 7:5, Jos 7:8-12, 2Ch 25:8