Psalms 21 · Verse 12

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.
Psalms 21:12, King James Version

Psalms 21:12 in other translations

BSBFor You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them.
WEBFor you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.
ASVFor thou wilt make them turn their back; Thou wilt make ready with thy bowstrings against their face.
YLTFor Thou makest them a butt, When Thy strings Thou preparest against their faces.
DARBYFor thou wilt make them turn their back; thou wilt make ready thy bowstring against their face.
BBETheir backs will be turned when you make ready the cords of your bow against their faces.
WebsterTherefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thy arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

What does Psalms 21:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. turn their back--literally, "place them [as to the] shoulder." against the face of them--The shooting against their faces would cause them to turn their backs in flight.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 21:7-13

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…

Read the full comment on Psalms 21:7-13 →

Psalms 21:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֭יkiforH3588
תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹte.shi.Te.movyou will make themH7896
שֶׁ֑כֶםShe.khema shoulderH7926
בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָbe.mei.ta.Rei.khaon bowstrings yourH4340
תְּכוֹנֵ֥ןte.kho.Nenyou will prepareH3559
עַל\־'al-onH5921
פְּנֵיהֶֽם\׃pe.nei.Hemfaces theirH6440

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 21:12

  • Psalms 7:12-13

    If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

  • Psalms 18:40

    Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

  • Psalms 64:7

    But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

  • Lamentations 3:12

    He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

  • Job 7:20

    I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

  • Psalms 56:9

    When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

  • Psalms 44:10

    Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

  • Job 16:12-13

    I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

  • Psalms 9:3

    When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

  • Psalms 18:14

    Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Therefore.
9:3; 44:10; 56:9
make, etc. or, set them as a butt.
Job 7:20; 16:12,13; La 3:12
back. Heb. shoulder. thou shalt.
7:13; 18:14; 64:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 21:11

    For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

  • 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.

  • Psalms 21:13

    Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

Read all of Psalms 21

Psalms 21:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pues tú los pondrás en fuga, cuando aparejares en tus cuerdas las saetas contra sus rostros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car ils ont essayé de faire venir du mal sur toi, et ont médité des desseins qu’ils n’ont pu mettre à exécution.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn du wirst sie umkehren machen, wirst deine Sehne gegen ihr Angesicht richten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		ne discesseris a me, quoniam tribulatio proxima est, quoniam non est qui adjuvet.