Psalms 18:34

He trains my hands for battle; ¹  my arms can bend even the strongest bow. ² 

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

He prepares me for battle; he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.

He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow!

He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.

He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

He trains my hands for battle; ¹  my arms can bend even the strongest bow. ² 

¹ sn He trains my hands. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.

² tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms”; or “my arms bend a bow of bronze.” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) apparently means “pull back, bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The third feminine singular verbal form appears to agree with the feminine singular noun קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”). In this case the verb must be taken as Niphal (passive). However, it is possible that “my arms” is the subject of the verb and “bow” the object. In this case the verb is Piel (active). For other examples of a feminine singular verb being construed with a plural noun, see GKC 464 §145.k.

sn The strongest bow (Heb “bow of bronze”) probably refers to a bow laminated with bronze strips, or to a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.