Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

PSALMS 21:12KJV
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Psalms 21:12 (KJV)

What does Psalms 21:12 mean?

Psalms 21:12 describes how God will cause the enemies of the king to turn and flee when He prepares to strike them with arrows. The verse pictures God as a warrior, readying His bow to shoot at those who oppose the king, forcing them to retreat in fear.

In this psalm, King David is speaking about God’s protection and victory over his enemies. The setting is one of battle, where God’s intervention makes the enemies turn their backs and run away, unable to stand against His power. The verse emphasizes God’s active role in defending the king and ensuring the defeat of those who come against him.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 21:12

  • "make" (שִׁית, shiyth): This word often means to set, place, or put. Here, it highlights that God is the one who causes the enemies to turn away, not just by chance but by His deliberate action.
  • "back" (שֶׁכֶם, shekhem): Literally meaning "shoulder" or "back," this word gives a visual of the enemies turning their backs to flee, showing their defeat and vulnerability.
  • "ready" (כּוּן, kun): This word means to prepare or establish. In this verse, it describes God preparing His arrows, showing intentionality and readiness to act.
  • "strings" (מֵיתָר, metar): This refers to the strings of a bow. Mentioning the bowstrings makes the image of God as an archer vivid and personal, emphasizing the directness of His intervention.
  • "face" (פָּנִים, panim): This word means "face" or "presence." The phrase "against the face of them" underlines that God’s action is direct and confrontational, not from a distance or in secret.

Why Psalms 21:12 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the victory attributed to the king is ultimately God’s doing, not just military skill or luck.
  • The vivid imagery of God preparing arrows and causing enemies to flee highlights God’s personal involvement in protecting His people.
  • Connecting this verse to the wider psalm, it reinforces the theme of trust in God’s power and faithfulness, showing that God actively works on behalf of those who rely on Him.

Where else these words appear

“strings” Hebrew H4340 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 35:18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
  • Numbers 3:26 And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
  • Numbers 4:32 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.

“back” Hebrew H7926 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
  • Joshua 4:5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
  • Isaiah 9:4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

“make” Hebrew H7896 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
  • Job 10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
  • Psalms 88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.