Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Cast forth {H1299} lightning {H1300}, and scatter {H6327} them: shoot out {H7971} thine arrows {H2671}, and destroy {H2000} them.
Shoot out lightning, and scatter them; send out your arrows, and rout them.
Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; Send out thine arrows, and discomfit them.
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Deuteronomy 32:23
I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. -
Psalms 18:13
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail [stones] and coals of fire. -
Psalms 18:14
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. -
Deuteronomy 32:42
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; [and that] with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. -
Psalms 77:17
The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. -
Psalms 77:18
The voice of thy thunder [was] in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. -
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 144:6 is a vivid and powerful prayer from King David, expressing his fervent plea for God's direct and overwhelming intervention against his enemies. It employs striking imagery of divine action to scatter and destroy adversaries, reflecting a deep trust in God's omnipotence.
Context
This verse is part of a psalm attributed to David, a prayer for deliverance and prosperity. In the preceding verses (Psalms 144:1-4), David praises God as his strength and protector, marveling at God's attention to humanity. He then shifts to a desperate cry for help, asking God to "bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down" (Psalms 144:5). Verse 6 continues this plea, invoking dramatic imagery of divine warfare to overcome those who threaten him and his people. The psalm concludes with a renewed song of praise and a prayer for the well-being of the nation, once the enemies are defeated.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The imagery used in this verse is highly symbolic and common in biblical descriptions of God's power:
Practical Application
While David's prayer was for literal enemies, the principles of Psalms 144:6 offer timeless lessons for believers today: