Psalm
74:13
Thou didst divide the sea by thy
strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
a. NLT: You split
the sea by your strength and smashed the heads of the sea
monsters.
b. NIV: It was you
who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the
waters.
c. Amplified
Bible: You did divide the [Red] Sea by Your might; You broke the heads
of the [Egyptian] dragons in the waters.
1). I think the
Amplified completely misses it here. There is nothing in the Hebrew that gives
even a hint to this translation.
2). In the Art
Scroll Tenach Series Tehillim, Commentary from Talmudic, Midrashic and Rabbinic
Sources, some Rabbinic Commentary favors the Red Sea setting.
a). Radak observes
that Pharaoh, the King and self-proclaimed ‘deity’ of Egypt is described as the
great sea-serpent who crouches in his rivers (Ezekiel 29:3). The water,
especially the Nile River, was Pharoah’s special element. His power was based
on it because its annual overflow provided the basis of Egypt’s agricultural
prosperity. Therefore, Pharaoh met his downfall on the water to demonstrate
that his reliance on this element was futile (Hirsch).
b). Ezekiel 29:3 Speak,
and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king
of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath
said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
c). Personally I
understand their reasoning but do not agree with it.
d. Young’s Literal
Translation: Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea-monster, Thou hast
shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
e. Septuagint: Thou
didst establish the sea, in thy might, thou didst break to pieces the heads of
the dragons in the water.
f. Stone Edition
Torah/Writings/Prophets: You shattered the sea with Your might; You smashed the
heads of the sea serpents upon the water.
1. “Thou didst divide the sea by thy
strength…”
a. divide [6565 * parar][Strong:
a primitive root; to break up (usually figuratively, i.e. to violate,
frustrate:--X any ways, break (asunder), cast off, cause to cease, X clean,
defeat, disannul, disappoint, dissolve, divide, make of none effect, fail,
frustrate, bring (come) to nought, X utterly, make void.]
b. sea [3220 *
yam][Strong: from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy
surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the
Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the
west, or (rarely) the south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,
side, -ward).][Gesenius: sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Dead Sea, Sea of
Galilee, sea (general), mighty river (Nile), the sea (the great basin in the
temple court), seaward, west, westward.]
c. strength [5797
* ‘oz][Strong: from 5810; strength in various applications (force,
security, majesty, praise):--boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.]
2. “…thou brakest the heads of the
dragons in the waters.”
a. brakest [7665 *
shabar][Strong: a primitive root; to burst (literally or figuratively):--break
(down, off, in pieces, up), broken((-hearted)), bring to the birth, crush,
destroy, hurt, quench, X quite, tear, view.]
b. heads [7218 * ro’sh][Strong:
from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily
shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time,
rank, itc.):--band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man,
things), company, end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,
height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum,
top.]
c. dragons [8577 *
tanniyn][Strong: intensive from the same as 8565; a marine or land
monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal:--dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.
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