Psalm 120:4
New International Version
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush.

New Living Translation
You will be pierced with sharp arrows and burned with glowing coals.

English Standard Version
A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!

Berean Standard Bible
Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree!

King James Bible
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

New King James Version
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree!

New American Standard Bible
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree!

NASB 1995
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

NASB 1977
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

Legacy Standard Bible
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

Amplified Bible
Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

Christian Standard Bible
A warrior’s sharp arrows with burning charcoal!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A warrior’s sharp arrows with burning charcoal!

American Standard Version
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.

Contemporary English Version
Your reward should be sharp and flaming arrows!

English Revised Version
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He will give you a warrior's sharpened arrows and red-hot coals.

Good News Translation
With a soldier's sharp arrows, with red-hot coals!

International Standard Version
Like a sharp arrow from a warrior, along with fiery coals from juniper trees!

Majority Standard Bible
Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree!

NET Bible
Here's how! With the sharp arrows of warriors, with arrowheads forged over the hot coals.

New Heart English Bible
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

Webster's Bible Translation
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

World English Bible
Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with coals of broom trees.

Young's Literal Translation
Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with broom-coals.

Smith's Literal Translation
Arrows of the strong one sharpened with burning coals of broom.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste.

Catholic Public Domain Version
the sharp arrows of the powerful, along with the burning coals of desolation.

New American Bible
A warrior’s arrows sharpened with coals of brush wood!

New Revised Standard Version
A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The arrows of the mighty are sharp; they are as hot coals of oak.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The arrows of a mighty man are sharp, like burning coals of oak.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of broom.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Sharpened weapons of the mighty, with coals of the desert.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
In My Distress I Cried to the LORD
3What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue? 4Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree! 5Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!…

Cross References
James 3:6
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Proverbs 26:18-19
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows, / so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

Jeremiah 9:8
Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.

Isaiah 5:24
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Proverbs 25:18
Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

Ephesians 6:16
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Psalm 57:4
My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts—with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

Psalm 64:3
who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Matthew 12:36-37
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. / For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Romans 3:13-14
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” / “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

Proverbs 12:18
Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Psalm 140:3
They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah

1 Peter 3:10
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Isaiah 30:27
Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense smoke. His lips are full of fury, and His tongue is like a consuming fire.


Treasury of Scripture

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

sharp, etc.

Psalm 57:4
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Psalm 59:7
Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

Proverbs 11:9,12,18
An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered…

arrows

Psalm 7:13
He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

Psalm 52:5
God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

Psalm 140:9,11
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them…

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Psalm 120
1. David prays against Doeg
3. Reproves his tongue
5. Complains of his necessary conversation with the wicked














Sharp arrows
The phrase "sharp arrows" in Psalm 120:4 evokes imagery of precision and intent. In the Hebrew text, the word for "arrows" is "חִצִּים" (chitzim), which often symbolizes instruments of war or judgment. Arrows in ancient times were crafted with care to ensure they could pierce armor and reach their target. This imagery suggests that the words or actions being described are not only harmful but are also deliberate and targeted. In a spiritual context, this can be seen as a metaphor for the piercing nature of deceitful words or malicious intent, which can wound the soul deeply. The sharpness indicates the severity and the potential for deep impact, reminding believers of the power of words and the importance of truth.

of a warrior
The term "of a warrior" underscores the skill and strength behind the action. The Hebrew word "גִּבּוֹר" (gibbor) is used here, often translated as "mighty" or "heroic." This suggests that the arrows are not just any arrows but are wielded by someone with expertise and power. Historically, warriors were revered for their prowess and ability to protect or conquer. In the context of this psalm, it implies that the deceit or harm being described is not random but comes from a place of strength and possibly authority. For the believer, this serves as a reminder of the spiritual battles faced and the need for divine protection and wisdom to discern and withstand such attacks.

with burning coals
The phrase "with burning coals" adds an element of intense pain and destruction. In Hebrew, "גַּחֲלֵי רְתָמִים" (gachalei retamim) refers to coals that are not only hot but capable of causing severe damage. Burning coals in biblical times were used for cooking and purification, but they also symbolized judgment and wrath. The combination of arrows and burning coals in this verse paints a picture of compounded suffering—both immediate and enduring. Spiritually, this can be interpreted as the consuming nature of sin and falsehood, which can sear the conscience and lead to spiritual desolation. For the faithful, it is a call to seek refuge in God's truth and righteousness, which alone can shield from such fiery trials.

(4) Sharp.--Better, sharpened, whetted, as if for a purpose.

Juniper.--Properly, broom. Hebrew, rothem, a plant identical with the Arabian retem and Algerian retama. (See 1Kings 19:4-5.) Doctor Tristram mentions the employment of this bush for fuel. "It is ruthlessly uprooted by the Arabs, wherever it is tolerably abundant, for the manufacture of charcoal, which is considered of the finest quality, and fetches a higher price at Cairo than any other kind. Several travellers have mentioned their meeting with Bedouins employed in conveying retem charcoal to the Egyptian markets" (Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 360; see also Bible Educator, iv. 194). Burckhardt and Robinson also both noticed this trade.

Wonderful stories are told both by Jerome and the rabbis, how travellers, having cooked their food by fires made of the juniper wood, which they suppose to be the wood here meant, and returning a year after to the same spot, still found the embers alive.

Verse 4. - Sharp arrows of the mighty. The psalmist answers his own questions. Sharp-pointed arrows of a Mighty One shall be given thee, and added to them shall be coals of juniper. God, i.e., shall punish thee with extreme severity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Sharp
שְׁנוּנִ֑ים (šə·nū·nîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 8150: To point, to pierce, to inculcate

arrows
חִצֵּ֣י (ḥiṣ·ṣê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2671: A piercer, an arrow, a wound, thunderbolt, the shaft of a, spear

from the warrior,
גִבּ֣וֹר (ḡib·bō·wr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

with
עִ֝֗ם (‘im)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

burning coals
גַּחֲלֵ֥י (ga·ḥă·lê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1513: An ember

of juniper!
רְתָמִֽים׃ (rə·ṯā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7574: Broom plant, retem


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OT Poetry: Psalm 120:4 Sharp arrows of the mighty with coals (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 120:3
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