Psalm 18 (17):35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Who instructs me to strive against my foes who attempt to bar us from the kingdom of heaven? You have equipped my hands with strength like a bow of steel. You have made my diligent efforts toward good deeds unwavering.

Training my hands for combat; by raising them in prayer, I triumph over my adversaries. You have transformed my arms into a bow of bronze, teaching me to be ready for the fray, comparing my strength to that of a bow and fortifying it as if it were made of bronze. This also suggests that He has endowed my mind with courage, akin to a bronze bow. Bronze symbolizes active strength. In this context, Ezekiel conveys to Jerusalem, "its brass shall be burned up" (Ezekiel 24:11). Just as brass represents might and resilience, the bow signifies the very ability of our muscles to draw and release arrows.

Teaching my hands to wage war. By raising them in prayer, I triumph over those who stand against me. And you have equipped my strength like a bow of bronze. For I have positioned my strength, resilient and unyielding, to launch arrows at my adversaries.

You have turned my muscles into a bow of bronze. The expression could be clarified as: You have made the muscles of my arms strong up to the elbows, ensuring they do not tire from launching arrows in the fight.

David, having triumphed over numerous strongholds deemed impenetrable due to their difficult and treacherous attacks, extols the compassion of God in this regard. When he states that his feet were made swift like those of a deer, he illustrates a remarkable speed that is not typical of humanity. Thus, the essence of his expression reveals that he was divinely assisted in an extraordinary manner, likened to creatures that effortlessly ascend steep mountains. By declaring that God taught his hands to wage war, he acknowledges that his proficiency in combat was not gained through personal effort, training, or experience, but rather through a unique grace from God.

The Lord Christ extended His hands upon the cross and triumphed over the adversary through the might of the Divine Nature; likewise, the faithful conquer evil forces through the emblem of the Holy Cross. The essence of this emblem serves as the strength of the Holy Cross, by which Christ recognized and vanquished the powers of darkness.