11:18 Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. 1
22:35 He trains 2 my hands for battle; 3
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 4
1 tn Heb “Joab sent and related to David all the matters of the battle.”
2 tn Heb “teaches.”
3 tn The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enabling. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
4 tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms.” The verb נָחֵת (nakhet) apparently means “to pull back; to bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The bronze bow referred to here was probably laminated with bronze strips, or a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.