Hebrew word · H4340

מֵיתָר

meitereihem

cord

Cord or rope: tent cords (Exod 35:18; 39:40; Num 3:26; Jer 10:20; Isa 54:2). It comes from the same root as yeter, 'cord, bowstring' (Ps 11:2; Job 30:11). Here it means bowstring.

Appears 9 times in 9 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

cord, string

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 21:12

Range of meaning

Cord or rope: tent cords (Exod 35:18; 39:40; Num 3:26; Jer 10:20; Isa 54:2). It comes from the same root as yeter, 'cord, bowstring' (Ps 11:2; Job 30:11). Here it means bowstring.

Against the English

KJV and NASB keep 'strings'. WEB and NIV say 'drawn bow(s)'. BSB has 'Your bow'. These all lead to the same picture. The ancient Greek and Latin left the bowstring out altogether (see textual notes).

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 11:2 is a close parallel: 'they have set (konenu) their arrow upon the string (yeter)'. It uses the same verb, kun, with a related noun for the string. Psalm 7:12 (Heb. 7:13) has God bending his bow and making it ready (from kun).

Where it appears

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 35:18 מֵיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃ ropes their

    the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes;

  2. Exodus 39:40 מֵיתָרָ֖יו ropes its

    the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases; the curtain for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting;

Numbers · 4

  1. Numbers 3:26 מֵֽיתָרָ֔יו ropes its

    the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, and the cords—all the service for these items.

  2. Numbers 3:37 וּמֵֽיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃ and ropes their

    as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.

  3. Numbers 4:26 מֵֽיתְרֵיהֶ֔ם ropes their

    the curtains of the courtyard, and the curtains for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. The Gershonites will do all that needs to be done with these items.

  4. Numbers 4:32 וּמֵ֣יתְרֵיהֶ֔ם and ropes their

    and the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and everything related to their use. You shall assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 21:12 בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ on bowstrings your

    For You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them.

    Here: 'On your strings'. Elsewhere the word is used for tent ropes. Next to the archery verb it means bowstrings. The plural may be poetic, or it may picture a company of archers.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 54:2 מֵֽיתָרַ֔יִךְ tent cords your

    “Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes in deep.

    Here: "Your tent-cords", the ropes that keep the tent upright and taut. In Jeremiah 10:20 they are snapped as a picture of exile. Here they are lengthened.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 10:20 מֵיתָרַ֖י tent cords my

    My tent is destroyed, and all its ropes are snapped. My sons have departed from me and are no more. I have no one left to pitch my tent or set up my curtains.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.