What Does Psalm 74:13 Mean in the King James?
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The word that shatters the dragons also names the sea’s own breakers: even the deep’s power is subject to breaking.
THE MEANING
What appears to rule the depths is shown as breakable: the sea opens, and the dragons’ heads are shattered while they are still in the waters. The verse holds the threatening deep within the reach of a strength greater than its own.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that chaos is beyond interruption or that the power within it cannot be broken.
THE ROOT
שִׁבַּרְתָּ
shibbarta
GROWS FROM
שבר
To break, shatter, or fracture.
“brakest” in this verse is shibbarta. The verb for breaking the dragons belongs to the same root as מִשְׁבָּר (mishbar), a breaker or breaking wave. Hebrew holds the sea’s motion and the shattering of its monsters in one word family: the breakers are themselves subject to breaking.
ALSO GROWS
mishbar: Breaker; breaking wave.
מִשְׁבָּר
Psalm 42:7 uses this word for the sea’s breakers, joining the breaking action here to the force of the waves.
shever: Fracture, breach, or broken piece.
שֶׁבֶר
This word names the fracture itself, showing that the dragons’ heads are shattered, not merely restrained.
THE PATTERN
The sea’s terrifying disorder does not set the limits of divine action: it can be opened, divided, or stilled.
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.THE THREAD
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.The Hebrew word behind “waves” is מִשְׁבָּרִים (mishbarim), “breakers,” from the same root שבר (shabar, “to break”) as “brakest” here. The sea’s breakers and the breaking of the dragons’ heads belong to one word family: what crashes through can itself be broken.
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