I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh (אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר)—the Hebrew ashkir (make drunk) personifies arrows as becoming intoxicated with blood. Chitzai (my arrows) and charbi (my sword) execute divine judgment; the sword to'khal (devours/eats) basar (flesh) like a ravenous beast. This shocking imagery depicts total, decisive judgment—no half measures, no survivors among the impenitent.
And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy (מִדַּם חָלָל וְשִׁבְיָה מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב)—chalal (slain) and shivyah (captives) indicate comprehensive defeat. Me-rosh par'ot oyev (from the head/beginning of the enemy's leaders) suggests judgment begins with enemy commanders, the "longhaired" warriors or princes. God's vengeance is thorough and begins at the top of Israel's oppressors' power structure.
Historical Context
This graphic battle imagery was standard in ancient Near Eastern victory hymns and royal inscriptions. However, Israel's tradition uniquely attributes military victory to divine intervention rather than royal prowess. The language anticipates prophetic oracles against nations (Isaiah 13; 34; Jeremiah 46-51; Ezekiel 25-32) and Revelation's imagery of Christ's return (Revelation 19:13, 15). Early church interpretation saw this as eschatological—God's final judgment on evil.
Questions for Reflection
How do you reconcile God's violent judgment imagery with His love and mercy?
What does God's thorough judgment on unrepentant evil reveal about His holiness and justice?
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Analysis & Commentary
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh (אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר)—the Hebrew ashkir (make drunk) personifies arrows as becoming intoxicated with blood. Chitzai (my arrows) and charbi (my sword) execute divine judgment; the sword to'khal (devours/eats) basar (flesh) like a ravenous beast. This shocking imagery depicts total, decisive judgment—no half measures, no survivors among the impenitent.
And that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy (מִדַּם חָלָל וְשִׁבְיָה מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב)—chalal (slain) and shivyah (captives) indicate comprehensive defeat. Me-rosh par'ot oyev (from the head/beginning of the enemy's leaders) suggests judgment begins with enemy commanders, the "longhaired" warriors or princes. God's vengeance is thorough and begins at the top of Israel's oppressors' power structure.