Lexical Summary rats: To run Original Word: רץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance piece Contracted from ratsats; a fragment -- piece. see HEBREW ratsats NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ratsats Definition perhaps piece, bar NASB Translation pieces (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רַץ] noun [masculine] usually piece, bar (?), in phrase מִתְרַמֵּס בְּרַצֵי כָ֑סֶף Psalm 68:31, but very obscure and dubious; Aq ᵑ9 wheels; ᵐ5 Symm צְרֻפֵי; Che בְּבִצְרֵי כסף, or ׳בְּבֶצֵע כ, or (JBLxi (1892), 125) ׳בְּרֹצֵי כ (i.e. mercenaries); Pott We בְּרֹצֵי כָזָב; Du בְּרֹצֵי סִמְּךָ. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery רָץ (Strong’s H7518) refers to shaped pieces or bars of silver prepared for transport and exchange. In the Ancient Near East, silver was commonly cast into ingots or rods that could be weighed out for tribute, ransom, or commerce (cf. Genesis 23:15-16; 2 Kings 5:5). The word evokes wealth that is portable, valuable, and capable of being laid at a victor’s feet in token of surrender. Biblical Occurrence Psalm 68:30 is the lone occurrence: “Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war”. Here רָץ describes the silver with which hostile nations seek to appease the LORD after He has routed them. The phrase “bringing bars of silver” sits parallel to “submits,” underscoring that the payment itself is an act of capitulation. Historical and Cultural Setting 1. Tribute Practice. Powerful kings regularly demanded precious-metal tribute from vassal states (2 Samuel 8:6; 2 Kings 17:3). Rods or bars were easier to standardize and verify than raw ore or jewelry. Theological Themes • Universal Dominion. Nations that “delight in war” are powerless against the LORD and must offer tribute. This foreshadows the promise that every knee will bow (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10). Ministry and Devotional Significance 1. Confidence in Mission. Believers proclaim the gospel in the assurance that God can bring even hardened powers into obedience—He still “rebukes the beast in the reeds.” Christological Connections Jesus Christ fulfills the psalm by triumphing over principalities (Colossians 2:15). At His return, nations will bring their glory into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24), echoing the “bars of silver” once laid before the Ark’s procession to Zion. The solitary Old Testament appearance of רָץ thus points beyond itself to a comprehensive vision of God’s kingdom in which every resource serves His redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations בְּרַצֵּי־ ברצי־ bə·raṣ·ṣê- bəraṣṣê- beratztzeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 68:30 HEB: עַמִּ֗ים מִתְרַפֵּ֥ס בְּרַצֵּי־ כָ֑סֶף בִּזַּ֥ר NAS: Trampling under foot the pieces of silver; KJV: [till every one] submit himself with pieces of silver: INT: of the peoples Trampling the pieces of silver has scattered 1 Occurrence |
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