What is the meaning of Psalm 89:43?

You have bent the edge of his sword

- The phrase paints a vivid picture of God deliberately dulling a weapon that once cut cleanly. Psalm 18:34 reminds us that it is God who “trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze,” so when the sword is suddenly ineffective, it is because the same God has reversed the process.

- Cross references reinforce this sovereign action: Leviticus 26:19 speaks of the Lord breaking Israel’s “stubborn pride” by shattering their strength; Isaiah 63:10 shows God turning from warrior to opponent when His people rebel.

- Literally, Israel’s forces discovered their blades useless, but spiritually the line warns that self-reliance is futile when God withdraws empowering grace (Psalm 44:9-10).

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and have not sustained him

- “Sustain” in Scripture is God’s steadying presence (Psalm 55:22; 1 Samuel 7:12). Here that support is withheld.

- The king—likely a Davidic ruler in crisis (see 2 Chronicles 21:17)—finds no upholding hand. In contrast, Deuteronomy 31:8 promises, “The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you.” The psalmist laments the absence of that pledge.

- The literal battlefield loss mirrors a deeper covenant tension. God is not breaking His oath (Psalm 89:34); He is disciplining (2 Samuel 7:14) so the king—and the nation—will repent and seek mercy.

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in battle

- The defeat is real, not metaphorical. Armies clash, Jerusalem trembles, and the throne appears threatened (2 Kings 25:6-10).

- Yet even in loss, the psalm anchors hope in God’s unaltered promise to David (Psalm 89:35-37). Numbers 10:35 has Moses cry, “Rise up, O LORD, may Your enemies be scattered,” but here the enemies advance because the Lord has chosen not to rise—temporarily.

- The section presses readers to recognize that victory belongs to the Lord alone (Proverbs 21:31). When He withholds it, He calls His people back to covenant faithfulness (Hosea 6:1-3).

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summary

Psalm 89:43 records God’s intentional act of dulling the king’s sword and withholding battlefield support. The verse affirms that military strength and national security flow directly from divine favor; when that favor is lifted, defeat follows. Yet within the wider psalm, this setback is a momentary discipline meant to drive the covenant people back to wholehearted trust in the God who can just as easily restore the edge to the sword and stand by His king in victory.