Psalms 74:13
Psalms 74:13 in Multiple Translations
You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: Thou brakest the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters.
The sea was parted in two by your strength; the heads of the great sea-beasts were broken.
You were the one who split apart the sea by your strength; you broke the heads of the sea monsters.
Thou didest deuide the sea by thy power: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Thou hast broken by Thy strength a sea -[monster], Thou hast shivered Heads of dragons by the waters,
You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.
By your power you caused the Red Sea to divide; it was as though you smashed the heads of the rulers of Egypt who were like huge sea dragons [MET].
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 74:13
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 74:13 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אַתָּ֤ה
פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ
בְ/עָזְּ/ךָ֣
יָ֑ם
שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ
רָאשֵׁ֥י
תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים
עַל
הַ/מָּֽיִם
אַתָּ֤ה
ʼattâh
H859
you(m.s.)
Pron
פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ
pârar
H6565
to break
V-m-Perf-2ms
בְ/עָזְּ/ךָ֣
ʻôz
H5797
strength
Prep | N-ms | Suff
יָ֑ם
yâm
H3220
West
N-ms
שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ
shâbar
H7665
to break
V-Piel-Perf-2ms
רָאשֵׁ֥י
rôʼsh
H7218
head
N-mp
תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים
tannîyn
H8577
jackal
N-mp
עַל
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep
הַ/מָּֽיִם
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
Art | N-mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 74:13
אַתָּ֤ה
ʼattâh
H859
"you(m.s.)"
Pron
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Definition: you (second pers. sing. masc.)
Usage: Occurs in 997 OT verses. KJV: thee, thou, ye, you. See also: Genesis 3:11; Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 14:1.
פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ
pârar
H6565
"to break"
V-m-Perf-2ms
To split or break something apart is the meaning of this word, often used figuratively to mean frustrate or violate. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Definition: 1) to break, frustrate 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to break, violate 1a2) to frustrate, make ineffectual 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be frustrated 1b2) to be broken 1b3) to break 1c) (Pilpel) to break to bits, shatter Also means: pur (פּוּר "to break" H6331)
Usage: Occurs in 46 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] any ways, break (asunder), cast off, cause to cease, [idiom] clean, defeat, disannul, disappoint, dissolve, divide, make of none effect, fail, frustrate, bring (come) to nought, [idiom] utterly, make void. See also: Genesis 17:14; Psalms 85:5; Psalms 74:13.
בְ/עָזְּ/ךָ֣
ʻôz
H5797
"strength"
Prep | N-ms | Suff
Describes strength or might, including physical power, social status, or boldness, like the strength of God or a strong leader.
Definition: 1) might, strength 1a) material or physical 1b) personal or social or political
Usage: Occurs in 91 OT verses. KJV: boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong. See also: Exodus 15:2; Psalms 84:6; Psalms 8:3.
יָ֑ם
yâm
H3220
"West"
N-ms
Refers to a large body of water like the Mediterranean Sea or a sea in general, sometimes specifically the west or seaward direction.
Definition: This name means sea, seaward, westward Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)
Usage: Occurs in 339 OT verses. KJV: sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward). See also: Genesis 1:10; Joshua 17:10; Psalms 8:9.
שִׁבַּ֖רְתָּ
shâbar
H7665
"to break"
V-Piel-Perf-2ms
This word means to break or shatter something, either physically or emotionally. It can also mean to burst or rupture, and is often used to describe intense violence or destruction. In the Bible, it's translated as break or crush.
Definition: 1) to break, break in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench 1a2) to break, rupture (fig) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked 1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig) 1c) (Piel) to shatter, break 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth 1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
Usage: Occurs in 143 OT verses. KJV: break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt, quench, [idiom] quite, tear, view (by mistake for H7663 (שָׂבַר)). See also: Genesis 19:9; Isaiah 27:11; Psalms 3:8.
רָאשֵׁ֥י
rôʼsh
H7218
"head"
N-mp
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Definition: : head 1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning 1a) head (of man, animals) 1b) top, tip (of mountain) 1c) height (of stars) 1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest) 1e) head, front, beginning 1f) chief, choicest, best 1g) head, division, company, band 1h) sum
Usage: Occurs in 547 OT verses. KJV: band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top. See also: Genesis 2:10; Numbers 17:18; 2 Samuel 4:7.
תַ֝נִּינִ֗ים
tannîyn
H8577
"jackal"
N-mp
This word refers to a monster or serpent, like a sea-serpent or dragon, as described in Psalm 74:13 and Isaiah 27:1. It can also mean a venomous snake or a whale, symbolizing powerful creatures.
Definition: jackal Also means: tan.nah (תַּנָּה "dragon" H8568)
Usage: Occurs in 26 OT verses. KJV: dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale. See also: Genesis 1:21; Isaiah 27:1; Psalms 44:20.
עַל
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
הַ/מָּֽיִם
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
Art | N-mp
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
Study Notes — Psalms 74:13
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 74:13 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 74:13
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 74:13
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 74:13
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 74:13
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
- Sermons on Psalms 74:13
Context — Why Have You Rejected Us Forever?
11Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!
12Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
13You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;
14You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert. 15You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 14:21 | Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, |
| 2 | Psalms 78:13 | He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 29:3 | Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it myself.’ |
| 4 | Isaiah 51:9–10 | Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon? Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over? |
| 5 | Ezekiel 32:2 | “Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’ |
| 6 | Exodus 14:28 | The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. |
| 7 | Psalms 136:13–18 | He divided the Red Sea in two His loving devotion endures forever. and led Israel through the midst, His loving devotion endures forever. but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His loving devotion endures forever. He led His people through the wilderness. His loving devotion endures forever. He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever. and slaughtered mighty kings— His loving devotion endures forever. |
| 8 | Psalms 106:8–9 | Yet He saved them for the sake of His name, to make His power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert. |
| 9 | Nehemiah 9:11 | You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters. |
| 10 | Isaiah 11:15–16 | The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt. |
Psalms 74:13 Summary
This verse is talking about how God showed His great power by controlling the sea and its creatures. It's like when God parted the Red Sea in Exodus 14:13-31, and it shows that He is stronger than anything. We can trust God to help us with any problem we face, just like the Israelites trusted Him to save them from the Egyptians (as seen in Exodus 14:13-31 and Psalm 106:8-12). By remembering God's power and strength, we can have faith that He will help us in our own times of need, just as He has helped His people throughout history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the phrase 'dragons of the sea' mean in Psalms 74:13?
The phrase 'dragons of the sea' is likely a metaphor for powerful sea creatures or symbolizes the chaotic forces of nature, as seen in other passages like Job 41:1, where God describes Leviathan, a sea monster.
How does this verse relate to the Israelites' history?
This verse is referencing the parting of the Red Sea, as seen in Exodus 14:13-31, where God demonstrated His power and strength by dividing the sea to save the Israelites from the Egyptians.
What can we learn about God's character from this verse?
This verse highlights God's strength, power, and ability to control nature, as also seen in Jeremiah 32:17, where God says 'nothing is too difficult' for Him, demonstrating His sovereign power over all creation.
How can I apply this verse to my life?
We can apply this verse by trusting in God's power and strength in our own lives, just as the Israelites trusted Him to deliver them, as encouraged in Proverbs 3:5-6, to trust in the Lord with all our heart.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I have seen God's power and strength at work in my life, and how can I trust Him more?
- How does the image of God smashing the heads of the dragons of the sea make me feel about His ability to handle the challenges in my life?
- In what ways can I, like the psalmist, declare God's power and strength to others, as seen in Psalms 96:3?
- What are some 'dragons' or challenges in my life that I need to trust God to help me overcome, and how can I apply the principles of this verse to those situations?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 74:13
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength,.... This and the following instances from hence to Psalms 74:18 are proofs of God's working salvation in the midst of the earth; some of them seem peculiar
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 74:13
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou ... thou.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
The dragons; or, the crocodiles. He means Pharaoh and all his mighty men, who were like these beasts in strength and cruelty. The waters, to wit, of the sea, where they were drowned.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
Psalms 74:13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.Ver. 13. Thou didst divide the sea, &c.] "Thou" in this and the following verses is emphatic and exclusive, q.d. thou, and none but thou. Thou brakest the heads of the dragons] Or crocodiles. So he calleth Pharaoh’ s chieftains, who were Satan’ s swordmen, and with him had their heads broke at the Red Sea.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
(13) Thou.—Verse after verse this emphatic pronoun recurs, as if challenging the Divine Being to contradict. Divide.—Literally, break up.Dragons.—Hebrew, tannξnξm, not to be confounded with tannξm (Psalms 44:19, where see Note). It is the plural of tannνn, which always indicates some aquatic monster. In Genesis 1:21 it is translated whale, so here by Symmachus. The LXX. (comp. Vulgate) have rendered this word and leviathan (in the next verse) by δράκων, and, indeed, the parallelism indicates monsters of a similar, if not the same, kind. About leviathan the minute and faithful description of the crocodile in Job 41 does not leave a doubt, and therefore we conclude that the tannin, here as in Ezekiel 29:3; Ezekiel 32:2 (margin), Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 51:9 (where it is also, as here, joined with leviathan), an emblem of Egypt, was some great saurian, perhaps the alligator. The derivation from a root implying extend, favours this explanation. (Tristram, Nat.
Hist. of the Bible, pp. 260, 261.) Besides its abundance, another fact leading to the crocodile becoming an emblem of Egypt, was the adoration paid to it. (See Herod., ii. 69.) In the waters.—Literally, on the waters.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
Verse 13. Thou didst divide the sea] When our fathers came from Egypt. Thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.] Pharaoh, his captains, and all his hosts were drowned in the Red Sea, when attempting to pursue them.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 74:13
13. Thou] Psalms 74:13-15; Psalms 74:17 all begin with an emphatic Thou; Psalms 74:16 with Thine. It is Thou and none other, Who didst and doest all these things. The Asaphite Psalms are full of references to the Exodus. by thy strength] Cp. Psalms 77:14; Exodus 15:13. The dragons or sea monsters, and leviathan, either the crocodile or some vague mythological monster, are symbolical of Egypt. Cp. Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 51:9; Ezekiel 29:3. in the waters] Lit. upon the waters, the symbolical monsters being imagined as floating upon the surface of the water. The reference of course is to the destruction of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 74:13
Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength - Margin, as in Hebrew, “break.” That is, he had by his power “broken up” the strength of the sea so that it offered no resistance to their passing through it.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 74:13
13. Thou didst divide the sea—He begins with the deliverance from Egypt. Could their deliverance now from Babylon be greater? Could not the same God even now restore them?
Sermons on Psalms 74:13
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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A Time to Cry by David Legge | In this sermon, the speaker laments the current state of society, where the preaching of the word of God is disregarded and mocked. The speaker questions the absence of divine inte |
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A Message for New Christians by Oswald J. Smith | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of four steps to reach the Promised Land. The first step is separation from sin, where individuals must distance themselves f |
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The Worms Shall Crawl Out of Their Holes by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the loss of trust and confidence in various institutions, including the judicial system, school system, and even marriage. He highlights the p |
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(Exodus) Exodus 14:13-16 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. He emphasizes that it is God who works on their behalf and they simply need to a |
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Comfort Proclaimed by C.H. Spurgeon | The sermon transcript emphasizes the importance of comforting others in times of sorrow and distress. It encourages believers to find solace in God's presence and to share the mess |
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What Holds Back Revival by Don Courville | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of doing kind deeds as a way to open doors for sharing one's testimony. The preacher also highlights the need for personal sa |
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Taking Back Your Song in the Night by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker begins by expressing gratitude and praise to Jesus. They emphasize the importance of thanking and praising God. The speaker then shares a personal story |