2. tent cord, rope — The noun יֶתֶר II (yeter) denoting a cord or rope used for a tent or in a general domestic context, distinct from the specialized bowstring usage. Found in Job 4:21 ('is not their tent cord pulled up within them?') as a metaphor for the fragile thread of human life, and in contexts where personal possession is indicated (כְּאֵבִי 'my cord'). Rendered as 'cuerda de tienda' (tent cord) in Spanish, وَتِرُهُم (their cord) in Arabic, 그들의 줄이 (their rope) in Korean, and उनकी रस्सी (their rope) in Hindi. The semantic shift from bowstring to general rope or cord reflects the underlying meaning of something that hangs down or extends, consistent with the proposed Aramaic cognate יַתְרָא. 3×
AR["(وَتَرِي)","[وَتَرِي]","وَتِرُهُمْ"]·ben["[কেতির]","আমার-ডোর","তাদের-ডোর"]·DE["[(יתרי)]","[[יתרו]]","[יתרם]"]·EN["[K]","my-cord","their-tent-cord"]·FR["leur-reste-eux","mon-reste-moi","son-reste-lui"]·heb["יתרי","יתרם"]·HI["उनकी-रस्सी","रस्सा-मेरा"]·ID["(taliku)","[tali]","tali-kemah-mereka"]·IT["[K]-suo","loro-tent-cord-loro","my-cord-mio"]·jav["(tali-kula)","[tali-ipun]","taliipun"]·KO["(나의-줄을)","[그의-줄을]","그들의-줄이"]·PT["[Ketiv]","excelência-deles","minha-corda"]·RU["(тетиву-мою)","[тетиву-Его]","верёвка-шатра-их"]·ES["(mi-cuerda)","[mi-cuerda]","su-cuerda-de-tienda"]·SW["kamba-ya-hema-yao","kamba-yangu"]·TR["(ketib)","ipimi","ipleri"]·urd["اُن-کی-رسی","میری رسی","کھول دی"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. bowstring — The noun יֶתֶר II (yeter) denoting a cord or string specifically associated with a bow, used in the story of Samson where fresh (undried) bowstrings are used to bind him (Judg 16:7-9 'if they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried'). Rendered as 'bowstrings' in English and German, 'cordes d'arc' (bow-cords) in French, 'cuerdas de arco' (bow-cords) in Spanish, أَوْتَار (strings/cords) in Arabic, and 활시위들 (bowstrings) in Korean. Also includes the singular reference to a bow-string in Ps 11:2 ('they set their arrow on the string'). The Hindi ताज़ी (fresh) reflects the modifier rather than the noun itself, highlighting the characteristic freshness of these cords. 4×
AR["أَوْتَارٍ","الوَتَرِ","الْأَوْتَارَ-الـ"]·ben["তারে-","দড়ি","দড়িগুলো"]·DE["bowstrings","der-bowstrings","der-string"]·EN["bowstrings","the-bowstrings","the-string"]·FR["corde","cordes-d'arc","le-cordes-d'arc"]·heb["ה-יתרים","יתר","יתרים"]·HI["डोरी","ताज़ी","ताज़ी-डोरियों"]·ID["tali-busur"]·IT["[יתר]","corde-d-arco","il-corde-d-arco"]·jav["tali","tali-usus"]·KO["그-활시위들","시위","활시위들","활시위들로"]·PT["a-corda","as-cordas-de-arco","cordas-de-arco"]·RU["тетив","тетивами","тетиву","тетивы"]·ES["cuerdas-de-arco","la-cuerda","las-cuerdas"]·SW["kamba","uzi"]·TR["kiriş","yay-kirişi","yay-kirişlerini"]·urd["تار","تازی-چلے","تازی-کمان-کی-چلے","تازی-کمان-کی-چلے-سے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. יֶ֫תֶר n.m. Ju 16:7 cord (proposes as hanging over or down; Aramaic יַתְרָא part of the intestines, 𝔗 יְתָרַיָּא ropes, ܝܰܬܪܳܐ cord, rope, chord of arc; Arabic وَتَرٌ bow-string, lute-string; Ethiopic ወትር sinew, cord; ወተረ stretch bowstring, strain (eyes), be intent, eager, etc.)—יֶתֶ֑ר ψ 11:2 + 5times; sf. יִתְרוֹ Kt Jb 30:11 (יִתְרִי Qr); יִתְרָם Jb 4:21;—cord, for binding a man Ju 16:7,…