H4340 H4340
A cord or rope, especially a tent rope for securing the tabernacle or camp; also the string of a bow.
Related to the root yatar ('to be left over, to stretch'), this noun denotes a stretched cord -- most often the ropes that anchor a tent. Six of its nine occurrences describe the cords of the tabernacle and its courtyard (Exod 35:18; 39:40; Num 3:26, 37; 4:26, 32), making it a technical term in Priestly legislation. Jeremiah 10:20 laments that 'my cords are broken,' using the torn tent rope as a figure for national collapse. Isaiah 54:2 reverses the image: lengthen your cords, for God is expanding your dwelling. A single occurrence in Psalm 21:13 shifts from tent ropes to bowstrings, where God aims his strings against the faces of his enemies.
Senses
1. cord, tent rope — The primary sense of a cord or tent rope used to stake and secure a tent or the tabernacle structure. The Priestly source accounts for most occurrences (Exod 35:18; 39:40; Num 3:26, 37; 4:26, 32), cataloguing the meytarim as essential tabernacle hardware alongside pegs and frames. Prophetic usage transforms the image: Jeremiah's broken cords signify national ruin (Jer 10:20), while Isaiah's lengthened cords promise restoration and expansion (Isa 54:2). German Schnuere and Spanish cuerdas consistently render the straightforward 'cord/rope' meaning. 8×
AR["أَطْنَابِهَا", "أَطْنَابِهِ", "أَوْتَادَكِ", "أَوْتَادَهَا", "حِبالَها", "حِبَالِي", "وَأَطْنَابُهَا"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-দড়ি", "তাদের-দড়ি", "তার-দড়ি", "তার-দড়িগুলো", "তোমার-দড়িগুলিকে", "দড়ি-আমার", "দড়িগুলি-তাদের"]·DE["[מיתרי]", "[מיתריך]", "ihr-Schnuere", "ihr-cords", "sein-Schnuere", "sein-cords", "und-ihr-cords"]·EN["and-their-cords", "its-cords", "my-cords", "their-cords", "your-cords"]·FR["[מיתרי]", "[מיתריך]", "et-leur-cords", "leur-cordons", "leur-cords", "son-cordons", "son-cords"]·heb["ו-מיתריהם", "מיתרי", "מיתריהם", "מיתריו", "מיתריך"]·HI["उनकी-रस्सियाँ", "उसकी-रस्सियाँ", "और-उनकी-रस्सियाँ", "तेरी-रस्सियोंको", "मेरी-रस्सियां"]·ID["dan-tali-talinya", "tali-taliku", "tali-talimu", "tali-talinya"]·IT["[מיתרי]", "[מיתריך]", "e-loro-cords", "loro-cordoni", "loro-cords", "suo-cordoni", "suo-cords"]·jav["lan-tali-tali-ipun", "lan-tali-taliningipun", "tali-Kula", "tali-tali-ipun", "tali-talining", "tali-talipun;"]·KO["그것들의-밗줄들", "그것들의-줄들을", "그것의-줄들을", "그리고-그것들의-끌들", "그리고-그것들의-밗줄들", "그의-끌들", "내-밗줄들이", "네-줄들을"]·PT["cordas-dele", "cordas-deles", "cordas-suas", "e-cordas-delas", "minhas-cordas", "suas-cordas", "tuas-cordas"]·RU["верёвки-его", "верёвки-их", "верёвки-мои", "верёвки-твои", "и-верёвки-их"]·ES["cuerdas-de-ellos", "cuerdas-de-él", "cuerdas-mis", "sus-cuerdas", "tus-cuerdas", "y-cuerdas-de-ellas"]·SW["kamba-zake", "kamba-zako", "kamba-zangu", "na-kamba-zake"]·TR["-iplerini", "iplerin", "iplerini", "ve-ipleri"]·urd["اس-کے-رسیوں", "اور-ان-کی-رسیاں", "اور-اُن-کی-رسیاں", "اُن-کی-رسیوں", "اپنی-رسیاں", "رسیوں-کے-اس", "میری-رسیاں"]
2. bowstring — A specialized sense denoting a bowstring -- the taut cord of a weapon rather than a tent. Psalm 21:13 (English v. 13) pictures God readying his bow against his enemies: 'you will aim with your bowstrings (bemeitarekha) at their faces.' The semantic link to tent cords is the common notion of a stretched, taut cord, but the martial context and singular attestation mark this as a distinct sense. The translation evidence (Spanish con-tus-cuerdas, English with-your-bowstrings) reflects this specialized military usage. 1×
AR["بِأَوْتَارِكَ"]·ben["আপনার-তীরে"]·DE["mit-dein-bowstrings"]·EN["with-your-bowstrings"]·FR["dans-corde"]·heb["ב-מיתריך"]·HI["में-डोरियों-तेरी"]·IT["[במיתריך]"]·jav["kalayan-tali-gandhewa-Panjenengan"]·KO["시위들-로"]·PT["com-tuas-cordas"]·RU["тетивами-Твоими"]·ES["con-tus-cuerdas"]·SW["kwa-kamba-zako-za-upinde"]·TR["kirişlerinle-"]·urd["-اپنے-تاروں-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מֵיתָר] n.m. cord, string (cf. ii. יֶתֶר); of tent-cords מֵתָרַי Je 10:20; מֵיתָרַיִךְ Is 54:2; specif. of cords of tabernacle, מֵיתָרָיו Ex 39:40 Nu 3:26; מֵיתְרֵיהֶם Ex 35:18 Nu 3:37; 4:26, 32 (all P); of bow-strings מֵיתָרֶיךָ ψ 21:13.