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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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.