Psalm 74 13

Psalm 74:13 kjv

Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

Psalm 74:13 nkjv

You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.

Psalm 74:13 niv

It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

Psalm 74:13 esv

You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.

Psalm 74:13 nlt

You split the sea by your strength
and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.

Psalm 74 verses

Psalm 74 13 Meaning

Psalm 74:13 declares God's mighty acts of primordial power, affirming His supreme dominion over all chaotic and opposing forces. It highlights His foundational role in ordering creation and subduing that which is inherently unruly or hostile. The verse serves as a crucial reminder of God's strength and control, even when His people face overwhelming national distress.

Psalm 74 13 Context

Psalm 74 is a communal lament (a Maskil of Asaph) from a time of deep national crisis, likely the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the surrounding land by enemies (often associated with the Babylonian exile, 586 BCE). The psalmist pleads with God to remember His covenant people and past deeds, urging Him to intervene against their oppressors.

Verses 12-17 pivot from the lament to a powerful confession of God's unmatched might and dominion. They declare God's ancient acts as the foundation of creation and the guarantor of Israel's past salvation. Verse 13, specifically, draws upon archaic language that evokes God's cosmic authority, reminiscent of His power over the primordial chaos and His historic triumph at the Red Sea. This affirmation of God's absolute power serves to strengthen the people's plea for deliverance, reminding God – and themselves – of His inherent ability to overcome even the most formidable adversaries. It grounds the desperate prayer in a robust theology of divine omnipotence and cosmic kingship.

Psalm 74 13 Word analysis

• You (אַתָּה - ʻattāh): The emphatic pronoun "You" directly addresses God, stressing His personal agency and highlighting His solitary, supreme power. It distinguishes Him from any other purported deity or force.
• divided (פָּלַח - palaḥ): This verb means "to cleave," "to cut open," "to pierce through," or "to separate." It signifies a forceful, decisive act that penetrates and separates. It is a more intense action than simply "dividing" as in "distributing." In the context of the sea, it resonates with both the creation narrative (Gen 1) where God separates waters and the Red Sea event (Exo 14) where He cleaves a path through the sea.
• the sea (יָם - yam): While literally "sea" or "ocean," in ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cosmology, the sea (yam) often symbolized chaos, primordial waters, and unruly forces. This reflects a deep-seated human apprehension of the vast, uncontrollable power of the ocean. In the biblical worldview, yam can represent hostile nations or spiritual opposition.
• by Your strength (בְּעָזְּךָ - bəʻozzəkā): "Strength" (ʻoz) denotes inherent might, vigor, and power. It emphasizes that God's actions are a result of His own intrinsic, effortless potency, not by struggling or external aid. This highlights His omnipotence.
• You broke (שִׁבַּרְתָּ - shibbarta): To "break," "shatter," or "crush." This is a violent, conclusive verb signifying total destruction and incapacitation. It implies a thorough and permanent defeat.
• the heads (רָאשֵׁי - raʼshey): "Heads" is plural, which is significant. In ANE mythology, chaotic sea monsters or dragons (like Leviathan or Tiamat) were often depicted with multiple heads, symbolizing their terrifying power and multiple points of attack or resilience. By "breaking the heads" (plural), God's victory is portrayed as comprehensive and total, neutralizing every aspect of the foe's strength.
• of the sea monsters (תַּנִּינִים - tanninim): This plural noun refers to "great sea creatures," "dragons," "serpents," or "monsters." In Gen 1:21, the same word refers to the sea creatures God created, indicating His sovereignty over them from the beginning. However, in poetic and prophetic texts (like here, or Isa 27:1, Ezek 29:3), tanninim often represent symbolic chaotic forces or powerful oppressive enemies (e.g., Pharaoh, Babylon), sometimes personified. The crushing of tanninim by God is a direct polemic against ANE creation myths where deities struggled to defeat a primeval sea monster (e.g., Tiamat in Enuma Elish). Here, Yahweh effortless performs what other gods struggled to do.
• on the waters (עַל־הַמָּיִם - ʻal-hammayim): This specifies the locus of the monsters' defeat as "on the waters." It signifies God's complete dominion over the very realm of chaos and deep, reinforcing that no power, even within the most primordial and fearsome domains, is beyond His reach or control.

Words-Group Analysis

• "You divided the sea by Your strength": This phrase directly invokes God's sovereign control over primordial chaos and literal water. It brings to mind not only the act of separating the waters during creation (Gen 1) but also the miraculous parting of the Red Sea for Israel's deliverance (Exo 14). It showcases God's power to create order out of chaos and to make a way where there is none, simply by His inherent strength.
• "You broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters": This powerful imagery describes God's complete victory over personified chaotic and evil forces. The "sea monsters" (tanninim) often refer to Leviathan or Rahab in other biblical texts (e.g., Job 26:12, Ps 89:10, Isa 51:9), which symbolize the mythical forces of primeval chaos or actual oppressive powers like Egypt (Pharaoh as a tannin in Ezek 29:3). The plural "heads" suggests a multi-faceted or overwhelming foe, entirely crushed by God. This affirms Yahweh's unique power as the sole deity who effortlessly conquers chaos, contrasting sharply with polytheistic creation accounts that depict prolonged, difficult battles between deities and cosmic monsters.

Psalm 74 13 Bonus section

The language of Psalm 74:13 employs what is sometimes termed "mythopoeic" or "cosmic battle" imagery. While similar motifs appear in pagan ancient Near Eastern creation myths, the Bible profoundly redefines them. Instead of a cosmic struggle between rival deities (like Marduk battling Tiamat), the Bible portrays Yahweh's actions as effortless expressions of His inherent, unchallengeable power. There is no doubt or struggle for Yahweh; He simply commands, acts, and chaos submits or is annihilated. This emphasizes God's absolute monotheism and His unrivaled status as the one true Creator and Sustainer. The use of the archaic plural "heads" for the tanninim subtly yet powerfully critiques the notion of any multi-headed, unstoppable chaotic power that might rival God. God's act here is a reminder that ultimate triumph belongs only to Him, grounding the distressed psalmist's plea in the unshakeable reality of divine omnipotence, which extends to all realms, visible and unseen.

Psalm 74 13 Commentary

Psalm 74:13 is a resounding declaration of God's eternal sovereignty over all powers, whether natural, mythical, or political. It asserts that God's "strength" is the sole force responsible for creating order out of the primordial "sea" and for absolutely vanquishing the "sea monsters" that symbolize chaos, evil, or oppressive empires. This isn't merely historical recollection but a theological affirmation that establishes God as the uncontested cosmic King, who effortlessly dismantles all opposition. The crushing of the monsters' "heads" signifies a decisive and complete victory, leaving no aspect of their power intact. For the psalmist in a time of distress, recalling these ancient, decisive acts of God provides a foundation for hope and an earnest appeal for renewed divine intervention against current overwhelming foes. It assures the people that if God conquered ultimate chaos, He can surely conquer their present adversaries.