Psalm 46:9

Hebrew Bible

7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Selah) 8 Come, Witness the exploits of the Lord, who brings devastation to the earth. 9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth. He shatters the bow and breaks the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God. I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob is our stronghold! (Selah)

Judith 16:2

Deuterocanon

1 And Judith said, Begin a song to my God with tambourines, sing to my Lord with cymbals. Raise to him a new psalm; exalt him, and call upon his name. 2 For the Lord is a God who shatters wars; he sets up his camp among his people; he delivered me from the hands of my pursuers. 3 The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north; he came with myriads of his warriors; their numbers blocked up the wadis, and their cavalry covered the hills. 4 He boasted that he would burn up my territory, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash my infants to the ground, and seize my children as booty, and take my virgins as spoil.

 Notes and References

"... Both passages refer to God’s act of ‘breaking the battles’ or ‘ending wars’ (Judith 16:3; Psalm 46:9). However, there is a large difference in underlying ideologies. Judith 16 is adamant about the conviction that God is on the side of the Israelites. The words in Judith 16:3, ‘For God breaks the battles’, pertain to Judith being rescued from the Assyrian camp and Israel destroying their enemies. It does not cross the traditional boundaries between Israel and their enemies. God does not break battles to bring peace between nations and no reference to peace between Israel and Assyria can be found in Judith 16. Nations have to fear God when God appears, because God will destroy them. After using an expression which reminds one of Psalm 46:2−3, 6, Judith 16:15−17 states that there exists a clear boundary between YHWH’s people and other nations." ..."

Nolte, S. P. & Jordaan, P. J. Ideology and Intertextuality: Intertextual Allusions in Judith 16 (pp. 1-9) HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 67, 2011

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