Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 3. There brake he the arrows of the bow ] ypr rishphey, the fiery arrows. Arrows, round the heads of which inflammable matter was rolled, and then ignited, were used by the ancients, and shot into towns to set them on fire; and were discharged among the towers and wooden works of besiegers. The Romans called them phalaricae; and we find them mentioned by Virgil, AEn. lib. ix., ver. 705: - Sed magnum stridens contorta phalarica venit, Fulminis acta modo.
On this passage Servius describes the phalarica as a dart or spear with a spherical leaden head to which fire was attached. Thrown by a strong hand, it killed those whom it hit, and set fire to buildings, &c. It was called phalarica from the towers called phalae from which it was generally projected. In allusion to these St. Paul speaks of the fiery darts of the devil, Eph. vi. 16, to the note on which the reader is requested to refer.
The shield and the sword ] If this refers to the destruction of Sennacherib's army, it may be truly said that God rendered useless all their warlike instruments, his angel having destroyed 185,000 of them in one night.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Happy people are those who have their land filled with the knowledge of God! happy persons that have their hearts filled with that knowledge It is the glory and happiness of a people to have God among them by his ordinances. Wherein the enemies of the church deal proudly, it wil appear that God is above them. See the power of God's rebukes. With pleasure may Christians apply this to the advantages bestowed by the Redeemer.
Original Hebrew שׁמה8033 שׁבר7665 רשׁפי7565 קשׁת7198 מגן4043 וחרב2719 ומלחמה4421 סלה׃5542
