Original Word: מֵיתָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: meythar
Pronunciation: meh-thar
Phonetic Spelling: (may-thar')
KJV: cord, string
NASB: cords, bowstrings, ropes
Word Origin: [from H3498 (יָתַר - left)]

1. a cord (of a tent) or the string (of a bow)

cord, string

From yathar; a cord (of a tent) (compare yether) or the string (of a bow) -- cord, string.

see HEBREW yathar

see HEBREW yether

Word Origin
from yathar
Definition
cord, string
NASB Translation
bowstrings (1), cords (7), ropes (1).

[מֵיתָר] noun masculine cord, string (compare II. יֶתֶר); of tent-cords מֵתָרַי Jeremiah 10:20; מֵיתָרַיִךְ Isaiah 54:2; specifically of cords of tabernacle, מֵיתָרָיו Exodus 39:40; Numbers 3:26; מֵיתְרֵיהֶם Exodus 35:18; Numbers 3:37; Numbers 4:26,32 (all P); of bow-strings מֵיתָרֶיךָ Psalm 21:13.

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 4340, mêyṭār, designates the cord, rope, or bowstring by which structures are braced and weapons are readied. In every occurrence the word pictures tension held in check so that purpose may be accomplished, whether in the stability of the Tabernacle, the security of a tent-dwelling family, or the lethal precision of the royal archer’s bow.

Occurrences and Contexts

1. Exodus 35:18; 39:40 – cords for the Tabernacle and its court.
2. Numbers 3:26, 3:37; 4:26, 4:32 – cords assigned to the Gershonites for transport and care.
3. Psalm 21:12 – the bowstring of the Divine Warrior-King.
4. Isaiah 54:2 – cords lengthened as a promise of covenant expansion.
5. Jeremiah 10:20 – broken tent cords symbolizing national collapse.

Construction and Tabernacle Service

The first six occurrences cluster around the wilderness sanctuary. Mêyṭār holds curtains taut, keeps posts upright, and, together with stakes, secures holy space against the desert wind. Although humble, these cords are catalogued alongside gold, silver, and precious fabrics, underscoring that even hidden supports are essential to worship.

The Gershonites received responsibility “for the curtains of the tent of meeting, the tent covering, the curtains of the courtyard, and the ropes” (Numbers 3:26). Their calling illustrates orderly ministry: burdens are assigned, not randomly assumed. The cords therefore become a symbol of God-given duty—no strand optional, every strand sacred.

Military and Royal Imagery

In Psalm 21:12 the term shifts from sanctuary to battlefield: “For You will put them to flight when Your bow is drawn to string at their faces.” The bowstring under tension embodies stored judgment released at the King’s command. What once stabilized canvas now propels arrows; the same word spans worship and warfare, teaching that the LORD who dwells with His people also defends them.

Prophetic and Poetic Usage

Isaiah 54:2 transforms mêyṭār into a token of hope: “Enlarge the site of your tent… lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” After announcing the Servant’s atonement (Isaiah 53), the prophet calls the barren woman to prepare for an influx of children. Lengthened cords image missional enlargement—proof that redemption stretches boundaries, not merely repairs ruins.

Jeremiah 10:20 portrays the antithesis: “My tent is destroyed, and all my ropes are broken.” Here the snapped cords visualize exile, leadership vacuum, and shattered identity. The text warns that when the covenant community severs itself from the LORD, the very ties holding life together give way.

Theological and Practical Significance

1. Dependence: Whether holding linens or loosing arrows, mêyṭār reminds believers that all strength is derived. A cord functions only while tensioned between fixed points; likewise, ministry stands when stretched between God’s promises and human obedience.
2. Stewardship: The Gershonites could not manufacture their own pattern but maintained what God designed. Faithful service today still involves guarding received revelation rather than reinventing worship.
3. Expansion: Isaiah’s call to “lengthen your cords” summons the Church to anticipate growth, resist parochialism, and stake fresh ground without compromising structural integrity.
4. Warning: Broken cords in Jeremiah sound a sober note—structures can collapse if holiness is ignored. The same prophet who witnessed ruin also forecast renewal (Jeremiah 31), urging repentance over despair.

Christological and Church Implications

The tent cord’s dual role—fastening sanctuary coverings and stringing the royal bow—finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In His first advent He “tabernacled” among us (John 1:14), securing communion between God and humanity. In His second advent He will ride forth as Warrior-King (Revelation 19:11-16), drawing the final bowstring of judgment. Meanwhile the Church, as the present dwelling of God by the Spirit, must keep its cords tight in doctrine and long in outreach.

Personal and Corporate Application

• Examine the cords: Are the quiet disciplines of prayer, Scripture, and fellowship holding the soul steady?
• Shoulder assigned burdens: Like Gershonites, believers serve best when embracing God-given tasks without clamoring for another’s load.
• Stretch the tent: Isaiah’s imagery encourages local congregations to plant churches, adopt nations, and welcome the marginalized.
• Heed the warning: Broken cords in Jeremiah urge vigilance against idolatry, injustice, and complacency.

Thus mêyṭār, though a small component in the Hebrew vocabulary, threads through Scripture as a vivid reminder that God both anchors and advances His people, binds them to Himself in covenant love, and equips them to stand firm until every promise is fully stretched to completion.

בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ במיתריך וּמֵ֣יתְרֵיהֶ֔ם וּמֵֽיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃ ומיתריהם ומיתריהם׃ מֵֽיתְרֵיהֶ֔ם מֵֽיתָרַ֔יִךְ מֵֽיתָרָ֔יו מֵיתְרֵיהֶֽם׃ מֵיתָרַ֖י מֵיתָרָ֖יו מיתרי מיתריהם מיתריהם׃ מיתריו מיתריך bə·mê·ṯā·re·ḵā bemeitaReicha bəmêṯāreḵā mê·ṯā·ra·yiḵ mê·ṯā·rāw mê·ṯā·ray mê·ṯə·rê·hem meitaRai meitaRav meitaRayich meitereiHem meitreiHem mêṯārāw mêṯāray mêṯārayiḵ mêṯərêhem ū·mê·ṯə·rê·hem uMeitereiHem uMeitreiHem ūmêṯərêhemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts