When Tolkien opts for an elevated register, as he does when describing Glorfindel, it's common to hear readers refer to this as "Biblical" language. Of course, we know the depths of Tolkien's faith; but we also know how he felt about allegorically applying said faith to his stories (or those of others).
That said, while I'm not saying Glorfindel, Gandalf, or Elrond are God, or angels, or anything so 1=1 as all that, I do think 1 Chronicles 29:12 provides an interesting lens through which to view Tolkien's notion of strength, power, and how it manifests in Middle Earth (we might sometimes call this magic, or not).
I would like to draw specific attention to "... and in his hand was strength."
I think, first of all, that it is worth noting that 1 Chronicles deals with King David (29:12 is part of his prayer of praise to God), a figure who certainly qualifies as both mythic and historical, whom many presently living would react to meeting as Frodo does Elrond.
Though, according to Michael Drout, we don't actually know what Bible Tolkien preferred, he speculates that the King James and Douay-Rheims versions are likely candidates. I'll quote those two, and the New Jerusalem Bible also, since Tolkien worked on it (although he claimed a very minor role, and didn't work on Chronicles).
King James: Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Douay-Rheims: Thine are riches, and thine is glory, thou hast dominion over all, in thy hand is power and might: in thy hand greatness, and the empire of all things.
New Jerusalem: Wealth and riches come from you, you are ruler of all, in your hand lie strength and power, and you bestow greatness and might on whomsoever you please.
Among these three and all the other translations I looked at, the Douay-Rheims is least explicit in this regard, but I think they all generally point to a notion that strength and power are not merely things to be held and used to rule; rather, that this strength and power gives the ability to elevate others. That quality of inspiration has been present with Glorfindel previously--and is famously, frequently so with Gandalf.
In any case, I don't present this is a cohesive argument or a conclusion (or even--sorry--a question). But insofar as we're tracking how these things are depicted in Tolkien, I think the phraseology of strength being held in-hand allows for some interesting parallels to be drawn between this Biblical notion of strength/power and Tolkien's. Applicable, maybe, if not allegorical.
That said, while I'm not saying Glorfindel, Gandalf, or Elrond are God, or angels, or anything so 1=1 as all that, I do think 1 Chronicles 29:12 provides an interesting lens through which to view Tolkien's notion of strength, power, and how it manifests in Middle Earth (we might sometimes call this magic, or not).
I would like to draw specific attention to "... and in his hand was strength."
I think, first of all, that it is worth noting that 1 Chronicles deals with King David (29:12 is part of his prayer of praise to God), a figure who certainly qualifies as both mythic and historical, whom many presently living would react to meeting as Frodo does Elrond.
Though, according to Michael Drout, we don't actually know what Bible Tolkien preferred, he speculates that the King James and Douay-Rheims versions are likely candidates. I'll quote those two, and the New Jerusalem Bible also, since Tolkien worked on it (although he claimed a very minor role, and didn't work on Chronicles).
King James: Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Douay-Rheims: Thine are riches, and thine is glory, thou hast dominion over all, in thy hand is power and might: in thy hand greatness, and the empire of all things.
New Jerusalem: Wealth and riches come from you, you are ruler of all, in your hand lie strength and power, and you bestow greatness and might on whomsoever you please.
Among these three and all the other translations I looked at, the Douay-Rheims is least explicit in this regard, but I think they all generally point to a notion that strength and power are not merely things to be held and used to rule; rather, that this strength and power gives the ability to elevate others. That quality of inspiration has been present with Glorfindel previously--and is famously, frequently so with Gandalf.
In any case, I don't present this is a cohesive argument or a conclusion (or even--sorry--a question). But insofar as we're tracking how these things are depicted in Tolkien, I think the phraseology of strength being held in-hand allows for some interesting parallels to be drawn between this Biblical notion of strength/power and Tolkien's. Applicable, maybe, if not allegorical.