Lectionary Calendar
Monday, December 9th, 2024
the Second Week of Advent
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Bible Dictionaries
Arms

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Search for…
or
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Prev Entry
Armoury
Next Entry
Army
Resource Toolbox
Additional Links

The offensive arms found in the O.T. are:

1. The SWORD, for which several Hebrew words are used: a. baraq, often translated 'lightning;' it is 'glittering sword' in Job 20:25 . b. chereb, a sword, as laying waste. It is the word commonly used in the O.T. for sword (everywhere indeed except in the references given here under the other words): it was a straight tapering weapon, with two edges and a sharp point. Psalm 149:6; Isaiah 14:19 . It is used metaphorically for keen and piercing words, as in Psalm 57:4; Psalm 64:3 . c. retsach, an undefined slaying weapon, translated 'sword' only in Psalm 42:10 . d. shelach, a missile of death, as a dart. Job 33:18; Job 36:12; Joel 2:8 . e. pethichoth, from 'to open,' is translated 'drawn sword' in Psalm 55:21 .

2. SPEARS. a. chanith, thus named as being flexible: it is the word mostly used for the spear. 1 Samuel 13:19; Psalm 57:4 . It is this weapon that will be beaten into pruning hooks. Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3 . b. kidon, a smaller kind of lance, or javelin. Joshua 8:18,26; Job 41:29; Jeremiah 6:23 . c. tselatsal, harpoon. Job 41:7 . d. qayin, lance, 2 Samuel 21:16 . e. romach, spear used by heavy-armed troops, the iron head of a spear. Judges 5:8 , etc. The pruning hooks are to be beaten into spears in the time of God's judgements. Joel 3:10 .

3. BOW, from which arrows are discharged, qesheth, generally made of wood, but sometimes of steel or brass. Job 20:24 . It is constantly found in the O.T. from Genesis to Zechariah. It is used to express punishment from God, Lamentations 2:4; Lamentations 3:12; and of men to show their power to injure. Psalm 37:14,15 . 'A deceitful bow' expresses a man who fails just when his aid is most needed, as when a bow breaks suddenly. Psalm 78 :57; Hosea 7:16 .

4. The SLING, by which stones are discharged, qela. It was by meansof this that David smote Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:40,49,50 . Of the Benjamites there were 700 men lefthanded; "every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss." Judges 20:16 . (In Proverbs 26:8 occurs another word for sling margemah, but the passage is considered better translated "as he that putteth a precious stone in a heap of stones," as in the margin. )

5. 'ENGINES,' with which Uzziah shot arrows and great stones. 2 Chronicles 26:15 .

Bibliography Information
Morrish, George. Entry for 'Arms'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​mbd/​a/arms.html. 1897.
 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile