Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

BOW AND ARROW

Archaeological finds have provided a relatively accurate description of the development of the bow (Heb. qešeṯ). The earliest bows were made from one piece of wood, which could be up to 1.7 m. (5.5 ft.) long, and strung with animal sinew. Later bows were shorter and made from bonded strips of wood and animal horn.

Rock carvings of the upper Paleolithic period attest to the bow’s use in prehistoric times as a device for hunting and defense. It was one of the earliest weapons of war. With the introduction of the composite bow in Akkad in the 23rd century b.c., the bow became the preeminent long-range weapon. This development increased the effective range from 10 m. (100 yds.) to 40 m. (400 yds.) It was directly responsible for the organization of the first archery units and the development of the coat of mail. With the introduction of mail, the bow could be deployed among cavalry (cf. 2 Kgs. 9:24).

Local enemies of Israel also employed the bow. It was the Philistine archers who seem to have turned the tide of the battle in which King Saul was killed (1 Sam. 31:3). Likewise a Syrian archer was responsible for the death of King Ahab (1 Kgs. 22:35). Within Israel use of the bow developed along similar lines. The number of archers present in the Lachish relief, the number of arrowheads uncovered, and the frequency of attestation in the OT all suggest that use of the bow was widespread in Israel. Units of archers were found among Israelite troops (1 Chr. 5:18; 8:40; Ps. 78:9; cf. Gen. 49:24).

Because the bow was a common sight in ancient Israel, the term is frequently used figuratively — to mean battle-ready (Ps. 7:12[MT 13]; 11:2; Jer. 46:9; 50:14, 29; 51:3; “to bend the bow” refers not to the act of shooting, but to stringing the bow in preparation for battle), to refer to invincible forces (Isa. 21:15), the judgment of God (Ps. 7:13[14]; Hos. 1:5; Jer. 49:35), divinely imposed peace (Ps. 46:9[10]; 76:3[4]; Hos. 2:18[20]; Ezek. 39:9), wickedness (Ps. 78:57; Hos. 7:16), defeat (1 Sam. 2:4), and victory (2 Kgs. 13:15-17).

Heb. ḥēṣ (“arrow”) is derived from the root “to divide.” Egyptian artifacts show that the shaft of the arrow was normally 76 cm. (30 in.) in length and was made of a hollow reed with three sets of feathers on one end. As further confirmation, the Nuzi tablets use the same word for both “reed” and “arrow shaft.” The blade was made of stone, copper, bronze, or iron, the composition changing with each technological advance. Impetus for these changes was provided by the ever-increasing effectiveness of body armor. The Bible (Gen. 27:3; Isa. 22:6; Jer. 5:16; Lam. 3:13) and archaeology indicate that arrows were stored in leather quivers. The Nuzi and Amarna tablets and Assyrian reliefs indicate that quivers could hold 20 to 50 arrows.

The arrow was such an effective weapon of destruction that it became a popular metaphor. The arrow could refer to God’s judgment (Deut. 32:23, 42; Ps. 7:13[14]; 45:5[6]; 64:7[8]; Ezek. 5:16; 39:3), severe afflictions (Job 6:4; Ps. 38:2[3]), injurious speech (Ps. 64:3-4[4-5]; Jer. 9:8; Prov. 25:18), numerical strength (Ps. 127:4-5), lightning (18:14[15] [= 2 Sam. 22:15]; 77:17-18[18-19]; 144:6; Hab. 3:11), divinely imposed peace (Ps. 76:3[4]), sudden danger (91:5), and possibly Satan’s trials and temptations (Eph. 6:16).

Bibliography. R. Gonen, Weapons of the Ancient World (Minneapolis, 1976); T. R. Hobbs, A Time for War. OTS 3 (Wilmington, 1989); Y. Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, 2 vols. (Jerusalem, 1963).

W. E. Nunnally

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

BOW AND ARROW

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)