Lexical Summary bolis: Dart, missile, javelin Original Word: βολίς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dart. From ballo; a missile, i.e. Javelin -- dart. see GREEK ballo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom balló Definition a dart, javelin. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1002: βολίςβολίς, βολιδος, ἡ (βάλλω), a missle, dart, javelin: Hebrews 12:20 Rec. from Exodus 19:13. (Nehemiah 4:17; Numbers 24:8; (Wis. 5:22; Habakkuk 3:11); Plutarch, Demetr. 3.) Topical Lexicon βολίς (bolis)Biblical Scope The noun βολίς appears in the Greek Old Testament and later Jewish literature but not in the Greek New Testament. In the Septuagint it translates several Hebrew words for “arrow” and “lightning,” capturing both the weapon hurled in battle and the sudden, blazing shaft of divine judgment. The term thus bridges literal warfare and poetic imagery, allowing the inspired writers to portray God as Warrior, Judge, and Deliverer. Septuagint and Second-Temple Usage 1. Literal arrows: Numbers 24:8; Deuteronomy 32:23; 2 Samuel 22:15; Psalm 64:7. The dual sense—shaft and flash—reinforces the immediacy of God’s action. Arrows fly straight and true; lightning strikes with unstoppable force. Both notions converge in the Hebrew poetry echoed by the Greek translators. Symbolism in Old Testament Poetry and Prophecy 1. Divine warfare. “He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them” (Psalm 18:14). βολίς accents the Lord’s initiative; His enemies are powerless before a single heavenly dart. 2. Sudden judgment. Job laments, “The arrows of the Almighty are in me” (Job 6:4). Pain and illness are experienced as penetrating βολίδες, reminding readers that chastening can be swift and piercing. 3. Covenant protection. Zechariah 9:14 envisions the restored remnant: “His arrow will go forth like lightning.” The same weapon of judgment becomes, for the faithful, an assurance that God fights on their behalf. Lightning Imagery Ancient observers viewed lightning as the sky-borne spear of a deity. Scripture redeploys that common intuition, but anchors it in monotheism: only the LORD commands the storm. Psalm 144:6 invokes βολίδες to scatter hostile nations; Habakkuk 3:11 links the “flash of Your flying arrows” with cosmic trembling. The phrase “flying arrows” perfectly matches βολίς—swift, fiery, unstoppable. Historical Background In Greco-Roman warfare, a βολίς could be a javelin or an arrow shot from a composite bow. Flaming arrows were common in siege operations. The Septuagint’s choice of βολίς therefore resonated with readers who knew both battlefield reality and sudden thunderstorms. Jewish exiles under Hellenistic rule would hear in the word a reminder that, above every earthly phalanx, the LORD still controlled the ultimate artillery of heaven. Theological Themes • Sovereign power: God alone launches the βολίδες that decide the outcome of history. Foreshadowing in the New Testament Although βολίς itself is absent from the Greek New Testament, its imagery permeates it: 1. Ephesians 6:16 speaks of “all the fiery darts of the evil one.” The spiritual adversary imitates divine weaponry; believers must lift the “shield of faith.” Christ’s triumph turns the once-threatening βολίς into the guarantee of ultimate deliverance for His people. Patristic and Later Christian Reflection Church Fathers such as Athanasius and Gregory of Nyssa read the lightning-arrow texts christologically—Christ pierces the heart, dispels darkness, and routs spiritual foes. Medieval homilists applied βολίς to preaching: the Word, like a flame-tipped arrow, convicts and illumines. Reformation commentators stressed its witness to God’s unassailable justice. Ministry Application 1. Preaching. Psalm 18:14 offers a vivid picture when proclaiming God’s decisive intervention in personal or national crises. Summary βολίς gathers into one word the arrow launched by an archer and the lightning shot from the sky. In Scripture it portrays the LORD’s swift, precise, and victorious action—terrifying to the rebellious, assuring to the faithful. Though absent from the New Testament text, its Old Testament resonance and subsequent theological development enrich Christian understanding of divine judgment, protection, and eschatological hope. In ministry, the term invites believers to rest in the God whose every dart finds its mark and whose lightning never misses its appointed hour. Forms and Transliterations βολίδα βολίδας βολίδες βολίδι βολίς βολίσι βολίσιν βόλω βομβήσει βομβήσουσι εβόμβησανLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance βοήθειαν — 1 Occ.βοηθῆσαι — 1 Occ. βοήθησον — 2 Occ. βοήθει — 2 Occ. βοηθεῖτε — 1 Occ. ἐβοήθησά — 1 Occ. ἐβοήθησεν — 1 Occ. βοηθός — 1 Occ. βόθυνον — 3 Occ. βολήν — 1 Occ. Βοὲς — 2 Occ. Βοός — 1 Occ. βορβόρου — 1 Occ. βορρᾶ — 2 Occ. Βόσκε — 2 Occ. βόσκειν — 1 Occ. βοσκομένη — 3 Occ. βόσκοντες — 3 Occ. Βοσόρ — 1 Occ. βοτάνην — 1 Occ. |
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