Lexical Summary kidon: Spear, javelin Original Word: כִּידוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lance, shield, spear, target From the same as kiyd; properly, something to strike with, i.e. A dart (perhaps smaller that chaniyth) -- lance, shield, spear, target. see HEBREW kiyd see HEBREW chaniyth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a dart, javelin NASB Translation javelin (8), spear (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. כִּידוֺן noun [masculine] dart, javelin (Late Hebrew id.) — absolute ׳כ Joshua 8:18 6t.; כִּידֹן Jeremiah 50:42; construct כִּידוֺן 1 Samuel 17:6; — dart, javelin (distinct from חֲנִית spear, lance, q. v.), אשׁר ביד (ךׅ ׳נטה בַּכּ Joshua 8:18 (twice in verse), compare Joshua 8:26; ׳רַעַשׁ כּ Job 41:21 the rushing sound of a dart; בְּהֶרֶב ׳וּבַחֲנִית וּבְכ 1 Samuel 17:45 (weapons of Goliath), ׳כ נְחשֶׁת בֵּין כְּתֵפָיו 1 Samuel 17:6 (חֲנִית in 1 Samuel 17:7); + חֲנִית Job 39:23 also; ׳קֶשֶׁת וְכ Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 50:42. Topical Lexicon Historical and Cultural SettingIn the Bronze and Iron Ages the kidôn formed part of the standard armament of both infantry and chariotry across the Near East. It was lighter and shorter than the heavy thrusting spear, carried in multiples and designed for swift over-arm release against massed troops or for finishing a routed foe at close quarters. Archaeology corroborates the biblical picture: socketed bronze heads and later iron examples dating to the late second and early first millennia B.C. have been unearthed at sites such as Lachish, Gezer, and Megiddo. Within Israel the weapon was familiar enough that Scripture can mention it without explanatory gloss, assuming the reader’s acquaintance with its shape and purpose. Military Context in the Historical Books Joshua 8:18, 26 records the kidôn as the visible signal by which Joshua coordinated the ambush of Ai: “Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Hold out your spear toward Ai, for I will deliver it into your hand.’ … Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his spear until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.” The upraised weapon here functions as a divinely appointed standard, comparable to Moses’ staff on the hill of Rephidim (Exodus 17:11-13). Victory is shown to depend not on the technical capabilities of the javelin but on the Lord who commands its movement. In 1 Samuel 17:6 the Philistine champion is described as wearing “a bronze javelin slung on his back,” illustrating the imposing martial technology of Israel’s enemies. Yet David dismisses that advantage: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts” (1 Samuel 17:45). The narrative contrasts worldly confidence in weaponry with covenant trust in God, foreshadowing Paul’s later teaching that “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Poetic Imagery in Wisdom Literature Job’s speeches employ the kidôn to portray military terror and natural invincibility. The warhorse “laughs at fear” when “the quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and javelin” (Job 39:23), while the sea monster Leviathan considers the javelin as mere “chaff” (Job 41:29). Both scenes underline human frailty: the bravest warrior and the strongest weapon prove insignificant before the majestic power of God’s creation. Prophetic Warnings Jeremiah twice invokes the kidôn when announcing Babylon’s northern onslaught (Jeremiah 6:23; 50:42). The invaders “hold the bow and the spear” and show no mercy. The prophet intentionally echoes the weapon lists of earlier enemies to remind Judah that the judgment previously directed toward Canaanites (as at Ai) will now fall on an unfaithful Jerusalem. The instrument that once served Israel’s conquest becomes an omen of her own chastening—underscoring the moral reciprocity woven through biblical history. Symbolic and Theological Reflections 1. Instrument of judgment and deliverance: Whether in Joshua’s hand for Israel’s triumph or in Babylon’s grasp for Judah’s correction, the kidôn manifests Yahweh’s sovereign right to raise up and cast down nations. Ministry Application Preaching and teaching can highlight the kidôn as a visual aid illustrating the tension between visible resources and spiritual reality. Congregations living in a culture that prizes technology and strength must be reminded that victory is “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Disciples are encouraged to: Summary The nine occurrences of kidôn trace a line from conquest to kingship, from poetic wisdom to prophetic indictment. Across that spectrum the javelin remains a secondary actor; primary agency belongs to the covenant Lord who wields nations and armaments to accomplish redemptive purposes. By studying the kidôn the modern believer gains renewed confidence in Scripture’s unified testimony and is summoned to the same covenant loyalty that marked Joshua and David. Forms and Transliterations בַּכִּיד֑וֹן בַּכִּיד֤וֹן בַּכִּיד֥וֹן בכידון וְכִיד֞וֹן וְכִיד֥וֹן וְכִידֹ֞ן וְכִידֽוֹן׃ וּבְכִיד֑וֹן ובכידון וכידון וכידון׃ וכידן כִּידֽוֹן׃ כידון׃ bak·kî·ḏō·wn bakkiDon bakkîḏōwn kî·ḏō·wn kiDon kîḏōwn ū·ḇə·ḵî·ḏō·wn ūḇəḵîḏōwn uvechiDon vechiDon wə·ḵî·ḏō·wn wə·ḵî·ḏōn wəḵîḏōn wəḵîḏōwnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 8:18 HEB: יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ נְ֠טֵה בַּכִּיד֤וֹן אֲשֶׁר־ בְּיָֽדְךָ֙ NAS: Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand KJV: Stretch out the spear that [is] in thy hand INT: to Joshua Stretch the javelin is in hand Joshua 8:18 Joshua 8:26 1 Samuel 17:6 1 Samuel 17:45 Job 39:23 Job 41:29 Jeremiah 6:23 Jeremiah 50:42 9 Occurrences |
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