Lexical Summary qayin: spear Original Word: קַיִן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance spear From quwn in the original sense of fixity; a lance (as striking fast) -- spear. see HEBREW quwn NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom un unused word Definition a spear NASB Translation spear (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [קַ֫יִן] noun [masculine] spear ᵐ5 and most; — suffix קֵינוֺ 2 Samuel 21:16; < read קוֺבָעוֺ (compare 1 Samuel 17:38) Klo Bu HPS and others Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Literary Setting The noun קַיִן (qayin) appears once, at 2 Samuel 21:16, describing the “new sword” wielded by Ishbi-benob, a Philistine giant descended from Rapha. The text highlights the weapon as freshly forged and deadly, sharpening the tension of the scene in which an aging King David, exhausted in battle, finds himself vulnerable. Historical Context The encounter belongs to a set of wars that flared up late in David’s reign (2 Samuel 21:15 – 22). Though Goliath had fallen decades earlier, Philistine champions still emerged, armed with formidable weaponry. Ishbi-benob’s קַיִן symbolizes the Philistines’ resilience and technological ingenuity. Abishai’s timely intervention rescues David, leading Israel’s leaders to forbid the king from further front-line combat so that “the lamp of Israel” would not be extinguished. Theological Themes 1. Divine Preservation of the Anointed: David’s survival, threatened by a lethal קַיִן, reinforces the covenant promise that the LORD would guard His chosen king (2 Samuel 7:12 – 16). Christological and Redemptive Significance The raised weapon against David foreshadows repeated satanic attempts to destroy the messianic seed. Just as God delivered David from Ishbi-benob’s קַיִן, He sovereignly preserved Christ until the appointed hour of the cross (John 10:18). Moreover, Christ conquers not by forged metal but by “the sword of His mouth” (Revelation 19:15), fulfilling and surpassing Old Testament anticipations of divine deliverance. Lessons for Ministry and Discipleship • Humility and Dependence: Leaders must recognize declining physical strength and lean on God’s provision through others. Related Vocabulary קַיִן differs from other Hebrew weapon terms such as חֲנִית (ḥănît, spear) and רֹמַח (romach, lance), illustrating the rich martial lexicon of the Old Testament and the writer’s precision in depicting armaments. Key Reference 2 Samuel 21:16 – “Now Ishbi-benob, who was a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, intended to kill David.” For Further Study 2 Samuel 21; Psalm 18; Psalm 144; Ephesians 6:10 – 20; Revelation 19:11 – 16. Forms and Transliterations קֵינוֹ֙ קינו keiNo qê·nōw qênōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 21:16 HEB: הָרָפָ֗ה וּמִשְׁקַ֤ל קֵינוֹ֙ שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ NAS: the weight of whose spear was three KJV: the weight of whose spear [weighed] three INT: of the giant the weight spear was three hundred |
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