In biblical times, the arrow was a fundamental weapon of war, often mentioned in the context of battle and divine judgment. The arrow, typically made of wood with a metal or stone tip, was used by archers to strike enemies from a distance. Its significance in warfare is underscored by numerous references throughout the Scriptures, highlighting its role in both physical and spiritual conflicts.

Old Testament References

The use of arrows in warfare is prominently featured in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 20:20, Jonathan uses arrows as a signal to David, illustrating their utility beyond mere weaponry. The Berean Standard Bible states, "I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were aiming at a target." This passage not only demonstrates the practical use of arrows but also their symbolic role in communication and covenant.

Arrows are also depicted as instruments of divine judgment. In Deuteronomy 32:23, God declares, "I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows against them." Here, arrows symbolize the execution of God's wrath against the disobedient, emphasizing their role as tools of divine retribution.

The Psalms frequently use arrows metaphorically to describe the attacks of the wicked or the judgments of God. Psalm 64:3 describes the wicked as those "who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows." This metaphorical use underscores the penetrating and destructive power of arrows, likening them to harmful words and intentions.

Prophetic Imagery

In the prophetic books, arrows often symbolize impending judgment and warfare. Jeremiah 50:9 prophesies the destruction of Babylon, stating, "For behold, I will stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north. They will line up against her; from there she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed." This imagery conveys the certainty and effectiveness of divine judgment executed through human agents.

Ezekiel 5:16 further illustrates this concept: "When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you, I will intensify the famine and cut off your supply of bread." Here, arrows are a metaphor for the severe consequences of disobedience, highlighting their role as instruments of God's corrective measures.

New Testament Allusions

While the New Testament does not frequently mention arrows in the context of physical warfare, it does employ the imagery in a spiritual sense. Ephesians 6:16 advises believers to take up "the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." This passage uses the metaphor of arrows to describe the spiritual attacks believers face, emphasizing the need for faith as a defense.

Symbolism and Spiritual Warfare

Throughout the Bible, arrows are emblematic of both physical and spiritual warfare. They represent the swift and often unseen nature of attacks, whether from human enemies or spiritual adversaries. The imagery of arrows serves to remind believers of the reality of conflict in both the physical and spiritual realms, urging them to remain vigilant and reliant on God's protection and guidance.

In summary, arrows in the biblical narrative are multifaceted symbols, representing not only the tangible aspects of ancient warfare but also the deeper spiritual battles faced by God's people. Their presence in Scripture underscores the themes of judgment, protection, and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.1 Samuel 31:3
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
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2 Samuel 22:15
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
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1 Kings 22:34
And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: why he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
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2 Kings 19:32
Therefore thus said the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
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Psalm 7:13
He has also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordains his arrows against the persecutors.
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Isaiah 22:3
All your rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in you are bound together, which have fled from far.
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Jeremiah 51:3
Against him that bends let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifts himself up in his brigandine: and spare you not her young men; destroy you utterly all her host.
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The Poets are Unfit to be Religious Teachers.
... he says that he was not only the dispenser of war to the ... loves, we must remind you
in the very words he used. ... Thro' her right breast a three-barb'd arrow sent: ...
/.../justins hortatory address to the greeks/chapter iithe poets are unfit.htm

The Holy War,
... 'I have used similitudes.'"Hosea 12 ... Bunyan's account of the Holy War is indeed an
extraordinary book, manifesting a degree of genius, research, and spiritual ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy war.htm

The Great Slaughters and Sacrilege that were in Jerusalem.
... not the son or a stone, but that the arrow or dart ... even his first edition of these
books of the war in pure Hebrew, or had the Jews then used the pure ...
/.../chapter 13 the great slaughters.htm

Be not Deceived; God is not Mocked.
... sitting, and I said, "Young man, be not deceived!" God used that as an arrow. ... It
has been asserted that during the late Franco-German war, German drummers ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter ii be not deceived.htm

The Mysteries of the Brazen Serpent
... the chiefs, and inflaming them for war; he gathers ... hit upon the reason why our Master
used this figure ... but these were thing, against which the arrow could not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the mysteries of the brazen.htm

Cambyses.
... In the course of the war, Psammenitus and all his family ... In serving him, the attendants
used vessels of gold ... he said this, he took up a bow and arrow which were ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter i cambyses.htm

The Peaceable Fruits of Sorrows Rightly Borne
... it, and the poison is wiped off the arrow which strikes ... at peace with God can scarcely
be at war with any ... ministries of sun and rain received and used, and of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the peaceable fruits of sorrows.htm

The Sword of the Spirit
... A spear will not do, nor bow and arrow; the enemy is ... With a soldier in war, a sword
is not meant to be ... be flourished in the air; but it is issued to be used. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/the sword of the spirit.htm

The Shield of Faith
... carried upon the arm, and which could be used, by a ... although the Bible is not,
'lusts"which war against the ... The arrow is invisible until it is buried in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the shield of faith.htm

The Government Then Passed to his Son Josia. ...
... height had profane observances prevailed, that they used to pay ... king of Egypt, who
was making war upon the ... armies properly engaged, he was wounded by an arrow. ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter lii the government then.htm

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