Topical Bible: Arrows: Called Shafts

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, arrows, often referred to as "shafts," were a common weapon used in warfare and hunting. They are frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, symbolizing both physical and spiritual concepts. The Hebrew word for arrow is "חֵץ" (chets), and in the Greek New Testament, it is "βέλος" (belos).

Physical Use and Symbolism

Arrows were an essential part of the ancient warrior's arsenal. They were typically made from wood, with a pointed metal or stone tip, and were used with a bow to strike enemies from a distance. The Bible provides numerous accounts of arrows being used in battle. For instance, in 1 Samuel 20:36-37, Jonathan uses arrows to communicate with David, illustrating their role in both combat and communication.

In 2 Kings 13:17, the prophet Elisha instructs King Jehoash to shoot an arrow out of the window, declaring it as "the LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram." This passage highlights the symbolic use of arrows as instruments of divine intervention and victory.

Spiritual Symbolism

Arrows also carry significant spiritual symbolism in the Bible. They are often used metaphorically to describe the swift and penetrating nature of God's judgment or the attacks of the wicked. In Psalm 64:3, the wicked are described as those "who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows." This imagery conveys the destructive power of malicious speech.

Conversely, arrows can symbolize God's protection and deliverance. In Psalm 91:5, the faithful are assured, "You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day." Here, the arrow represents any form of danger or threat, emphasizing God's safeguarding presence.

Divine Arrows

The Bible also speaks of arrows as instruments of God's wrath and judgment. In Deuteronomy 32:23, God declares, "I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows against them." This passage illustrates the use of arrows as a metaphor for divine retribution against those who oppose God's will.

In Habakkuk 3:11, the prophet describes a theophany where "sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear." This vivid imagery underscores the power and majesty of God's intervention in human affairs.

Arrows in Prophecy

Arrows are also present in prophetic literature, symbolizing the swift execution of God's plans. In Isaiah 49:2, the Servant of the Lord is described as having a "mouth like a sharp sword" and being "hidden in the shadow of His hand; He made me into a polished arrow." This passage is often interpreted as a messianic prophecy, pointing to the coming of Christ and His role in God's redemptive plan.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, arrows, or shafts, serve as powerful symbols of both human and divine action. They represent the dual nature of God's justice and mercy, as well as the reality of spiritual warfare. Whether as instruments of judgment or protection, arrows remind believers of the penetrating power of God's word and the certainty of His promises.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 49:2
And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Death to Sin through Christ
... Why was the infant Messiah to be called Jesus? ... The shafts and the smiting of sin
seem really like the piercings of an arrow, as if arrows from the Almighty ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/xxiii death to sin through.htm

Moses --Making Haste
... at the first Grudging, as the old doctors called it, of ... You would see shafts and
darts and shootings upwards of ... see a perfect sheaf of upward arrows, with all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/v mosesmaking haste.htm

The Preacher as a Christian.
... Patrick: the sentiment may well be called the music to which the true Church ... Two
strings to one's bow will do with any shafts but the arrows of the King. ...
/.../stalker/the preacher and his models/lecture vii the preacher as.htm

Life in Christ
... I know it does, and it is called "the body of ... The shafts of the last enemy can have
no more effect ... Though besetting sins may be as arrows, and fleshly lusts ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/life in christ.htm

A Great Religious Awakening.
... with much feeling, to the 'many arrows which pierced ... a definite time for Christ's
coming called forth great ... souls, and shielding them from the shafts of Satan. ...
/.../20 a great religious awakening.htm

A Great Religious Awakening
... with much feeling, to the many arrows which pierced ... of a definite time for Christ's
coming called forth great ... souls and shielding them from the shafts of Satan ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 20 a great religious.htm

The Secret of Power
... 'And when He had called unto Him ... be shaken may remain,' and all the clustered shafts,
and deep ... Your arrows must be winged with faith, else orthodoxy, and wise ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the secret of power.htm

The Sunday-School Teacher --A Steward
... what his Lord doeth, but I have called you friends ... Did you seek to send the arrows
home when providence ... good, that thou mightest find polished shafts to shoot ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the sunday-school teachera steward.htm

A Preacher from the Dead
... minister had taken to himself bow and arrows, and were ... your conscience the butt at
which his shafts were levelled ... You had a friend, a so-called friend; he was a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/a preacher from the dead.htm

Additional Notes.
... with the Munich MS., Gr.251, of the Psalter, called L by Lagarde ... weeks,' etc.; the
second, 'tribes' or 'rods' (not, properly, 'shafts' or 'arrows'); and the ...
/.../additional notes.htm