H2671 H2671
arrow — a pointed missile shot from a bow, used of weapons of war and as a figure for divine judgment
Khets denotes the arrow as the primary projectile weapon of the ancient Near East, and its 46 occurrences traverse the literal and the figurative with remarkable fluidity. Jonathan shoots arrows as a secret signal to David (1 Sam 20:20-36), Elisha instructs King Joash to strike the ground with arrows as a prophetic sign of victory (2 Kgs 13:15-18), and Psalm 127:4 compares sons to 'arrows in the hand of a warrior.' But the most powerful uses are theological: God's arrows are instruments of cosmic judgment — 'I will spend my arrows on them' (Deut 32:23), 'He sent out his arrows and scattered them' (Ps 18:14). Job cries that 'the arrows of the Almighty are in me' (Job 6:4). The word's range from battlefield weapon to divine missile is mirrored in translations: Spanish 'flecha,' German 'Pfeil,' French 'fleche.'
Senses
1. arrow, projectile weapon — A pointed projectile shot from a bow, encompassing literal arrows used in warfare and hunting, prophetic sign-acts involving arrows, and the vivid metaphor of God's arrows as instruments of judgment and affliction. Literal uses include Jonathan's signal to David (1 Sam 20:20-36), battlefield references (Gen 49:23 archers attack Joseph; Num 24:8 Israel's arrows), and Elisha's sign-act with Joash (2 Kgs 13:15-18). Metaphorical uses portray divine wrath ('I will make my arrows drunk with blood,' Deut 32:42; 'the arrows of the Almighty are in me,' Job 6:4) and providential protection (Ps 91:5 'the arrow that flies by day'). All 46 occurrences, across singular, plural, construct, and suffixed forms, share this unified referent of the arrow as weapon and symbol. 46×
AR["السَّهْمِ", "بِ-سَهْمٍ", "سَهْمًا", "سَهْمٌ", "سَهْمَهُمْ", "سِهامًا", "سِهامَ", "سِهامَكَ", "سِهامُكَ", "سِهَامًا", "سِهَامَكَ", "سِهَامَهُمْ", "وَ-سِهامٌ", "وَبِالسِّهَام", "وَبِالسِّهَامِ", "وَسِهَامًا"]·ben["এবং-তীর", "এবং-তীরে", "ও-তীর", "ও-তীরগুলিতে", "তাদের-তীর", "তীর", "তীর-তোমার", "তীরগুলি", "তীরগুলো-", "তীরের", "তোমার-তীর"]·DE["Haelfte", "Pfeil", "Pfeile", "[ובחצים]", "[חץ]", "[חצי]", "[חצים]", "dein-Pfeil", "ihr-Pfeil", "mit-ein-Pfeil", "und-Pfeil", "und-Pfeile"]·EN["An-arrow", "Your-arrows", "an-arrow", "and-arrows", "and-with-arrows", "arrow", "arrows", "arrows-of", "their-arrow", "with-an-arrow", "your-arrows"]·FR["[ובחצים]", "et-flèche", "et-flèches", "flèche", "flèches"]·heb["ו-ב-ה-חצים", "ו-ב-חיצים", "ו-חיצים", "חיצי", "חיצי-ך", "חיציך", "חיצים", "חיצם", "חץ"]·HI["अपना-तीर", "अपने-तीरों-को", "और-खित्सीम", "और-तीर", "और-तीरों-से", "और-से-तीर", "तीर", "तीर-तेरे"]·ID["anak-anak-panah", "anak-panah", "anak-panah-mereka", "dan-anak-anak-panah", "dan-dengan-anak-anak-panah", "dan-dengan-panah-panah", "panah", "panah-panah", "panah-panah-Mu"]·IT["[ובחצים]", "[חצי]", "e-frecce", "e-freccia", "frecce", "freccia", "le-tue-frecce"]·jav["Gusti Allah", "Panah", "Panah-Panjenengan", "jemparing", "lan-kanthi-panah-panah", "lan-klawan-panah", "lan-mboten", "lan-panah-panah", "panah", "panah-Panjenengan", "panah-ipun", "panah-panah", "panah-panah-Panjenengan", "panah-panahipun"]·KO["그-와-에-화살들", "그들-의-화살-을", "그리고-화살-들-이도다", "그리고-화살들-안에서", "그리고-화살들을", "주-의-화살들-이", "주의-화살들을", "화살-을", "화살-이", "화살들-이", "화살들을", "화살을", "화살이라"]·PT["Flecha", "Tuas-flechas", "a-sua-flecha", "e-com-as-flechas", "e-com-flechas", "e-flechas", "flecha", "flechas", "flechas-de", "sua-flecha", "tuas-flechas"]·RU["и-стрелами", "и-стрелы", "стрел", "стрела", "стрелой", "стрелою", "стрелу", "стрелу-свою", "стрелы", "стрелы-Твои"]·ES["Flecha", "Tus-flechas", "flecha", "flechas", "flechas-de", "su-flecha", "tus-flechas", "y-con-flechas", "y-con-las-flechas", "y-flechas"]·SW["Mishale-yako", "mishale", "mishale-ya", "mishale-yako", "mshale", "mshale-wao", "na-kwa-mishale", "na-mishale"]·TR["Okların", "et", "ok", "oklar", "okları", "okların", "oklarını", "oku", "ve-oklar", "ve-oklarla"]·urd["اور-تِیر", "اور-تیروں", "اور-تیروں-سے", "اپنے-تیر", "تیر", "تیر-اُن-کا", "تیر-نے", "تیروں-کے", "تیرے-تیر", "وَ-تیر"]
Gen 49:23, Num 24:8, Deut 32:23, Deut 32:42, 1 Sam 17:7, 1 Sam 20:38, 2 Sam 22:15, 2 Kgs 13:15, 2 Kgs 13:15, 2 Kgs 13:17, 2 Kgs 13:17, 2 Kgs 19:32 (+34 more)
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)H7626 2. rod, staff, stick (33×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֵץ n.m. 1 S 20:20 arrow, mostly poet. and proph. (cf. חֵצִי supr. sub חצה)—abs. ח׳ ψ 91:5 + 9 times + 1 S 17:7 Kt (Qr עֵץ q.v.); cstr. id. 2 K 13:17(×2); sf. חִצִּי Jb 34:6, חִצּוֹ ψ 58:8 Zc 9:14, חִצָּם ψ 11:2; 64:4; Pl. חִצִּים Gn 49:23 + 17 times + 1 S 20:38 Qr (Kt חֵ֫צִי q.v.) + 2 S 22:15 (חִצָּיו ‖ ψ 18:15); cstr. חִצֵּי Jb 6:4 ψ 120:4 + Ez 5:16 (Co חִצַּי cf. 𝔊 𝔖 Hi); חִצַּי Dt 32:23,…