H7235b H7235b
Shooter, archer; describes one who shoots arrows, used in Genesis 21:20 about Ishmael becoming an archer
This Qal active participle means 'shooter' or 'one who shoots,' specifically referring to archery skill. It appears in Genesis 21:20 describing Ishmael's development: he grew up in the wilderness and became 'a shooter of the bow.' The term emphasizes the active skill of shooting rather than merely possessing a bow. Scholars debate the exact form and suggest possible emendation to match a phrase in Jeremiah, but the general meaning remains clear: Ishmael mastered archery, essential for wilderness survival. This skill defines his identity and prefigures his descendants' martial, nomadic lifestyle.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Genesis 21:20 narrates Ishmael's maturation: 'God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became a shooter of the bow.' The participial form 'shooter' (רֹבֶה) emphasizes ongoing skill and occupation—not just one-time action but characteristic expertise. Spanish 'tirador' (shooter) and German 'Schütze' (marksman) convey the professional aspect. Growing up in the Paran wilderness with Hagar, Ishmael needed archery for hunting and defense. His mastery of this skill marks his transition to self-sufficient manhood and foreshadows the warrior identity of Ishmaelite tribes in later biblical and Arabian contexts. 1×
AR["رَامِيَ"]·ben["তীরন্দাজ"]·DE["ein-Schütze"]·EN["a-shooter-of"]·FR["un-shooter-de"]·heb["רבה"]·HI["तीरंदाज़"]·ID["pemanah"]·IT["un-shooter-di"]·jav["juru-panah"]·KO["쏘는-자"]·PT["atirador-de"]·RU["стрелком"]·ES["tirador-de"]·SW["upinde"]·TR["okçu"]·urd["تیر-انداز"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [רָבָה] vb. shoot (cf. II. רָבַב, I. רָמָה);—only Qal Pt. רֹבֶה קַשָּׁ֑ת Gn 21:20 רֹבֵה קָ֑שֶׁת, Kn Di al., but read prob. רֹמֵה ק׳ Ol Ball, one shooting the bow.