H7420 H7420
Spear, lance — a thrusting weapon with a long shaft, standard military armament in ancient Israel
The רֹמַח (romach) is a thrusting spear or lance, distinct from the lighter javelin (חֲנִית). It appears alongside the sword, shield, and bow as part of the standard warrior's kit. Phinehas famously seized one to execute judgment at Baal-Peor (Num 25:7), and the prophets of Baal slashed themselves with spears on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18:28). Joel's eschatological reversal — 'beat your pruning hooks into spears' (Joel 4:10) — inverts Isaiah's vision of peace. Cognates span Aramaic (rumchaa), Arabic (rumh), and Ethiopic (remh), suggesting a shared Semitic military vocabulary.
Senses
1. spear, lance — A long-shafted thrusting weapon with a metal point, used in close combat and listed among standard military equipment. Spanish consistently renders it 'lanza,' while French uses 'lance.' Frequently paired with חֶרֶב (sword) and מָגֵן (shield) in military inventories (2 Chr 11:12; 14:7; 26:14). Notable appearances include Phinehas's act of zeal (Num 25:7), the absence of weapons in Deborah's era (Judg 5:8), and Nehemiah's builders working with one hand and holding spears in the other (Neh 4:15). 15×
AR["الرِّمَاحَ", "رُمْحًا", "رِماحًا", "رِمَاحِهِمْ", "وَ-الرِّمَاحَ", "وَ-بِ-ال-رِّماحِ", "وَ-رُمْحٌ", "وَ-رِمَاحًا", "وَبِالرُّمْحِ", "وَرُمحٍ", "وَرُمْح", "وَرِماحاً"]·ben["-বর্শাগুলিতে", "আর-বর্শা", "এবং-বর্শা", "এবং-বর্শাগুলি", "এবং-বর্শাতে-", "এবং-বর্শার", "ও-বর্শা", "ও-বর্শায়", "বর্শা", "বর্শাগুলি-তাদের", "বর্শাগুলিকে", "বর্শায়"]·DE["[ברמחים]", "[הרמחים]", "[וברמח]", "[והרמחים]", "[ורמח]", "[ורמחים]", "[לרמחים]", "[רמח]", "[רמחיהם]", "ein-Speer", "und-ein-Speer", "und-mit-der-Speere"]·EN["a-spear", "and-a-spear", "and-spear", "and-spears", "and-the-spears", "and-with-spear", "and-with-the-spears", "in-the-spears", "into-spears", "spear", "spears-their", "the-spears"]·FR["[הרמחים]", "et-avec-le-lances", "et-lance", "et-un-lance", "lance", "un-lance"]·heb["ב-ה-רומח", "ה-רמחים", "ו-ב-רומח", "ו-ב-רמחים", "ו-ה-רומח", "ו-רומח", "ל-רמחים", "רומח", "רומח-ם", "רמח"]·HI["उनके-भालों", "और-भाला", "और-भाले", "और-में-भालों", "और-से-भाले", "को-भाले", "भाला", "भालों"]·ID["dan-dengan-tombak", "dan-tombak", "dan-tombak-tombak", "menjadi-tombak-tombak;", "tombak", "tombak-tombak", "tombak-tombak-mereka"]·IT["[הרמחים]", "[וברמח]", "[לרמחים]", "e-con-il-lance", "e-lancia", "e-un-lancia", "lancia", "un-lancia"]·jav["dados-tumbak", "ing-tumbak", "lan-kanthi-tumbak", "lan-mawi-tumbak", "lan-tombak", "lan-tumbak", "lan-tumbak-tumbak", "tumbak", "tumbak-nipun", "tumbak-tumbak"]·KO["그-와-창", "그-창들을", "그들의-창들", "그리고-창", "그리고-창들", "그리고-창들-로", "그리고-창들과", "그리고-창을", "에게-창들", "창-을", "창과", "창들을"]·PT["as-lanças", "e-as-lanças", "e-com-lança", "e-com-lanças", "e-lança", "e-lanças", "em-lanças", "lança", "lanças-deles", "nas-lanças"]·RU["и-копья", "и-копьями", "и-копьё", "и-копьём", "копья", "копьями-их", "копьё", "на-копья"]·ES["en-lanzas", "en-las-lanzas", "lanza", "las-lanzas", "sus-lanzas", "y-con-lanza", "y-con-lanzas", "y-lanza", "y-lanzas", "y-las-lanzas"]·SW["kuwa-mikuki", "mikuki", "mikuki-yao", "mkuki", "na-kwa-mikuki", "na-mikuki", "na-mkuki"]·TR["mızrak", "mızraklara", "mızrakları", "mızraklarıyla", "ve-mızrak", "ve-mızrakla", "ve-mızraklar", "ve-mızraklarla", "ve-mızrakları", "ve-mızrağı"]·urd["-برچھیوں", "اور-برچھی", "اور-نیزوں-سے", "اور-نیزوں-کو", "اور-نیزوں-کے", "اور-نیزہ", "اور-نیزے", "برچھی", "بھالوں-میں", "نیزوں-اپنے", "نیزہ", "کو-نیزوں"]
Num 25:7, Judg 5:8, 1 Kgs 18:28, 1 Chr 12:9, 1 Chr 12:25, 2 Chr 11:12, 2 Chr 14:8, 2 Chr 25:5, 2 Chr 26:14, Neh 4:13, Neh 4:16, Neh 4:21 (+3 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×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רֹ֫מַח n.[m.] spear, lance (etym. unknown; Aramaic רוּמְחָא, ܪܽܘܡܚܳܐ; Arabic رُمْحٌ; Ethiopic ረምሕ: );—often + חֶרֶב, צִנָּה, מָגֵן, קֶשֶׁת, etc.;—abs. ר׳ Ju 5:8; Nu 25:7 (P), Ez 39:9; 1 Ch 12:9, 25 (van d. H. v 8, 24), 2 Ch 14:7; 25:5; pl. רְמָחִים 1 K 18:28; Je 46:4; Jo 4:10; Ne 4:10, 15; 2 Ch 11:12; 26:14; sf. רָמְחֵיהֶם Ne 4:7.