Reference: Bow
American
A weapon much used in ancient times, both for hunting and for war. It was made of wood, horn, or steel, Ge 27:3; Ps 18:34; and the foot was sometimes used in bending it. It was carried in a case, when not used, Hab 3:19. The Benjamites were celebrated for their skill in the use of this weapon, 1Ch 12:2; 2Ch 14:8; 17:17. See ARMS. The phrase, "a deceitful bow," to which the people of Israel are compared, Ps 78:57; Ho 7:16, means an ill-made or twisted bow, which does not shoot the arrow as it is aimed. In 2Sa 1:18, we read. "Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow." Here the words, "the use of," are not in the Hebrew. The use of the bow in war had long been common among the Jews, Ge 48:22; and to "teach them the bow," is by some supposed to mean, teach them by some supposed to mean, teach them the song of THE BOW, the lamentation over Saul and Jonathan, which follows; so called from the mention of the weapon in Ge 48:22, as the first four books in the Bible take their title in Hebrew from the first word in each. See ARROW.
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and now, take up, I pray thee, thy instruments, thy quiver, and thy bow, and go out to the field, and hunt for me provision,
and I -- I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'
and I -- I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'
and he saith to teach the sons of Judah 'The Bow;' lo, it is written on the book of the Upright: --
armed with bow, right and left handed, with stones, and with arrows, with bows, of the brethren of Saul, of Benjamin.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,
They turn back -- not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This is their derision in the land of Egypt!
Jehovah the Lord is my strength, And He doth make my feet like hinds, And on my high-places causeth me to tread. To the overseer with my stringed instruments!
Easton
The bow was in use in early times both in war and in the chase (Ge 21:20; 27:3; 48:22). The tribe of Benjamin were famous for the use of the bow (1Ch 8:40; 12:2; 2Ch 14:8; 17:17); so also were the Elamites (Isa 22:6) and the Lydians (Jer 46:9). The Hebrew word commonly used for bow means properly to tread (1Ch 5:18; 8:40), and hence it is concluded that the foot was employed in bending the bow. Bows of steel (correctly "copper") are mentioned (2Sa 22:35; Ps 18:34).
The arrows were carried in a quiver (Ge 27:3; Isa 22:6; 49:2; Ps 127:5). They were apparently sometimes shot with some burning material attached to them (Ps 120:4).
The bow is a symbol of victory (Ps 7:12). It denotes also falsehood, deceit (Ps 64:3-4; Ho 7:16; Jer 9:3).
The use of the bow in 2Sa 1:18 (A.V.) ought to be "the song of the bow," as in the Revised Version.
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and God is with the youth, and he groweth, and dwelleth in the wilderness, and is an archer;
and now, take up, I pray thee, thy instruments, thy quiver, and thy bow, and go out to the field, and hunt for me provision,
and now, take up, I pray thee, thy instruments, thy quiver, and thy bow, and go out to the field, and hunt for me provision,
and I -- I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'
and he saith to teach the sons of Judah 'The Bow;' lo, it is written on the book of the Upright: --
Teaching my hands for battle, And brought down was a bow of brass by mine arms,
Sons of Reuben, and the Gadite, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, of sons of valour, men bearing shield and sword, and treading bow, and taught in battle, are forty and four thousand and seven hundred and sixty, going out to the host.
And the sons of Ulam are men mighty in valour, treading bow, and multiplying sons and son's sons, a hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.
And the sons of Ulam are men mighty in valour, treading bow, and multiplying sons and son's sons, a hundred and fifty. All these are of the sons of Benjamin.
armed with bow, right and left handed, with stones, and with arrows, with bows, of the brethren of Saul, of Benjamin.
If one turn not, His sword he sharpeneth, His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it,
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
Who sharpened as a sword their tongue, They directed their arrow -- a bitter word. To shoot in secret places the perfect, Suddenly they shoot him, and fear not.
O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!
And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men -- horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.
And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men -- horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.
And he maketh my mouth as a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He hath hid me, And He maketh me for a clear arrow, In His quiver He hath hid me.
And they bend their tongue, their bow is a lie, And not for stedfastness have they been mighty in the land, For from evil unto evil they have gone forth, And Me they have not known, An affirmation of Jehovah!
Go up, ye horses; and boast yourselves, ye chariots, And go forth, ye mighty, Cush and Phut handling the shield, And Lud handling -- treading the bow.
They turn back -- not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This is their derision in the land of Egypt!
Fausets
BOW or RAINBOW. God, after the flood, took the rainbow, previously but a natural object of sight shining beautifully in the sky, when the sun's rays are refracted through failing rain at different angles and so produce different prismatic colors, and elevated it to spiritual significance, to be to Noah and the world the sign of His love and pledge of His sparing mercy, that He would no more destroy the earth with waters. The language in Genesis gives no reason for supposing the writer ignorant of the natural cause of the rainbow, as if he made God then for the first time setting it in the sky. So naathan, "give," means appoint in Nu 14:4; 1Sa 12:13; 1Ki 2:35.
It is the pledge of "the world's covenant, not the church's, a charter of natural blessings." "Set" means simply, "I do appoint My bow in the cloud" (Ge 9:13-16). In Eze 1:28 and Re 4:3 the rainbow round about the throne of Jehovah is the symbol of mercy to God's children amidst coming judgments on the wicked. Though the divine righteousness requires a deluge of wrath on the faithless, God's faithfulness will only shine forth on the elect remnant the brighter for the tribulation that necessarily precedes (compare Isa 54:8-10). The complete circle typifies God's perfection and eternity, not broken into a half, as the earthly rainbow. As the various prismatic colors unite to form one pure ray, so God's varied providence combine in one harmonious whole.
As the rainbow was reflected on the waters of the world's ruin, and is seen only when a cloud is over the earth, so another deluge of fire shall precede the new heavens and earth" granted to redeemed man, as the earth after the flood was restored to Noah. The cloud was the token of God's presence in Israel's wilderness journey and in the holiest place of the temple; and on Mount Sinai at the giving of the law; and at the Lord's ascension (Ac 1:9), and at His coming again (Re 1:7). The bow represents calm sunshine after the world's shipwreck through sin. It is the emblem of God's loving faithfulness to His covenant with His people, and the pledge of sure hope to them.
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My bow I have given in the cloud, and it hath been for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth;
My bow I have given in the cloud, and it hath been for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth; and it hath come to pass (in My sending a cloud over the earth) that the bow hath been seen in the cloud,
and it hath come to pass (in My sending a cloud over the earth) that the bow hath been seen in the cloud, and I have remembered My covenant which is between Me and you, and every living creature among all flesh, and the waters become no more a deluge to destroy all flesh;
and I have remembered My covenant which is between Me and you, and every living creature among all flesh, and the waters become no more a deluge to destroy all flesh; and the bow hath been in the cloud, and I have seen it -- to remember the covenant age-during between God and every living creature among all flesh which is on the earth.'
and the bow hath been in the cloud, and I have seen it -- to remember the covenant age-during between God and every living creature among all flesh which is on the earth.'
And they say one unto another, 'Let us appoint a head, and turn back to Egypt.'
And they say one unto another, 'Let us appoint a head, and turn back to Egypt.'
In overflowing wrath I hid my face for a moment from thee, And in kindness age-during I have loved thee, Said thy Redeemer -- Jehovah!
In overflowing wrath I hid my face for a moment from thee, And in kindness age-during I have loved thee, Said thy Redeemer -- Jehovah! For, the waters of Noah is this to Me, In that I have sworn -- the waters of Noah Do not pass again over the earth -- So I have sworn, Wrath is not upon thee, Nor rebuke against thee.
For, the waters of Noah is this to Me, In that I have sworn -- the waters of Noah Do not pass again over the earth -- So I have sworn, Wrath is not upon thee, Nor rebuke against thee. For the mountains depart, and the hills remove, And My kindness from thee departeth not, And the covenant of My peace removeth not, Said hath thy loving one -- Jehovah.
For the mountains depart, and the hills remove, And My kindness from thee departeth not, And the covenant of My peace removeth not, Said hath thy loving one -- Jehovah.
As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so is the appearance of the brightness round about.
As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so is the appearance of the brightness round about.
And these things having said -- they beholding -- he was taken up, and a cloud did receive him up from their sight;
And these things having said -- they beholding -- he was taken up, and a cloud did receive him up from their sight;
Lo, he doth come with the clouds, and see him shall every eye, even those who did pierce him, and wail because of him shall all the tribes of the land. Yes! Amen!
Lo, he doth come with the clouds, and see him shall every eye, even those who did pierce him, and wail because of him shall all the tribes of the land. Yes! Amen!
and He who is sitting was in sight like a stone, jasper and sardine: and a rainbow was round the throne in sight like an emerald.
and He who is sitting was in sight like a stone, jasper and sardine: and a rainbow was round the throne in sight like an emerald.
Morish
The common weapon for discharging arrows. It is used symbolically for the hidden attacks of the wicked against the righteous. Ps 11:2; 37:14-15. A 'bow of steel' signifies great strength. Job 20:24. The wicked are like a 'deceitful bow,' one that breaks when it is depended upon. Ps 78:57; Ho 7:16. In 2Sa 1:18 David's elegy on Saul and Jonathan is called 'The Bow.' The children were taught 'the song of the Bow.' R.V.
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and he saith to teach the sons of Judah 'The Bow;' lo, it is written on the book of the Upright: --
He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
For lo, the wicked tread a bow, They have prepared their arrow on the string, To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
A sword have the wicked opened, And they have trodden their bow, To cause to fall the poor and needy, To slaughter the upright of the way. Their sword doth enter into their own heart, And their bows are shivered.
And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,
They turn back -- not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This is their derision in the land of Egypt!
Smith
Bow.
The eastern mode of salutation, by kneeling upon one knee and bending the head forward till it touched the ground.
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And he recounteth unto his father, and unto his brethren; and his father pusheth against him, and saith to him, 'What is this dream which thou hast dreamt? do we certainly come -- I, and thy mother, and thy brethren -- to bow ourselves to thee, to the earth?'
Watsons
BOW. The expression, "to break the bow," so frequent in Scripture, signifies to destroy the power of a people, because the principal offensive weapon, of armies, was anciently the bow. "A deceitful bow" in one that, from some defect, either in bending or the string, carries the arrow wide of the mark, however well aimed. See ARMS.