Bow

Bow the symbol of joy for the conquest of ene­mies.^f1 In Psa 7:12, it implies victory; signifying judgments laid up in store against persecutors.

To the Moguls, the bow was the symbol of a king;^f2 and the golden bow the badge of royalty. An army in battle array, was represented by the Egyptians by the hands of a man; ^f3 the one hand holding a shield, and the other a bow.

It is also the symbol of war, as in Zec 9:10. Break­ing a bow signifies the overthrow of the military strength of a kingdom. Hos 1:5. It denotes peace, Psa 46:9

F1 (Oneir. c. 249.)

F2 (Herbelot, tit. Buzuk Caus)

F3 (Hor. Apoll. Hierogl. L. 2. 5.)

The bow, in Scripture language meaneth much more than the instrument called the bow, used in war. Hence, the dying patriarch, when blessing Joseph, speaks of "his bow abiding in strength, because his arms were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. From thence (said the patriarch), is the shepherd the stone of Israel." (Gen. xlix. 24.) And the Redeemer himself is represented as having "a bow, when a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer." (Rev. vi. 2.) And there can benodoubt, but that the bow mentioned by the dying patriarch referred to Christ. Hence, in allusion to the same, JEHOVAH saith, "I do set my bow in the cloud." (Gen. ix. 13.) And hence John, when he saw heaven opened, beheld "a rainbow round about 1he throne." (Rev. 4: 3.) And the mighty angel he saw "clothed with a cloud, had a rainbow upon his head." (Rev. x. 1.) It is blessed to view Jesus thus constantly typified.

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.

Bow [ARMS]. The bow is frequently mentioned symbolically in Scripture. In Psa 7:12 it implies victory, signifying judgments laid up in store against offenders. It is sometimes used to denote lying and falsehood (Psa 64:3; Psa 120:4; Jer 9:3), probably from the many circumstances which tend to render a bow inoperative, especially in unskillful hands. Hence also ’a deceitful bow’ (Psa 78:57; Hos 7:16). The bow also signifies any kind of arms. The bow and spear are the most frequently mentioned, because the ancients used these most (Psa 44:6; Psa 46:9; Zec 10:4; Jos 24:12). In Hab 3:9 ’thy bow was made bare,’ means that it was drawn out of its case. The Orientals used to carry their bows in a case hung on their girdles.

A weapon much used in ancient times, both for hunting and for war. It was made of wood, horn, or steel, Gen 27:3 Psa 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, Psa 78:57 Hos 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, Gen 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 Gen 48:22, as the first four books in the Bible take their title in Hebrew from the first word in each. See ARROW.\par

Bow. Gen 37:10.

1. The eastern mode of salutation, by kneeling upon one knee and bending the head forward till it touched the ground.

2. See Arms.

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 Num 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" (Gen 9:13-16). In Eze 1:28 and Rev 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 (Act 1:9), and at His coming again (Rev 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.

(קֶשֶׁת, ke’sheth; τόξον), one of the most extensively employed and (among primitive nations) efficient implements of missile attack. SEE ARMOR. It is met with in the earliest stages of history, in use both for the chase (Gen 21:20; Gen 27:3) and war (Gen 48:22). In later times archers accompanied the armies of the Philistines (1Sa 31:3; 1Ch 10:3) and of the Syrians (1Ki 22:34). Among the Jews its use was not confined to the common soldiers, but captains high in rank, as Jehu (2Ki 9:24), and even kings’ sons (1Sa 18:4), carried the bow, and were expert and sure in its use (2Sa 1:22).

The tribe of Benjamin seems to have been especially addicted to archery (1Ch 8:40; 1Ch 12:2; 2Ch 14:8; 2Ch 17:7), but there were also bowmen among Reuben, Gad, Manasseh (1Ch 5:18); and Ephraim (Psa 78:9). The bow seems to have been bent with the aid of the foot, as now, for the word commonly used for it is דָּרִךְ, to tread (1Ch 5:18; 1Ch 8:40; 2Ch 14:8; Isa 5:18; Psa 7:12, etc.). Bows of steel (or perhaps copper, נְחוּשָׁה) are mentioned as if specially strong (2Sa 22:5; Psa 18:34). The string is occasionally named (יֶתֶר, ye’ther, or מֵיתָר, meythar’). It was probably at first some bind-weed or natural cord, since the same word is used in Jdg 16:7-9, for "green withs." In the allusion to bows in 1Ch 12:2, it will be observed that the sentence in the original stands "could use both the right hand and the left in stones and arrows out of a bow," the words "hurling" and "shooting" being interpolated by the translators. It is possible that a kind of bow for shooting bullets or stones is here alluded to, like the pellet-bow of India, or the " stonebow" in use in the Middle Ages, and to which allusion is made by Shakspeare (Twelfth NiSht, ii, 5), and which in Wis 5:22, is employed as the translation of πετροβόλος. This latter word occurs in the Sept. text of 1Sa 14:14, in a curious variation of a passage which in the Hebrew is hardly intelligible-- ἐν βολίσι, καὶ ἐν πετροβόλοις, καὶ ἐν κόχλαξι τοῦ πεδίου "with things thrown, and with stone-bows, and with flints of the field." If this be accepted as the true reading, we have here, by comparison with 14:27, 43, an interesting confirmation of the statement (13:1922) of the degree to which the Philistines had deprived the people of arms, leaving to the king himself nothing but his faithful spear, and to his son no sword, no shield, and nothing but a stone-bow and a staff (Auth. Vers. "rod"). SEE BOWMAN.

The ARROWS (חַצַּים, chitstsf.’) were carried in a quiver (תְּלַי, teli’, Gen 27:3; or אִשַׁפִּח, ashpach’, Psa 22:6; Psa 49:2; Psa 127:5). From an allusion in Job 6:4, they would seem to have been sometimes poisoned; and the "sharp arrows of the mighty with coals of juniper," in Psa 120:4, may point to a practice of ulsing arrows with some burning material attached to them. SEE ARCHER.

The bow is frequently mentioned symbolically in Scripture. In Psa 7:12, it implies victory, signifying judgments laid up in store against offenders. It is sometimes used to denote lying and falsehood (Psa 64:4; Psa 120:4; Jer 9:11), probably from the many circumstances which tend to render a bow inoperative, especially in unskilful hands. Hence also " a deceitful bow" (Psa 78:57; Hos 7:16), with which compare Virgil’s "Perfidus ensis frangitur" (AEn. 12:731). The bow also signifies any kind of arms. The bow and the spear are most frequently mentioned, because the ancients used these most (Psa 44:6; Psa 46:9; Zec 10:4; Jos 24:12). In Hab 3:9, "thy bow was made bare" means that it was drawn out of its case. The Orientals used to carry their bows in a case hung on their girdles. See Wemyss, Sym.Dic. s.v. 1 In 2 Samuel i, 18, the Auth. Vers. has, " Also he (David) bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow." "Here," says Professor Robinson (Addit. to Calmet), "the words ’the use of are not in the Hebrew, and convey a sense entirely false to the English reader. It should be ’teach them the bow,’ i.e. the song of THE BOW, from the mention of this weapon in v. 22. This mode of selecting an inscription to a poem or work is common in the East; so in the Koran the second Sura is entitled the cow, from the incidental mention in it of the red heifer; comp. Num 19:2. In a similar manner, the names of the books of the Pentateuch in the Hebrew Bibles are merely the first word in each book." SEE POETRY, HEBREW.

For the "Bow IN THE CLOUD," SEE RAINBOW.

Bow. Gen 27:3. See Arms.

The common weapon for discharging arrows. It is used symbolically for the hidden attacks of the wicked against the righteous. Psa 11:2; Psa 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. Psa 78:57; Hos 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.

ARCHER, ARCHERY:

bō. See ARCHERY.