Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the bowman, or archer, was a significant figure in warfare and hunting. The bow and arrow were essential tools for survival and defense, and the skill of archery was highly valued. The Bible references bowmen in various contexts, highlighting their role in both historical narratives and metaphorical language.
Historical ContextThe bowman is first mentioned in the context of warfare. In
Genesis 21:20, Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, is described as growing up in the wilderness and becoming an archer: "And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer." This early reference sets the stage for the bowman's role in the biblical narrative as a symbol of strength and survival.
In the military context, bowmen were crucial in battles. The tribe of Benjamin was renowned for its skilled archers.
1 Chronicles 12:2 describes the Benjaminites who joined David at Ziklag: "They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow." This ambidextrous ability made them formidable warriors.
The use of bowmen in battle is further illustrated in
2 Chronicles 14:8, where King Asa of Judah had an army that included "300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow." This highlights the strategic importance of archers in ancient military formations.
Metaphorical UsageThe imagery of the bow and arrow is also used metaphorically in the Bible to convey various spiritual truths. In
Psalm 127:4, children are likened to arrows in the hands of a warrior: "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth." This metaphor emphasizes the potential and impact of the next generation.
The bow is also used to describe God's judgment and power. In
Habakkuk 3:9, the prophet speaks of God's readiness to execute justice: "You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah." Here, the bow symbolizes divine authority and the execution of God's will.
Symbol of Strength and JudgmentThe bowman, as a symbol of strength, is often associated with God's might and the execution of His judgment. In
Jeremiah 50:14, the call to battle against Babylon includes the command to "Line up in formation around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD." This passage underscores the bowman's role in fulfilling divine retribution.
ConclusionThe bowman in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, representing both the practical aspects of ancient warfare and the deeper spiritual truths of strength, judgment, and the potential of future generations. Through historical accounts and metaphorical language, the bowman remains a powerful figure in the biblical narrative.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A man who uses a bow; an archer.
2. (n.) The man who rows the foremost oar in a boat; the bow oar.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BOWMANbo'-man: Israel seems not to have been equal to the surrounding peoples in the use of the bow. The battle of Gilboa was clearly lost through the superior skill of the Philistine bowmen. This seems to have moved David to encourage archery practice in Judah (2 Samuel 1:18; compare Driver in the place cited.). It is thought probable that the revival of Israel's military power under Jeroboam, son of Joash, was due to improvement in archery. Hosea, a contemporary, speaks of the bow as the national weapon of Israel (2 Samuel 1:5, 7). The most skilled bowmen of antiquity were the Assyrians (compareIsaiah 5:28;Isaiah 37:33). From Assyrian reliefs it seems that it was their practice to overwhelm their enemies with the bow, and to use sword and spear only when the foe had been demoralized and put to flight.
SeeARCHERY.
George B. Eager
Strong's Hebrew
7199. qashshath --bowman...bowman. Transliteration: qashshath Phonetic Spelling: (kash-shawth') Short Definition:
archer.
... Intensive (as denominative) from qesheth; a
bowman -- X archer.
...7198. qesheth -- a bow
... Word Origin perhaps from qush Definition a bow NASB Word Usage archers* (3), arrows
(1), bow (54),bowman* (1), bowmen (1), bows (13), bowshot* (1), rainbow (1...
7411a. ramah -- to cast, shoot
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to cast, shoot NASB Word Usage archers (1),
bowman* (1), hurled (2). 7411, 7411a. ramah. 7411b . Strong's Numbers.
7411. ramah -- to cast, shoot
... ramah. 7411a . to cast, shoot. Transliteration: ramah Phonetic Spelling:
(raw-maw') Short Definition: beguile. beguile, betray,bowman, carry, deceive, throw...
Library
Letter B
... 1783, Located 1796 * Bowers, George W. "Received 1837 * Bowers, Lemuel "Received
1838 * Bowers, William "Received 1829, Located 1835 *Bowman, Elisha W...
The Wonders of Prayer
... CULLIS, CH SPURGEON, SI PRIME, DD, BISHOP SIMPSON, E. KRUMMACHER, NEWMAN
HALL, DD, MARTIN LUTHER, BISHOP T.BOWMAN, JOHN KNOX, CHAS....
The General Conference of 1832
... Holston Conference: JohnBowman, WG Brownlow, JK Catlett, James Cumming, George
Ekin, John Henninger, Samuel Patton, Thomas Springfield....
The Ascension of Christ
... "Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall
under thee." Go not from the conflict, thou mightybowman, but still cast...
God's Care for the Boy Ishmael
... And Jehovah cared for the boy; and when he grew up, he lived in the wilderness of
Paran and became abowman. And his mother secured a wife for him from Egypt....
Letter cvii. To Laeta.
... The Armenianbowman has laid aside his quiver, the Huns learn the psalter,
the chilly Scythians are warmed with the glow of the faith....
Chapter xxi
... to Ishmael. 20, 21. And God was with the lad and he grew up, and lived
in the wilderness and became an archer, abowman. And he...
The Heroic Women of Early Indiana Methodism.
... BishopBowman well said of her at her funeral: "She was a woman of no ordinary
character, full of faith, patient, quiet, cheerful, happy."....
The General Conference of 1804, and of the Annual Conferences of...
... 1806, the Rev. Elisha W.Bowman made his entrance among them as a messenger
of the cross of Christ. The Mississippi district was...
Letter cxxv. To Rusticus.
... an angry countenance a backbiting tongue." [3493] It sometimes happens that an arrow
when it is aimed at a hard object rebounds upon thebowman, wounding the...
Thesaurus
Bowman (5 Occurrences)...BOWMAN. bo'-man: Israel seems not to have been equal to the surrounding peoples
in the use of the bow.
... Multi-Version Concordance
Bowman (5 Occurrences).
...Bowmen (13 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Plural ofBowman. Multi-Version Concordance
Bowmen (13 Occurrences). 2 Kings 8:29 So King Joram went...
Quick-footed (7 Occurrences)
... Amos 2:15 And thebowman will not keep his place; he who is quick-footed will not
get away safely: and the horseman will not keep his life. (BBE)....
Tall (41 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Genesis 21:20 And God was with the boy, and he became tall and strong,
and he became abowman, living in the waste land. (BBE)....
Expert (59 Occurrences)
... Genesis 25:27 And the boys came to full growth; and Esau became a man of the open
country, an expertbowman; but Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. (BBE)....
Bowl-shaped (4 Occurrences)
Bowl-shaped. Bowls, Bowl-shaped.Bowman . Multi-Version Concordance Bowl-shaped
(4 Occurrences).... Bowls, Bowl-shaped.Bowman . Reference Bible.
Archer (5 Occurrences)
... (see BOW). Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n.) Abowman, one skilled in the use of the
bow and arrow. Multi-Version Concordance Archer (5 Occurrences)....
Growth (77 Occurrences)
... Genesis 25:27 And the boys came to full growth; and Esau became a man of the open
country, an expertbowman; but Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. (BBE)....
Horseman (13 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Amos 2:15 And thebowman will not keep his place; he who is quick-footed
will not get away safely: and the horseman will not keep his life. (BBE NIV)....
Bow (248 Occurrences)
... Genesis 21:20 And God was with the boy, and he became tall and strong, and he
became abowman, living in the waste land. (Root in BBE RSV)....
Resources
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