Javelin

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

A short, light spear

[ARMS.]

Concise Bible Dictionary:

1. chanith, a light, flexible spear, and often translated “spear” (1 Sam. 18:10-11¹⁰And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. ¹¹And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. (1 Samuel 18:10‑11); 1 Sam. 19:9-10⁹And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. ¹⁰And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. (1 Samuel 19:9‑10); 1 Sam. 20:33³³And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. (1 Samuel 20:33)).

2. romach, spear or lance used by heavy-armed troops (Num. 25:7⁷And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; (Numbers 25:7)).

“252. Greaves Javelin” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

1 Samuel 17:6⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. (1 Samuel 17:6). He had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

1. Greaves were coverings for the legs. There are none represented on the Egyptian monuments, but they are seen on the Assyrian sculptures. They were of leather, wood, or, as in the case of Goliath, of brass, and were bound by thongs around the calves and above the ankles.

2. Kidon, here rendered “target,” is translated by the word “shield” in verse 45 of this chapter, and in Job 39:23²³The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. (Job 39:23); “spear” in Joshua 8:18, 26¹⁸And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. (Joshua 8:18)
²⁶For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. (Joshua 8:26); Job 41:29²⁹Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. (Job 41:29); Jeremiah 6:23²³They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. (Jeremiah 6:23); and “lance” in Jeremiah 50:42⁴²They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not show mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:42). It was probably a light javelin, which could be easily hurled at an enemy. Some suppose it to have been decorated with a flag, like the lances of the Polish lancers. It would seem from this verse that when not in actual use it was carried on the back; for this is the meaning of “between the shoulders.” It was probably slung across he shoulders by means of a leathern strap.

“260. Fleeing From the Dart” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

1 Samuel 19:10¹⁰And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. (1 Samuel 19:10). Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

According to an ancient Asiatic custom, when a dart was thrown at a freedman, and he escaped from it by flight, he was thereby absolved from all allegiance to his master. Thus Saul by his murderous fury gave complete liberty to David, whose subsequent acts of war against the king could not be considered rebellion. From that hour he was no longer a subject of King Saul (See Kitto's Cyclopoedia of Biblical Literature, vol.1, p. 225).

Javelin

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

Concise Bible Dictionary:

“252. Greaves Javelin” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

“260. Fleeing From the Dart” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

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