About…
arrows in the Bible

At first arrows were made of reeds, and then of wood tipped with flint, iron or bronze.

Arrows were used in war as well as in the hunting of game (Genesis 27:3; 49:23).

They were also used in heathen divination.

For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows; he asks the household idols; he looks at the liver. —Ezekiel 21:21

The word “arrow” is frequently used as a symbol of…

• Calamity or disease inflicted by God

  I will heap calamities on them;
  I will exhaust My arrows on them. —Deuteronomy 32:23

  When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine… —Ezek. 5:16 excerpt

  The man Job wrongly assumed that God was attacking him, when it was actually Satan.

  For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
  Their poison my spirit drinks;
  The horrors of God are arranged against me. —Job 6:4

  The Psalmist said,

  For Your arrows have pressed deep into me,
  And Your hand has pressed down upon me. —Psalm 38:2

• Some sudden danger

  You will not be afraid of terror by night,
  Or arrow that flies by day; —Psalm 91:5

• Like lightning

  Arrows are sometimes figuratively used for lightning (Zechariah 9:14).

  Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
  Send out Your arrows and confuse them. —Psalm 144:6

  He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
  And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. —Psalm 18:14

  Then Yahweh will appear over them,
  And His arrow will go forth like lightning… —Zechariah 9:14 LSB excerpt

• bitter words

  …They aimed bitter speech as their arrow —Psalm 64:3 excerpt

• False testimony

  Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow
  Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor. —Proverbs 25:18

• Children as arrows

  “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.” —Psalm 127:4-5 NIV

  In context of “unless the Lord builds the house” (Psalm 127:1), this portrays parenting as careful aiming, shaping, and releasing offspring as offensive weapons for legacy and defense in public life.

  Nuance: arrows must be released to be effective—over-control or neglect both fail.