Lexical Summary chetsi: Half, middle Original Word: חִצִּי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance arrow Or chetsiy {chay-tsee'}; prolongation from chets; an arrow -- arrow. see HEBREW chets NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chatsah Definition arrow NASB Translation arrow (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֵ֫צִי noun masculine2Kings 9:24 arrow (compare Arabic  , Ethiopic  id., Di134, and see Dr on 1 Samuel 20:36) — absolute הַחֵ֫צִי 1 Samuel 20:36,37 (twice in verse) + 1 Samuel 20:38 Kt (Qr הַחִצִּים), perhaps also 1 Samuel 20:21; 1 Samuel 20:22 (so ᵐ5 We, for ᵑ0 plural הַחִצִּים), 2 Kings 9:24; the usual form is חֵץ; see below Topical Lexicon Meaning and Range of Use חִצִּי appears thirteen times and always denotes an “arrow” (singular or collective). The contexts move from personal communication to warfare, from divine rescue to divine wrath, binding the imagery to God’s sovereign purposes. Canonical Distribution • 1 Samuel 20:20–38 (nine instances) Historical Context Iron-Age Israel shared the military culture of its neighbors; archers were essential on every battlefield. Yet Scripture does not merely record martial facts—it interprets them through covenant history, showing that even a flying shaft serves the larger redemptive story. Key Thematic Motifs 1. Covenant Loyalty and Protection (1 Samuel 20). Jonathan’s arrows function as a coded signal, preserving David’s life and the messianic line. An ordinary weapon becomes an instrument of steadfast love and divine preservation. 2. Judicial Execution (2 Kings 9:24). Jehu’s well-placed arrow fulfills Elijah’s oracle against Ahab’s house: “The word of the LORD never fails.” God’s justice is neither late nor indiscriminate; it is pinpoint accurate. 3. Faith Tested and Limited (2 Kings 13:18). Elisha offers Joash “the arrow of the LORD’s victory.” Joash’s timid striking foretells partial success. The passage links spiritual zeal to the measure of experienced deliverance. 4. God-Given Ingenuity (2 Chronicles 26:15). Uzziah’s engineers devise machines to shoot arrows from towers, and “his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped”. Human skill is celebrated, yet later pride warns that every gift must remain under God’s glory. 5. Sign of Desolation (Isaiah 7:24). Bows and arrows reappear in a ruined landscape overrun by briers. What once symbolized victory now highlights loss, showing the reversal that comes through covenant unfaithfulness. Typological and Christological Insights The arrow’s speed and penetration prefigure the incisive power of the Messiah’s word (Psalm 45:5; Revelation 19:15). Jonathan’s harmless arrow foreshadows the hidden path of the rejected yet chosen King; Jehu’s lethal arrow anticipates Christ’s final judgment on unrepentant evil. Practical Ministry Applications • Creative mercy: Like Jonathan, believers can employ everyday means to shield others. Representative Passages 1 Samuel 20:22 – “But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.” 2 Kings 9:24 – “Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders, and the arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.” 2 Kings 13:17 – “This is the arrow of the LORD’s victory, the arrow of victory over Aram.” Summary Though a simple term for “arrow,” חִצִּי threads through narratives of friendship, judgment, promise, innovation, and warning. Each appearance reaffirms that the LORD directs every shaft—whether for rescue or reproof—toward His unwavering redemptive ends. Forms and Transliterations בַּֽחִצִּ֔ים בַּחִצִּ֥ים בחצים הַ֣חִצִּ֔ים הַ֣חִצִּ֔ים הַחִצִּ֑ים הַחִצִּ֖ים הַחִצִּ֣ים ׀ הַחֵ֔צִי הַחֵ֖צִי החצי החצים ba·ḥiṣ·ṣîm bachitzTzim baḥiṣṣîm ha·ḥê·ṣî ha·ḥiṣ·ṣîm haChetzi hachitzTzim haḥêṣî haḥiṣṣîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 20:20 HEB: וַאֲנִ֕י שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת הַחִצִּ֖ים צִדָּ֣ה אוֹרֶ֑ה INT: I three arrow to the side will shoot 1 Samuel 20:21 1 Samuel 20:21 1 Samuel 20:22 1 Samuel 20:36 1 Samuel 20:36 1 Samuel 20:37 1 Samuel 20:37 1 Samuel 20:38 2 Kings 9:24 2 Kings 13:18 2 Chronicles 26:15 Isaiah 7:24 13 Occurrences |
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