קֶ֫שֶׁת

From the study of Ezekiel 1:28

Range of meaning

Mainly the bow used as a weapon, for hunting or war (dozens of uses). By extension, archers and military strength ("break the bow" means to destroy someone's power). In a few places it is the bow in the cloud, the rainbow (Genesis 9:13, 14, 16; Ezekiel 1:28).

Against the English

English "rainbow" is a separate, purely weather-related word with cheerful associations. A Hebrew hearer heard simply "the bow", the same word as a warrior's weapon, made clear by "in the cloud on the day of rain." KJV, YLT and ESV keep "bow"; BSB, WEB and NASB say "rainbow".

How it drifted

"Rainbow" correctly names what is described. But the single English word hides the fact that Hebrew used its ordinary weapon word, and that the phrase almost quotes Genesis 9.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 9:13–16: "I have set my bow in the cloud … the bow shall be in the cloud" (qaštî … beʿānān). It is the sign that God will not again destroy the earth by flood. God is pictured as a warrior with a bow in Habakkuk 3:9 and in Lamentations 2:4 and 3:12, where he "bent his bow like an enemy" against Jerusalem. In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish (Tablet VI), the god Marduk's bow is placed in the heavens after his victory. Revelation 4:3 takes up this image with a rainbow (Greek iris) around the heavenly throne.

From the study of Hosea 2:18

Range of meaning

Qeshet is the bow (also the rainbow in Gen 9:13). Cherev is the sword. Milchamah is battle or war. The three together make a formula for armed conflict as a whole.

Against the English

Most versions keep the three nouns. BSB and some others turn 'break' into 'abolish', which reads smoothly but hides two things: war itself is pictured as something snapped like a weapon, and the verb echoes Hosea 1:5.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hosea 1:7 uses the same three words: 'I will save them not by bow, nor by sword, nor by war'. Psalm 76:3 (Hebrew v.4) has 'there he broke the flashing arrows of the bow, shield and sword and war', almost the same list with the same verb. See also Psalm 46:9 ('he breaks the bow… makes wars cease').

From the study of Psalm 18:34

Range of meaning

Bow (the weapon); by extension, military might ('break the bow' = end someone's power, Hos 1:5; Ps 46:9). Also used for the rainbow (Gen 9:13).

Against the English

No real drift. 'Bow' is accurate. Modern readers may not realise how prestigious and demanding the bow was.

Used elsewhere in the period

Archery was the signature royal skill across the ancient Near East. Egyptian pharaohs (e.g. Amenhotep II) boasted of drawing bows no one else could and shooting through copper targets, and Assyrian palace reliefs show kings as archers. Saul and Jonathan were remembered for the bow (2 Sam 1:18, 22).