chanit · spear

What it means

chanit (חֲנִית) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “spear”.

A spear: a long weapon with a point, for striking at close range or for throwing.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A long-shafted weapon with a metal point, for thrusting or throwing.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Spear: a long pointed weapon, for striking at close range or for throwing. In the stories of Saul it is almost his sign: he has it at hand in the house and at his head in the camp.

• Goliath’s spear 1 Samuel 17:71 Samuel 17:45
• Saul hurls the spear at David 1 Samuel 18:111 Samuel 19:10
• The spear at Saul’s head 1 Samuel 26:111 Samuel 26:12
• Feats with the spear 2 Samuel 2:232 Samuel 23:21
• Spears into pruning knives: the end of war Isaiah 2:4Micah 4:3Psalms 46:9

Historical and cultural background

In Saul’s time the Philistines left no smiths in Israel, and on the day of war “no sword or spear was found in the hand of any of the people”, except Saul and Jonathan (1 Samuel 13:19-22).

How we translate it

Always “spear” (43 times) or “spears” (4), distinct from כִּידוֹן, “javelin” (“You come to me with sword and with spear and with javelin”, 1 Samuel 17:45).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• spear ×43
• spears ×4

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• 1 Samuel×20
• 2 Samuel×9
• 2 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×7
• 2 Chronicles×1
• Job×2
• Psalms×3
• Isaiah×1
• Micah×1
• Nahum×1
• Habakkuk×1

• 1 Samuel 13:19

  No smith was found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make sword or spear.”

• 1 Samuel 13:22

  And it came about on the day of war that no sword or spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and with Jonathan, but one was found for Saul and for Jonathan his son.

• 1 Samuel 17:7

  The shaft of his spear was like a beam of weavers, and the point of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and the one who carried the shield was going before him.

• 1 Samuel 17:45

  David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and with spear and with javelin; but I come to you in the name of YHWH Tsevaot, the Elohim of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have reproached.

• 1 Samuel 17:47

  And all this assembly will know that YHWH does not save with sword and with spear; for the war is YHWH’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

• 1 Samuel 18:10

  And it came about on the next day that an evil spirit of Elohim came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, while David was playing with his hand, as day by day; and the spear was in the hand of Saul.

• 1 Samuel 18:11

  Saul hurled the spear and said, “I will strike David and the wall.” But David turned aside from before him twice.

• 1 Samuel 19:9

  An evil spirit of YHWH was upon Saul, as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.

• 1 Samuel 19:10

  Saul sought to strike with the spear David and the wall, but he slipped away from before Saul, and he drove the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

• 1 Samuel 20:33

  Saul hurled the spear at him to strike him, and Jonathan knew that it was decided on the part of his father to put to death David.

• 1 Samuel 21:8

  David said to Ahimelech, “And is there not here under your hand a spear or a sword? For I did not take either my sword or my weapons in my hand, because the king’s business was urgent.”

• 1 Samuel 22:6

  Saul heard that David had been discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk on the height, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing by him.

• 1 Samuel 26:7

  David and Abishai came to the people by night, and look, Saul was lying asleep within the camp enclosure, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

• 1 Samuel 26:8

  Abishai said to David, “Elohim has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him twice.”

• 1 Samuel 26:11

  Far be it from me, by YHWH, to stretch out my hand against the anointed of YHWH! Now please take the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go away.”

• 1 Samuel 26:12

  David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No one saw, no one knew, and no one woke up, for all of them were asleep, because a deep sleep from YHWH had fallen upon them.

• 1 Samuel 26:16

  This thing that you have done is not good. As YHWH lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, over the anointed of YHWH. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”

• 1 Samuel 26:22

  David answered and said, “Look, the king’s spear! Let one of the young men come over and get it.

• 2 Samuel 1:6

  The young man who was reporting it to him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and look, Saul was leaning on his spear; and look, the chariots and the horsemen were following him closely.

• 2 Samuel 2:23

  But he refused to turn away; so Abner struck him with the butt of the spear in the belly, and the spear came out behind him; and he fell there and died in his place. And it happened that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died stood still.

• 2 Samuel 21:19

  There was again war at Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck Goliath the Gittite; and the shaft of his spear was like a beam of weavers.

• 2 Samuel 23:7

  The man who touches them will be filled with iron and the shaft of a spear, and with fire they will be utterly burned in their place.”

• 2 Samuel 23:18

  Abishai, the brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he was head of the three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three.

• 2 Samuel 23:21

  He struck an Egyptian man, a man of imposing appearance. In the hand of the Egyptian was a spear, and he went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear from the hand of the Egyptian and killed him with his own spear.

• 2 Kings 11:10

  The priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of YHWH.

• 1 Chronicles 11:11

  And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni, head of the captains; he brandished his spear against three hundred slain at one time.

• 1 Chronicles 11:20

  As for Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was head of the three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three.

• 1 Chronicles 11:23

  And he struck the Egyptian man, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. In the hand of the Egyptian was a spear like a beam of weavers, and he went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear from the hand of the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear.

• 1 Chronicles 12:34

  and of Naphtali, a thousand commanders, and with them, with shield and spear, thirty-seven thousand;

• 1 Chronicles 20:5

  There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair struck Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite; and the shaft of his spear was like a beam of weavers.

• 2 Chronicles 23:9

  Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields and the bucklers that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of Elohim.

• Job 39:23

  Upon him rattles the quiver, the flame of the spear and the javelin.

• Job 41:26

  The sword that reaches it does not hold, nor spear, missile or coat of mail.

• Psalms 35:3

  And draw out the spear and close the way to meet those who pursue me; say to my soul, “Your salvation am I.”

• Psalms 46:9

  He brings an end to wars to the edge of the earth; the bow he breaks and cuts in two the spear; the wagons he burns in the fire.

• Psalms 57:4

  My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down among those who blaze, human beings whose teeth are a spear and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

• Isaiah 2:4

  And he will judge between the nations and decide for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into mattocks and their spears into pruning knives; nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.

• Micah 4:3

  And he will judge between many peoples and decide for mighty nations far away; and they will beat their swords into mattocks and their spears into pruning knives; nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.

• Nahum 3:3

  horseman charging, and flame of sword, and lightning of spear, and a multitude of the pierced, and a mass of corpses, and there is no end to the bodies; they stumble over their bodies,

• Habakkuk 3:11

  The sun, the moon stood still in their lofty dwelling; at the light of your arrows they go to and fro, at the brightness of the lightning of your spear.

And 7 more times.