2 Samuel 22:15 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח חִצִּ֖ים וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם בָּרָ֖ק וַיָּהֹֽם׃
BSAHe shotshâlach▸ [sent forth, fired] His arrowschêts [sharp objects, projectiles] and scattered [the foes]pûwts▸ [dispersed, shattered, enemies, adversaries] He hurled lightningbârâq [sent out, unleashed, a powerful force of nature, flashes of light] and routed themhâmam▸ [confused, discomfited]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח | and he sent | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| חִצִּ֖ים | arrows | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם | and he scattered them | Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| בָּרָ֖ק | [with] lightning | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וַיָּהֹֽם׃ | and he routed [them] | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. |
| KJV | And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. |
| ASV | And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and discomfited them. |
| YLT | And He sendeth forth arrows, And scattereth them; Lightning, and troubleth them; |
| WEB | He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them. |
| BBE | And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled. |
Where they part company is in the verbs used for God's actions — see How Translations Differ.
The verse is structured with a main action followed by additional actions, creating a dynamic portrayal of God's intervention.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁלַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 2 Samuel 22:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — David's Song of Praisegenerated
2 Samuel 22:15 describes how God intervened in battle, using arrows and lightning to scatter His foes. This verse is part of a larger song where David praises the Lord for His deliverance and power, emphasizing God's might in protecting His people, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 32:23 | I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows against them. |
| 2 | Joshua 10:10 | And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. |
| 3 | Psalm 7:12–13 | If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow. |
| 4 | Psalm 18:14 | He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. |
| 5 | Psalm 45:5 | Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes; the nations fall beneath your feet. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׁלַח, vai.yish.Lachgenerated
The verb שָׁלַח (shalach) means 'to send' and is used here to indicate God's action of sending forth arrows. This word has a broad application, including sending away or letting go, and it captures the idea of divine action in battle.
In this context, the verb emphasizes God's initiative in the fight against His enemies, showcasing His sovereignty and power. The use of the sequential imperfect form indicates an ongoing action, reinforcing the idea of God's active involvement.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses shot and scattered for the actions of God.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains multiple clauses, with the main verb וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח (and he sent) governing the actions that follow. The structure emphasizes the sequence of God's actions in battle.
Each clause builds on the previous one, illustrating the progression from sending arrows to scattering foes and ultimately routing them with lightning. This layered approach enhances the dramatic portrayal of God's power.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שָׁלַח as ἀπέστειλεν (apestēlen), meaning 'he sent.' This choice maintains the original meaning while fitting the Greek language.
The use of βέλη (belē) for חִצִּים reflects a direct correspondence, emphasizing the idea of projectiles, while ἀστραπὴν (astrapēn) for בָּרָק captures the essence of lightning as a powerful force.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:15 describes how God uses arrows and lightning to defeat His enemies. David praises the Lord for His powerful intervention in battle, illustrating God's might and protection over His people.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This indicates God's active role in battle, using arrows as a metaphor for His judgment and power against His enemies.
Scattering foes signifies God's ability to disrupt and defeat those who oppose Him, showcasing His sovereignty over all forces.
Lightning symbolizes God's might and the suddenness of His intervention, illustrating His power to confuse and defeat enemies.
David's recounting of God's actions serves as a declaration of gratitude and acknowledgment of divine deliverance, fitting the context of a song of praise.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I see God's powerful intervention?
- How can I recognize and celebrate God's actions in my daily experiences?
- What does it mean for me to trust in God's power when facing challenges?
- How can I share stories of God's deliverance with others?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. [See comments on Psalms 18:14].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. He sent out arrows, and scattered them , [ chitsiym (H2671)].
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15. scattered them] “Them” obviously refers to the enemies whose destruction was the object of this divine interposition (2 Samuel 22:4). discomfited them] A word denoting the confusion of a sudden panic, and used specially of supernatural defeat. Cp. Exodus 14:24 (E. V. troubled); Joshua 10:10; Judges 4:15; 1 Samuel 7:10.
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. Sends arrows — Jehovah’s arrows are the forked lightnings, as indicated in the next line of the parallelism.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Samuel 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them.
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
He shot arrows and scattered them, lightning and routed them.
Tyndale line
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and discomfited them.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
He shot arrowes also, and scattered them: to wit, lightning, and destroyed them.
Strictly literal
And he sent arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; Lightning, and discomfited them.
And He sendeth forth arrows, And scattereth them; Lightning, and troubleth them;
And He sends forth arrows, and scatters them; Lightning, and troubles them;
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
He shot arrows and scattered his enemies— lightning bolts and dispersed them.
From the Latin
He shot arrows and scattered them: lightning, and consumed them.
Simplified
He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies, he routed them with his lightning bolts.
And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with both texts matching five out of five words. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of God's actions as described by David.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח חִצִּ֖ים וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם בָּרָ֖ק וַיָּהֹֽם׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 2 Samuel 22:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.
שָׁלַח 814 vb. send
Qal
send: human subj.
send: subj. י׳ (God)
stretch out, esp. acc. hand
rarely send away: human subj.
let loose
Niph. letters were sent
Pi.
send off, away, human subj.
send away, subj. י׳
give over
cast out
send out, forth
let go, set free
shoot forth branches
let down
shoot
Phrases
Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
Hiph. and I (י׳) will send
base
H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.
. send: subj. י׳ (God)
. stretch out, esp. acc. hand
. rarely send away: human subj.
. let loose
. letters were sent
. . send off, away, human subj.
. . send away, subj. י׳
. give over
. cast out
. send out, forth
. let go, set free
. shoot forth branches
. let down
. shoot
. Phrases
. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
. and I (י׳) will send
7971 shalach shaw-lakh'
a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great
variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the
way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give
(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),
push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send
(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,
stretch forth (out).
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.
: depart/send
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled
1e) (Hiphil) to send
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.
: let_go/free
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
חֵץ (chets) means 'arrow,' primarily found in poetic and prophetic contexts. It is derived from a root meaning 'to pierce' and can imply a wound or refer to a thunderbolt in a figurative sense. The word also encompasses related terms like 'dart' and 'shaft,' indicating its use in various forms of weaponry.
חֵץ n.m. arrow, mostly poet. and proph.
base
H2671 חֵץ arrow, mostly poet. and proph.
2671 chets khayts
from 2686; properly, a piercer, i.e. an arrow; by
implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunder-bolt; (by
interchange for 6086) the shaft of a spear:--+ archer, arrow,
dart, shaft, staff, wound.
see HEBREW for 02686
see HEBREW for 06086
חֵץ (chets) — arrow.
arrow
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
Arrows
At first made of reeds, and then of wood tipped with iron. Arrows are sometimes figuratively put for lightning (Deut. 32:23, 42; Ps. 7:13; 18:14; 144:6; Zech. 9:14). They were used in war as well as in the chase (Gen. 27:3; 49:23). They were also used in divination (Ezek. 21:21).
The word is frequently employed as a symbol of calamity or disease inflicted by God (Job 6:4; 34:6; Ps. 38:2; Deut. 32:23. Comp.
[ARMS, ARMOR]
The Hebrew word פּוּץ (puwts) primarily means to scatter or disperse, applicable to both people and armies. It can also convey the idea of flowing or overflowing. The noun form מֵפִיץ (mephits) refers to a scatterer. Additionally, it has connotations of breaking or shattering, as seen in related forms.
[פּוּץ] vb. be dispersed, scattered
Qal be dispersed, disperse; be scattered, of enemies
Niph.
be scattered, of army
be spread abroad, of peoples
Hiph.
trans. scatter
intrans. scatter
base
מֵפִיץ n.m. scatterer, disperser
base
פּוּץ vb. flow, overflow
base
[פָּצַץ] vb. break (Ar. break, break asunder; Nab. break asunder; Syr. crush)
Pō‛. a hammer which shatters rock.
Pilp. he [God] dashed me in pieces (fig.).
base
H6327a פּוּץ be dispersed, scattered .be dispersed, disperse; be scattered, of enemies
. . be scattered, of army
. be spread abroad, of peoples
. . trans. scatter
. intrans. scatter
H6327b מֵפִיץ scatterer, disperser H6327c פּוּץ flow, overflow H6327d [פָּצַץ] break (Ar. break, break asunder; Nab. break asunder; Syr. crush) . a hammer which shatters rock.
. he [God] dashed me in pieces (fig.).
6327 puwts poots
a primitive root; to dash in pieces, literally or
figuratively (especially to disperse):--break (dash, shake)
in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive,
retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad.
פּוּץ (puts) — to scatter.
1) to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered
1a) (Qal) to be dispersed, be scattered
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be scattered
1b2) to be spread abroad
1c) (Hiphil) to scatter
1d) Hithpael) scatter
מֵפִיץ (me.phits) — scatterer.
n.m.
scatterer
פּוּץ (puts) — to flow.
(Qal) to flow, overflow
פָּצַץ (pa.tsats) — to shatter.
1) to break
1a) (Polel) to shatter
1b) (Pilpel) to dash to pieces
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp
בָּרַק (baraq) refers to lightning and its associated phenomena, such as flashes of light or gleams. It can also describe a bright or glittering object, like a sword or an arrowhead. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to the natural phenomenon of lightning, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
בָּרַק vb. flash, of lightning
base
בָּרָק n.m. lightning
lit. mostly pl. = lightnings, lightning flashes
fig. (always sing.) of flashing arrow-head
base
H1300a בָּרַק flash of lightning H1300b בָּרָק lightning
1300 baraq baw-rawk'
from 1299; lightning; by analogy, a gleam; concretely, a
flashing sword:--bright, glitter(-ing sword), lightning.
see HEBREW for 01299
בָּרַק (ba.raq) — to use lightning.
to flash (with lightning)
בָּרָק (ba.raq) — lightning.
1) lightning
1a) lightnings, lightning flashes
1b) of flashing arrow-head (fig.)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
lit'-ning (baraq, chaziz; astrape): Lightning is caused by the discharge of electricity between clouds or between clouds and the earth. In a thunder-storm there is a rapid gathering of particles of moisture into clouds and forming of large drops of rain. This gathers with it electric potential until the surface of the cloud (or the enlarged water particles) is insufficient to carry the charge, and a discharge takes place, producing a brilliant flash of light and the resulting thunder-clap. Thunder-storms are common in Syria and Palestine during the periods of heavy rain in the spring and fall and are often severe. Lightning is usually accompanied by heavy rainfall or by hail, as at the time of the plague of hail (Ex 9:24).
See HAIL.
In the Scriptures it is used:
Lightning
Frequently referred to by the sacred writers (Nah. 1:3-6). Thunder and lightning are spoken of as tokens of God’s wrath (2 Sam. 22:15; Job 28:26; 37:4; Ps. 135:7; 144:6; Zech. 9:14). They represent God’s glorious and awful majesty (Rev. 4:5), or some judgment of God on the world (20:9).
הָמַם (hamam) is a Hebrew verb that conveys the idea of making noise or commotion, as well as causing confusion or distress. It encompasses a range of meanings including to disturb, crush, and vex. The entries suggest it is a primitive root related to various forms of disruption or destruction.
הָמַם vb. make a noise, move noisily, confuse, discomfit
base
H2000 הָמַם make a noise, move noisily, confuse, discomfit
2000 hamam haw-mam'
a primitive root (compare 1949, 1993); properly, to put in
commotion; by implication, to disturb, drive, destroy:--break,
consume, crush, destroy, discomfit, trouble, vex.
see HEBREW for 01949
see HEBREW for 01993
הָמַם (ha.mam) — to confuse.
1) to move noisily, confuse, make a noise, discomfit, break, consume, crush, destroy, trouble, vex
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to move noisily
1a2) to confuse, discomfit, vex
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms