Bible Dictionary: Goad

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

(Hebrews malmad, only in Judges 3: 31), an instrument used by ploughmen for guiding their oxen. Shamgar slew six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad. "The goad is a formidable weapon. It is sometimes ten feet long, and has a sharp point. We could now see that the feat of Shamgar was not so very wonderful as some have been accustomed to think."

In 1 Samuel 13:21, a different Hebrew word is used, dorban, meaning something pointed. The expression (Acts 9:5, omitted in the R.V.), "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks", i.e., against the goad, was proverbial for unavailing resistance to superior power.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A pointed instrument used to urge on a beast; hence, any necessity that urges or stimulates.

2. (v. t.) To prick; to drive with a goad; hence, to urge forward, or to rouse by anything pungent, severe, irritating, or inflaming; to stimulate.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

GOAD

god (dorebhan, malmadh; kentron): The goad used by the Syrian farmer is usually a straight branch of oak or other strong wood from which the bark has been stripped, and which has at one end a pointed spike and at the other a flat chisel-shaped iron. The pointed end is to prod the oxen while plowing. The flattened iron at the other end is to scrape off the earth which clogs the plowshare. The ancient goad was probably similar to this instrument. It could do villainous work in the hands of an experienced fighter (Judges 3:31). If 1 Samuel 13:21 is correctly translated, the goads were kept sharpened by files.

Figurative: "The words of the wise are as goads" (Ecclesiastes 12:11). The only reference to goads in the New Testament is the familiar passage, "It is hard for thee to kick against the goad" (Acts 26:14). It was as useless for Saul to keep on in the wrong way as for a fractious ox to attempt to leave the furrow. He would surely be brought back with a prick of the goad.

James A. Patch

Greek

2759. kentron -- a sharp point
... a sharp point. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: kentron Phonetic Spelling:
(ken'-tron) Short Definition: a sting, goad Definition: a sting, goad ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2759.htm - 6k

1461b. egkentrizo -- to ingraft, graft in
... Word Origin from en and kentrizo (to prick, goad) Definition to ingraft, graft in
NASB Word Usage graft (1), grafted (5). 1461a, 1461b. egkentrizo. 1462 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1461b.htm - 5k

Strong's Hebrew

1861. dorbown -- a goad
... a goad. Transliteration: dorbown Phonetic Spelling: (dor-bone') Short Definition:
goad. goad (also dor-bawn'); of uncertain derivation; a goad -- goad. ...
/hebrew/1861.htm - 5k

1861b. darebonah -- a goad
... darebonah. 1862 . a goad. Transliteration: darebonah Short Definition: goads.
Word Origin from the same as dorban Definition a goad NASB Word Usage goads (1). ...
/hebrew/1861b.htm - 5k

1861a. dorban -- a goad
... dorban. 1861b . a goad. Transliteration: dorban Short Definition: hoes. Word Origin
from an unused word Definition a goad NASB Word Usage hoes (1). ...
/hebrew/1861a.htm - 5k

4451. malmad -- an oxgoad
... Word Origin from lamad Definition an oxgoad NASB Word Usage oxgoad (1). goad. From
lamad; a goad for oxen -- goad. see HEBREW lamad. 4450, 4451. malmad. 4452 ...
/hebrew/4451.htm - 6k

3925. lamad -- to exercise in, learn
... to teach, to goad,. A primitive root; properly, to goad, ie (by implication)
to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive):(un-) accustomed ...
/hebrew/3925.htm - 6k

7850. shotet -- a scourge
... scourge. Active participle of an otherwise unused root meaning (properly, to pierce;
but only as a denominative from showt) to flog; a goad -- scourge. ...
/hebrew/7850.htm - 6k

Library

His Conversion
... CHAPTER III HIS CONVERSION. Paragraphs 37-50. 37, 38. Severity of the Persecution.
39-42. Kicking against the Goad. 43, 44. The Vision of Christ. 45-48. ...
/.../stalker/the life of st paul/chapter iii his conversion.htm

Use what You Have
... There was the ox-goad, but what would that amount to against swords and spears?
It was all the weapon he had. ... He had only an ox-goad, but he used it manfully. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk thirty-eight use what you.htm

Follies of the Greek Mythology.
... For what need is there of speaking of the goad [2503] of OEdipus, and the murder
of Laius, and the marrying his mother, and the mutual slaughter of those who ...
/.../justin/justins discourse to the greeks/chapter iii follies of the greek.htm

Use what You Have.
... results always come. The old Hebrew farmer Shamgar had only a long ox-goad
with which to prod his beasts in the field. The traditional ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on service/use what you have.htm

Christ's Remonstrances
... The ox-goad was a formidable weapon, some seven or eight feet in length, shod with
an iron point, and capable of being used as a spear, and of inflicting ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/christs remonstrances.htm

The Absurdity and Impiety of the Heathen Mysteries and Fables ...
... On a hill the herdsman's hidden ox-goad,"". alluding, as I believe, under the name
of the herdsman's ox-goad, to the reed wielded by bacchanals. ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter ii the absurdity and impiety.htm

The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
... EXPOSTULATION. "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." There is
a figure here; there is an allusion to the ox goad. When ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the conversion of saul of.htm

The Anger and Grief of Jesus
... 'It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.' The ox, with the yoke on his neck,
lashes out with his obstinate heels against the driver's goad. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the anger and grief of.htm

On the Road to Jerusalem
... "The frosts! The frosts!" he whispered to Momus, and the mute laid goad about
his camel. ... Momus was wielding the goad for a run to the frosts. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the city of delight/chapter ii on the road.htm

1 John iv. 17-21
... that my glory may sing to thee, and that I be not pricked." [2456] What is this,
"That I be not pricked?" That there be not that which shall goad my conscience ...
/.../ten homilies on the epistle of john to the parthians/homily ix 1 john iv.htm

Thesaurus

Goad (2 Occurrences)
... Shamgar slew six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad. "The goad is a formidable
weapon. It is sometimes ten feet long, and has a sharp point. ...
/g/goad.htm - 9k

Ox-goad (2 Occurrences)
Ox-goad. Oxgoad, Ox-goad. Ox-stick . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
OX-GOAD. oks'-god. See GOAD. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/o/ox-goad.htm - 7k

Prick (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (v.) That which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing;
a pointed instrument; a goad; a spur, etc.; a point; a skewer. ...
/p/prick.htm - 11k

Oxgoad (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A goad for driving oxen. Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. OX-GOAD. oks'-god. See GOAD. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/o/oxgoad.htm - 6k

Sting (5 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A goad; incitement. 6. (n.) The point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying. ...
9. (vt) To goad; to incite, as by taunts or reproaches. Int. ...
/s/sting.htm - 10k

Ox (197 Occurrences)
... Ox goad. ... "The ploughman still carries his goad, a weapon apparently more fitted
for the hand of the soldier than the peaceful husbandman. ...
/o/ox.htm - 43k

Kick (8 Occurrences)
... Saul: "Why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the
goad" (Acts 9:4; Acts 26:14). The words are omitted from ...
/k/kick.htm - 10k

Shamgar (2 Occurrences)
... He repelled the invasion, slaying 600 men with an "ox goad" (qv). The goad was
a formidable sharpointed instrument, sometimes ten feet long. ...
/s/shamgar.htm - 9k

Alphabet (2 Occurrences)
... weapon; (8) cheth = fence; (9) Teth = cake of bread (Lidzbarski, a package); (10)
yodh = hand; (11) kaph = palm of hand; (12) lamedh = ox-goad; (13) mem ...
/a/alphabet.htm - 24k

Go (17871 Occurrences)

/g/go.htm - 19k

Bible Concordance

Goad (2 Occurrences)

Acts 26:14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language,'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
(Root in WEB WEY ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 3:31 After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad: and he also saved Israel.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Goad

Goad of Mental Incentive

Goad: 600 Men Killed With, by Shamgar, a Judge (Hero) of Israel

Goad: An Instrument of Torture

Related Terms

Ox-goad (2 Occurrences)

Prick (2 Occurrences)

Oxgoad (1 Occurrence)

Sting (5 Occurrences)

Ox (197 Occurrences)

Kick (8 Occurrences)