The term "barbed" is not directly mentioned in the Bible; however, the concept of barbs or barbed objects can be inferred through various scriptural references to weapons and tools used in ancient times. In biblical contexts, barbed items are often associated with warfare, hunting, and agriculture, reflecting the practical and sometimes violent aspects of life in the ancient Near East.

Weapons and Warfare

In the Bible, weapons such as arrows and spears are sometimes described in ways that suggest they could be barbed. For instance, arrows are frequently mentioned as instruments of war and judgment. In Psalm 64:7 , it is written, "But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be wounded." While the text does not specify barbs, the imagery of arrows piercing and wounding implies a design meant to inflict maximum damage, akin to barbed arrows used in various ancient cultures.

The use of spears is also prevalent in biblical narratives. In 1 Samuel 17:7, the description of Goliath's spear includes the detail that "the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point weighed six hundred shekels." Although the text does not explicitly mention barbs, the formidable nature of such weapons suggests they were designed for effective penetration and retention in targets, characteristics typical of barbed implements.

Hunting and Agriculture

Barbed tools were also likely used in hunting and agriculture, though the Bible does not provide explicit descriptions. The practice of hunting is mentioned in Genesis 10:9, where Nimrod is described as "a mighty hunter before the LORD." While the specific tools used by hunters like Nimrod are not detailed, it is reasonable to assume that barbed arrows or spears could have been employed to capture and kill game effectively.

In agriculture, barbed tools may have been used for tasks such as threshing or clearing land. Isaiah 41:15 states, "Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth." The imagery of a threshing sledge with "many teeth" suggests a tool designed to tear and separate grain from chaff, similar to the function of barbs in gripping and tearing.

Symbolism and Metaphor

The concept of barbs can also be understood metaphorically in the Bible, representing the idea of entrapment or entanglement. In Job 18:8-10 , Bildad describes the fate of the wicked: "For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh. A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare grips him." The imagery of nets and snares evokes the idea of being caught or held fast, much like a barbed hook or trap.

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of a "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12:7 to describe a persistent affliction: "To keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." While not explicitly barbed, the notion of a thorn suggests something that causes ongoing pain and difficulty, akin to the persistent irritation of a barb.

In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly mention barbed objects, the concept is woven into the fabric of biblical narratives through descriptions of weapons, tools, and metaphorical language. These elements reflect the realities of ancient life and the spiritual truths conveyed through Scripture.1. (imp. & p. p.) of Barb.

2. (a.) Accoutered with defensive armor; -- said of a horse. See Barded.

3. (a.) Furnished with a barb or barbs; as, a barbed arrow; barbed wire.

5512. chleuazo -- to jest, mock, jeer
... 5512 (from , "a joke") -- properly, to joke (jest), ie to scoff (ridicule)
using barbed humor and mocking jeers (used only in Ac 17:32). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5512.htm - 6k7905. sukkah -- a barb, spear
... barbed iron. Feminine of sok in the sense of sek; a dart (as pointed like a thorn) --
barbed iron. see HEBREW sok. see HEBREW sek. 7904, 7905. sukkah. 7906 > ...
/hebrew/7905.htm - 6k

The Earth Brings Forth, as if by Suppuration...
... that succession of knots in the scorpion, which in the inside is a thin poisoned
veinlet, rising up with a bow-like bound, draws tight a barbed sting at the end ...
/.../scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter i the earth brings.htm

The Christian view of Sorrow
... and for your children." As though he had said, "You have a right to weep; weep,
then, in that great catastrophe which is coming, when barbed affliction shall ...
/.../chapin/the crown of thorns/the christian view of sorrow.htm

Grace and Truth
... These all partake of the one characteristic, that they help nothing to the fulfilment
of their own behests, and that they are barbed with threatenings of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/grace and truth.htm

Transformation by Beholding
... One of the most obvious peculiarities of his style is his habit of 'going off at
a word.' Each thought is, as it were, barbed all round, and catches and draws ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/transformation by beholding.htm

The Tears of the Penitent.
... brings down upon his head for all his remaining years a cataract of calamities,
and makes his name and his religion a target for the barbed sarcasms of each ...
/.../maclaren/the life of david/xiii the tears of the penitent.htm

Argument: Man Ought Indeed to Know Himself, but this Knowledge ...
... protection provided by animated creatures against one another?"some armed with horns,
some hedged with teeth, and shod with claws, and barbed with stings, or ...
/.../felix/the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xvii argument man ought indeed.htm

Yokes of Wood and Iron
... and frown down upon him. The sheep that stops inside the pasture is never
torn by the barbed wires of the fence. If you think of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/yokes of wood and iron.htm

How the Britons, Being Ravaged by the Scots and Picts, Sought ...
... On the other side, the enemy constantly attacked them with barbed weapons, by which
the cowardly defenders were dragged in piteous fashion from the wall, and ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xii how the britons.htm

The victory of the King
... apparently nil. The bait is skilfully wound over the barbed hook. Christ's
answer tears it away, and discloses the sharp points. He ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the victory of the king.htm

The Three Parables of Warning: to the Individual, to the Nation ...
... rich towards God.'. It was a barbed arrow, we might say, out of the Jewish
quiver, but directed by the Hand of the Lord. For, we ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvi the three parables.htm

Barbed (1 Occurrence)
... See Barded. 3. (a.) Furnished with a barb or barbs; as, a barbed arrow; barbed
wire. Multi-Version Concordance Barbed (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/barbed.htm - 7k

Fishing (4 Occurrences)
... See FISHHOOK. (2) With Spears: Job 41:7 probably refers to an instrument much
like the barbed spear still used along the Syrian coast. ...
/f/fishing.htm - 13k

Barbarous (1 Occurrence)

/b/barbarous.htm - 9k

Barber

/b/barber.htm - 11k

Grain (413 Occurrences)
... 22. (n.) One the branches of a valley or of a river. 23. (n.) An iron first
speak or harpoon, having four or more barbed points. 24. ...
/g/grain.htm - 39k

Irons (5 Occurrences)
... quiet. (See NIV). Job 41:7 Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his
head with fish spears? (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT). Psalms ...
/i/irons.htm - 7k

Fork (8 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) One of the parts into which anything is furcated or divided; a prong; a
branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a barbed point, as of an arrow. ...
/f/fork.htm - 10k

Fish-spears (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Fish-spears (1 Occurrence). Job 41:7 Canst thou fill his
skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears? (ASV BBE DBY JPS YLT). ...
/f/fish-spears.htm - 6k

Arrow (34 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A missile weapon of offense, slender, pointed,
and usually feathered and barbed, to be shot from a bow. Int. ...
/a/arrow.htm - 17k

Spears (25 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Job 41:7 Can you fill his
skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears? (WEB ...
/s/spears.htm - 14k

Should a Christian prank / do pranks? Is it wrong to play a practical joke on someone? | GotQuestions.org

Barbed: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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