קֶשֶׁת

H7198. qesheth
קֶ֫שֶׁת noun feminineGen 9:14 (apparently masculine 2Sa 1:22 but see AlbrZAW xvi (1896) 91) bow (originally √ perhaps קושׁ, meaning unknown; Late Hebrew id.; Assyrian ‡aštu; Ethiopic Arabic plural , etc.; ᵑ7 and (קַשְׁתָּא and (ט for ת after ק P) קוּשְׁטָא (rare), all bow, קַשָּׁתָא bowman; Syriac bow, bowman; Old Aramaic קשת bow, Mandean כשטא (Frä206); Palmyrene קשטא bowman); — absolute ׳ק Hos 1:7 +, קָ֑שֶׁת Jer 46:9 +; constructקֶ֫שֶׁת Hos 1:5 +; suffix קַשְׁתִּי Gen 48:22 + ,etc.; plural absolute קְשָׁתוֺת2Ch 26:14 +; suffix קַשְּׁתֹתָיו (Ges§ 20h) Isa 5:28, קַשְּׁתוֺתָם Jer 51:56; Psa 37:15, קַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶם Neh 4:7 (קַשְׁתֹּתָיו etc., van d. H. [except Psa 37:15]); —
1 bow:
a. for hunting Gen 27:3 (J; + תְּלְי)
b. battle: + (or ||) חֶרֶב Gen 48:22; Jos 24:12 (both E), Hos 1:7; Hos 2:20; 1Sa 18:4 (+ חְַגֹרוֺ), 2Sa 1:22; 2Ki 6:22; Isa 41:2; Neh 4:7 (+ רָמְחֵיהֶם), Zec 9:13 (figurative of Judah as ׳יs bow), Psa 37:15 (figurative) Psa 44:7 (+ or || חֶרֶב also below) ;+ (or ||) חִצִּים Isa 7:24; 2Ki 13:15 (twice in verse); Eze 39:3, Eze 39:9; 1Ch 12:2a; compare ק ׳רִשְׁפֵי Psa 76:4 = arrow (+ וְחֶרֶב מָנֵן) so ק ׳בֶּן Job 41:20 (compare Lam 3:13; Job 5:7); + חֲנִית Psa 46:10, + כִּידוֺן Jer 6:23; Jer 50:42; + varius weapons Neh 4:10; 2Ch 26:14; alone Isa 13:18 (context corrupt), Isa 22:3; Jer 51:56; Hab 3:9 (of ׳י as warrior); ׳ק מִלְחָמָה Zec 9:10; Zec 10:4; in simile ׳כְּק רְמִיָּה like a bow of deception Hos 7:16; Psa 78:57 (i.e. one that misses its aim; al. slack bow).
c. ׳ק collective = bow (-men), archers Isa 21:17.
d. phrases are: בַּקּ אֲנָשִׁים ׳הַמּרִים 1Sa 31:3 archers, bowmen (but dubious; Dr Kit Löhr translates, ׳א ׳הַמּ; We Bu strike out ׳א as || 1Ch 10:3; HPS Now strike out ׳א ׳בַּקּ), בַּקּ ׳הַמּוֺרִים 1Ch 10:3; ק ׳מְטַחֲוֵי Gen 21:16 (see [טָתָה], ק ׳רמֵה Jer 4:29, compare perhaps Gen 21:21 see קִשָּׁת, || ק ׳נשְׁקֵי (see II.נָשַׁק) 1Ch 12:2b 2Ch 17:17, ׳נוֺ ק ׳רוֺמֵי Psa 78:9; הַקּ ׳תֹּפֵשׁ Amo 2:15 one grasping the bow, (see Jer 46:9 below) see also בַקּ יָדוֺ ׳מִלֵּא 2Ki 9:24, עַלהַֿקּ יָֽדְךָ ׳הַרְכֵּב 2Ki 13:16; ק ׳דָּרַח bend (literally tread) the bow, Isa 5:28 (participle passive), Isa 21:15 (id.; || חֶרֶב) Jer 50:14, Jer 50:29; Jer 51:3; 1Ch 5:18; 1Ch 8:40; 2Ch 14:7; Psa 37:14 (|| חֶרֶב), in figure Psa 11:2 (|| חֵץ), and, of God, Lam 2:4; Lam 3:12; Psa 7:13 (|| הֶרֶב); ק דֹּרְכֵי ׳תֹּפְשֵׂי Jer 46:9; compare(figurative) קַשְׁתָּם אֶתלְֿשׁוֺנָם וַיַּדְרְכוֺ Jer 9:2; also ׳ק וְנִחֲתָה נְחוּשָׁה Psa 18:35 = 2Sa 22:35 (readוְנִחֲתָה for וְנִחַת) בַּקּ ׳מָשַׁחdraw the bow 1Ki 22:34 2Ch 18:33; Isa 66:19.
e. bow (passing over into) figurative of might Gen 49:24 (poem), 1Sa 2:4; Hos 1:5; Jer 49:35; Job 29:20 (compare Psa 37:15,
b. above) feminine ׳ק נְחוּשָׁה fig of divine judgment Job 20:24 (|| בַּרְזֶל נֵשֶׁק)
2 rainbow: הַקּ ׳כְּמַרְאֵה הַנֶּשֶׁם בְּיוֺם בֶעָנָן יִהְיֶה אֲשַׁר Eze 1:28; Gen 9:13-14, Gen 9:16 (P). — בְּנֵייְֿהוּדָה לְלַמֵּד וַיּאֹמֶר קָ֑שֶׁה 2Sa 1:18 is corrupt; ᵐ5 al. omits; We Now think misplaced gloss on 2Sa 1:6; see further HPS.