Archer
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A shooter with the bow (1 Chr 10:3). This art was of high antiquity (Gen 21:20; 27:3). Saul was wounded by the Philistine archers (1 Sam 31:3). The phrase “breaking the bow” (Hos 1:5; Jer 49:35) is equivalent to taking away one’s power, while “strengthening the bow” is a symbol of its increase (Gen 49:24). The Persian archers were famous among the ancients (Isa 13:18; Jer 49:35; 50:9, 14, 29, 42.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Bowman
bo'-man: Israel seems not to have been equal to the surrounding peoples in the use of the bow. The battle of Gilboa was clearly lost through the superior skill of the Philistine bowmen. This seems to have moved David to encourage archery practice in Judah (2 Sam 1:18; compare Driver in the place cited.). It is thought probable that the revival of Israel's military power under Jeroboam, son of Joash, was due to improvement in archery. Hosea, a contemporary, speaks of the bow as the national weapon of Israel (2 Sam 1:5; 2 Sam 1:7) . The most skilled bowmen of antiquity were the Assyrians (compare Isa 5:28; Isa 37:33). From Assyrian reliefs it seems that it was their practice to overwhelm their enemies with the bow, and to use sword and spear only when the foe had been demoralized and put to flight.
See Archery.
George B. Eager
Kilde: Easton's Bible Dictionary (M.G. Easton, 1897) og International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (red. James Orr, 1915/1939), public domain. Translated into Danish with AI and not yet proofread (fully or partially). Links to people and places: Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0).