βέλος (belos)
belos
arrow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun belos refers to a projectile weapon, specifically an arrow or dart. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Ephesians 6:16, where Paul instructs believers to use faith as a shield to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. The word describes a missile launched with force, emphasizing the sudden and penetrating nature of spiritual attacks.
Its etymology connects it to the verb ballō, meaning "to throw." This root highlights that belos is not a stationary object but something actively hurled at a target. Translators consistently render it as "arrow," capturing its role as a weapon of ranged combat. The imagery suggests that faith acts as protection against these swift, incoming threats.
While the word itself does not appear elsewhere in Scripture, its singular usage carries significant weight. It illustrates the dynamic nature of spiritual warfare, where believers must actively resist attacks rather than passively endure them. The shield of faith is presented as the necessary defense against this specific type of weaponry.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In Ephesians 6:16, Paul describes a specific kind of spiritual attack using the word belos, meaning an arrow or dart. These are not slow-moving threats but swift projectiles launched by the evil one to pierce your peace and shake your confidence. The image is vivid: sudden strikes aimed at the heart, designed to cause pain or doubt before you can even react.
Paul does not tell us to run away or build higher walls. Instead, he points to a shield of faith. This shield is not passive; it actively intercepts these fiery darts. When you trust in God’s promises despite your circumstances, you stop the attack from reaching its target. The shield absorbs the heat and force, leaving you unharmed.
This truth offers real comfort. You are not defenseless against sudden fears or accusations. By holding up faith, you protect your heart from what is meant to wound you. God gives you the strength to stand firm, knowing that no arrow can overcome His protection when you rest in Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- arrows1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- βέλη1×
Key Verses
-
Ephesians 6:16
above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
This verse uniquely pairs the word for arrow with the command to quench them, showing that faith actively neutralizes sudden spiritual attacks rather than just blocking them.