τόξον (toxon)
toxon
bow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun toxon refers simply to a bow, the weapon used for shooting arrows. In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Revelation 6:2, where it describes the first of the Four Horsemen’s equipment. The text presents a white horse and its rider holding a bow, symbolizing conquest or military power.
This term corresponds to the Hebrew qeshet, which is frequently used in the Old Testament for the same weapon. While the bow often appears in Scripture as an instrument of war, it also carries symbolic weight, such as when God sets it in the clouds as a sign of covenant faithfulness after the flood. Here, however, its martial connotation dominates.
The singular usage in Revelation highlights the suddenness of divine judgment. By including the bow among the horseman’s gear, the vision emphasizes the reach and lethality of the conflict unleashed. The word itself is straightforward, lacking the metaphorical layers found in other biblical terms for weapons, focusing entirely on the physical reality of ranged combat.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word toxon refers simply to a bow, the primary weapon for ranged combat in the ancient world. In Revelation 6:2, it appears as part of the first horseman’s gear, symbolizing military power and conquest. This image reminds us that history is not random; even instruments of war fall under God’s sovereign allowance.
While a bow represents human strength and the ability to strike from a distance, Scripture also uses the same object to show God’s faithfulness. After the flood, He set a bow in the clouds as a promise never to destroy the earth again (Genesis 9:13). The tension between these two images invites us to trust that God holds all power, whether it brings judgment or grace.
When we feel overwhelmed by the conflicts around us, remember that no weapon formed against God’s purposes can succeed. Your security does not rest in your own strength but in the One who controls the outcome of history. Rest in His promise that He is greater than any force arrayed against you.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a bow.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- τόξον.1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 6:2
Then a white horse appeared, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
The bow here identifies the first horseman as a figure of conquest, emphasizing the reach and lethality of the conflict unleashed in this vision.