Bible Dictionary
Sling
A sling was a weapon used to hurl stones. David used one against Goliath, and skilled Benjamite slingers could strike accurately even with the left hand.
Definition
A sling is a weapon for hurling stones. It was used in warfare and could be employed with remarkable accuracy by trained slingers.
Biblical Usage
David used a sling and stone to strike the Philistine giant. Seven hundred Benjamites could sling stones accurately even with the left hand, and Israelites used slings in war.
Historical Background
The sources identify the sling as part of the arms and armor used in ancient warfare. A correction is noted for Proverbs 26:8, where the Authorized Version’s reference to a sling is rendered differently in the Revised Version.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
With a sling and a stone David smote the Philistine giant (1 Sam. 17:40, 49). There were 700 Benjamites who were so skilled in its use that with the left hand they “could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss” (Judg. 20:16; 1 Chr. 12:2). It was used by the Israelites in war (2 Kings 3:25). (See ARMS.) The words in Prov. 26:8, “As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,” etc. (Authorized Version), should rather, as in the Revised Version, be “As a bag of gems in a heap of stones,” etc.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
[Arms, Armor]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>See ARMOR, III, 2.</p>