Sling (Hastings' Dictionary)

A weapon used by the Hebrews, Eg3'ptians, As.syrians, and other Ea.stern nations, from whom it passed over to the later Greeks. During the best days of Bome, Blingcrs appeared only among the foreign auxili- aries — Greek, Syrian, and African. We know nothing delinite concerning the form of the Hebrew sling, but on the Assyr. reliefs slings are shown, niaje of two thongs, one of which was doubtless released in the act of discharging the stone.

The hollow in which the stone was placed was called the ham/ [-2 kajili, 'the bent hand'). Smooth stones (I S 17", Job41«'i»i)'' were used by the Helirews, Btonivs or leaden bullets (;to\i//i5i5es) by the Uonian auxiliaries, as missiles. Slings were emi)loycd in * Cf. ' Tcretes lapidei de lunda vel (ustibalo deatinati (Vege- Uui, L lOX attacking fortresses (2 K 3^, 1 Mac 6").

Among the Israelites the Benjamite leit-lianded slingera were famous (Jg '20'", 1 Ch 12-) ; David the Juda'an ajipears as a slinger only in his contest with Goliath (1 S 17, Sir 47). From the prominence given to David's 'staff' in IS 17"- ** it is not improbable that his 'sling' was mounted on a stall'; the weapon may in fact have been that descrilied by Vegetius, iii.

14, ' Fustibalns fustis est longus pedibus quattuor, cui per medium ligatur funda de corio, et utraq^ue manu inipulsus prope ad instar onagri (a powerlul military engine) dirijrit saxa.' The 'sling' of v." is a gloss on 'stall/ just as ' scrip ' is a gloss on ' shepherd's bag.' The sling- stones might be carried either in a bag (so David, 1 S 17") or in the bosom of the outer garment (so the Bonian slingers).

Abigail (1 S 25-'-') predicts that God will take the lives of David's enemies out of the bag or purse (■'ns zeror) in which He holds the lives of men, and will 'sling them out,' i.e. cast tliem away. In Zee 9" hailstones are spoken of as God's slingstones (tr. ' and [His] slingstones shall devour and subdue'; cf. v.'* ' His arrow shall go forth as the lightning'). On the dillicult verse Pr 26' ' As he that bindcth a stime in a sling' (nira margemah), see Toy in Intcmat. Crit. Comrn.

and RV ('a heap of stones'). \V. EMi;r.Y liAKNKS.