What Does 2 Samuel 22:15 Mean in the King James?

And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

2 Samuel 22:15 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The hidden movement is release: power is sent outward until the force arrayed against you loses its formation.

THE MEANING

Opposition can appear arranged and unbreakable; here, power is sent into that arrangement and it scatters. Arrows and lightning make release visible: the force confronting you does not remain intact.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

This undoes the belief that opposition is too united to be disrupted.

THE ROOT

וַיִּשְׁלַח

vayishlach

GROWS FROM

שלח

to send forth, release, or let go

“sent out” in this verse is vayishlach. The Hebrew verb holds more than dispatch: shalach also means to send forth and release. Arrows and lightning are the outward forms of that released force; what is sent breaks the opposing formation into scattering.

ALSO GROWS

shaliach: a messenger or envoy; one who is sent

שָׁלִיחַ

The word names a person by the act of being sent, echoing the movement of power in this verse.

Shiloach: sent forth; the name of the waters of Shiloah

שִׁלֹחַ

The same root can name a restorative current as well as arrows in flight; John 9:7 glosses Siloam as “Sent” as the man washes and sees.

THE PATTERN

When divine force enters a closed conflict, the structure holding people in place is disrupted.

And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

1 Samuel 7:10 · KJVThunder breaks the Philistines’ advance and scatters the force closing in.

Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.

Psalm 144:6 · KJVLightning and arrows again appear as released force that scatters opposition.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

Acts 16:26 · KJVThe shaking disrupts the prison’s structure, and its doors and bonds release their hold.

THE THREAD

And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

John 9:7 · KJV

Siloam is glossed as “Sent,” connecting its name with the sending root in this verse. Here that movement appears as arrows and lightning; there it is water through which sight is restored.

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