Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AR'ROW, n. [Sax. arewa. Qu. ray, radius, a shoot.]

1. A missive weapon of offense, straight, slender, pointed, and barbed, to be shot with a bow.
2. In Scripture, the arrows of God, are the apprehensions of his wrath, which pierce and pain the conscience. – Job vi. Ps. xxxviii. In a like figurative manner, arrows represent the judgments of God, as thunder, lightning, tempests, and famine. – 2 Sam. xxii. Ezek. v. Hab. iii. The word is used also for slanderous words, and malicious purposes of evil men. – Ps. xi. Prov. xxv. Jer. ix. Ps. lxiv. – Cruden. Brown.