Edge of the Sword

Maybe it’s just me, but at least it is an interesting observation.

The phrase, “edge of the sword” appears a total of 34 times throughout the entire Bible. What is interesting is the word “edge”. “Edge” is transliterated from the Old Testament Hebrew, “Peh” and from the New Testament Greek, “Stoma”.  But both Peh and Stoma by definition mean “mouth” and not “edge”. So instead of the phrase being the “edge of the sword”, it should more accurately read, “mouth of the sword”. Now why is this significant?

“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15)

“And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:21)

The sword is the word of God, which proceeds out of the mouth of God. Anytime you see the phrase “edge of the sword” in the Bible, you can invariably replace it with “the word of God” and the statement makes equal to or greater sense.

Which brings to mind the following verse from Hebrews and bests explains the phrase, “edge of the sword”.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Bill Hitchcock