Topic
Bolster
10 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1897–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- 1 Samuel 19:13Easton · ISBE
And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
- 1 Samuel 19:16Easton · ISBE
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.
- 1 Samuel 26:7Easton · ISBE
So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
- 1 Samuel 26:11Easton · ISBE
The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
- 1 Samuel 26:16Easton · ISBE
This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
- Genesis 28:11Easton
And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
- Genesis 28:18Easton
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
- 1 Samuel 26:12ISBE
So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
- Ezekiel 13:18Easton
And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
- Ezekiel 13:20Easton
Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 9 references
The Hebrew word kebir, rendered “pillow” in 1 Sam. 19:13, 16, but in Revised Version marg. “quilt” or “network,” probably means some counterpane or veil intended to protect the head of the sleeper. A different Hebrew word (meraashoth’) is used for “bolster” (1 Sam. 26:7, 11, 16). It is rightly rendered in Revised Version “at his head.” In Gen. 28:11, 18 the Authorized Version renders it “for his pillows,” and the Revised Version “under his head.” In Ezek. 13:18, 20 another Hebrew word (kesathoth) is used, properly denoting “cushions” or “pillows,” as so rendered both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 6 references
bol'-ster: Found in the King James Version only in 1Sa 19:13,16, "Behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goat's hair at the head thereof" (the King James Version "for his bolster"), and 1Sa 26:7,11,12,16, "Saul lay sleeping .... with his spear stuck in the ground at his head." "Bolster" in these passages in the King James Version was used to translate a Hebrew word whose true significance is "the place of the head," or "the head-place." It will be noted that it has disappeared from the Revised Version (British and American), which rightly has throughout "head," instead of "bolster."
See CUSHION.
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.