While teaching an Old Testament Studies class last Friday, I discussed with my students the symbolism and meaning of different objects in the Bible. The Bible suggests that God conveyed hidden messages through creatures and objects as basic as knives, and some of these messages still apply to the lives of Christians today. In our Bible class, we were intrigued by the deep meaning and symbolism of a knife. The question that stood out was, “What does a knife symbolize in the Bible?”
We can perceive different symbols for a knife in the Bible. Isaiah 18:5 and John 15:1–2 suggest that a knife symbolizes God’s judgment against the wicked. On the other hand, Proverbs 30:14 uses knives to symbolize the destructive nature of leaders who take advantage of the poor. Also, Judges 3:21 depicts a knife as a symbol of liberation, while Genesis 22:6–10 depicts it as a sacrificial weapon.
In this article, I have outlined the Bible verses that mention knives and explained their symbolic meanings. I have also provided you with a biblical interpretation of different dreams about knives and their symbolic meanings in different cultures. Read on to learn more about the symbolism and meaning of knives.
Does the Bible mention knives?
Yes, the Bible mentions knives in different passages in the Old Testament. For example, in Genesis 22:6–10, Abraham wanted to use a knife when sacrificing his son Isaac to the Lord. Exodus 4:25 and Joshua 5:2–3 suggest that the Israelites used knives during circumcision. The Bible also mentions knives figuratively in Proverbs 30:14, when King Solomon describes the wicked who prey upon the poor as having jaws that are set with knives.
How were knives used in the Bible?
Knives were used to carry out different purposes in the Bible;
To make sacrifices
In Genesis 22:6–10, Abraham carried with him a knife that he planned to use when sacrificing his son to the Lord. Knives were also used to slaughter the animals that were offered as sacrifices to God (Leviticus 8:15–19). The King James Version Bible suggests that the prophets of Baal cut themselves with knives and lancets as they called on their god to answer them with fire (1 Kings 18:28)
To circumcise the Israelites
In Exodus 4:25, Zipporah used a flint knife to circumcise her son, and in Joshua 5:2–3, the Lord instructed Joshua to circumcise the Israelites using flint knives.
To warn against vices
In Proverbs 30:14 and Proverbs 23:1–3, King Solomon metaphorically uses knives to warn against preying upon the poor and greed, respectively.
To enact God’s punishment against the wicked
Ehud, whom the Lord had chosen to deliver the Israelites from the rule of the Moabites, used a dagger to kill Eglon, the king of Moab (Judges 3:21).
Bible verses about Knives
These are some of the Bible verses about knives:
- Genesis 22:10 – Abraham was about to slay his son using a knife to sacrifice him as a burnt offering to the Lord.
- Exodus 4:25 – the Bible suggests that God was about to kill Moses for failing to circumcise his son. Zipporah, Moses’ wife, used a flint knife to circumcise their son, and she touched Moses’ feet with the foreskin. The Lord then spared Moses’ life.
- Joshua 5:2–3 – the Lord instructed Joshua to make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again, and he obeyed.
- Judges 19:29 – Judges 19 relates the story of a Levite and his concubine and the heinous crime that the wicked men of Gibeah committed against the concubine. Since there was no king or great council from whom the Levites could demand justice, he decided to appeal to the twelve tribes of Israel. In verse 29, he cut up his concubine into twelve parts using a knife, and he sent each part to the twelve tribes of Israel. Those who saw this were angered by the atrocity, and the Israelites came together to go up against the Benjamites to punish them for their villany (Judges 20:8–11).
- Proverbs 23:1–3 – In one of his sayings, King Solomon advises that one should rather put a knife to his throat than succumb to gluttony when a ruler offers him goods and delicacies.
- Isaiah 18:5 – the prophet Isaiah warned the people of Cush that the Lord would cut down their harvest with pruning knives and leave it to ¹be eaten by wild animals and birds of prey.
- Jeremiah 36:23 – King Jehoiakim used a scribe’s knife to cut off columns of Jeremiah’s scroll, which he then threw into the fire. The scroll contained a prophecy of God’s punishment against the nations of Israel, which King Jehoiakim blatantly disregarded.
4 symbolic meanings of knives in the Bible
Christians can perceive the following symbolic meanings of knives in the Bible;
First, the Bible suggests that knives symbolize God’s judgment against the wicked. This symbolism is drawn from Isaiah 18:5, where the prophet Isaiah warned that the Lord would destroy the harvest of the Cushites using pruning knives. He prophesied that just as the people of Cush would be about to reap their harvest, the Lord would cut it down with pruning knives, and it would be eaten by wild birds and animals. The same message is conveyed in John 15:1–2, where our Lord Jesus proclaims that he is the true vine and his father is the gardener, and that God will cut off all the branches that don’t bear fruit.
Second, the Bible depicts a knife as a sacrificial weapon, as it was used to slaughter an animal that was offered as a sacrifice to God. In Genesis 22:6–10, Abraham was planning to slay his son with a knife to sacrifice him as a burnt offering to God until God provided him with a ram instead. In Leviticus 1:5–6, one of God’s instructions about burnt offerings was that the Israelites had to slaughter the young bull before God, then skin it and cut it into pieces. The Israelites carried out these activities using knives.
Third, the Bible uses knives to symbolize the destructive nature of those who prey upon the poor and needy (Proverbs 30:14). In this verse, Agur, son of Jakeh, warned that there are people who have teeth like swords and jaws that are set with knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind. Theologians suggest that Agur likened those who take advantage of the poor to wild, vicious predators who have no care for their prey. They are tyrannical leaders who are intent on causing destruction and loss of life, just like knives.
Fourth, a knife is a symbol of liberation in the Bible. In Judges 3:21, Ehud liberated the Israelites from the rule of the Moabites by killing the king Eglon with a dagger. The Israelites had done evil in the eyes of the Lord, and as punishment, God gave Eglon, the king of Moab, power over them for eighteen years (Judges 3:12–14). When the Israelites asked for God’s help, he chose Ehud to deliver them. While alone with the king, Ehud told him he had a message for him from God, then stabbed him with the dagger, which he’d hidden beneath his clothes. With no leadership, Ehud urged the Israelites to go against the Moabites, for the Lord had given them power over their enemies (Judges 3:28–30).
What is the biblical meaning of dreaming about knives?
Dreaming about murdering someone with a knife
A dream about murdering someone with a knife can communicate a desire for you to alienate yourself from a person who impacts your life negatively. In John 15:1–2, Jesus Christ warns that the branches that don’t bear any fruit in him will be cut off by his father. Here, the branches that don’t bear any fruit refer to the wicked, who don’t add any value to his ministry. In Judges 3:21, Ehod killed the king of Moab with a dagger to deliver the Israelites from their forced servitude to the Moabites. Drawing from these verses, we can perceive the biblical meaning of dreaming about murdering someone with a knife as a desire to get rid of someone who has a negative influence on your life. It could be a friend who wants to lead you to sin, an employer who treats you unfairly, or an overly jealous relative. This dream can also reflect the aggressive, violent, or resentful feelings you might be holding against such a person.
Dreaming about blood on the knife
In the book of Leviticus, blood and knives are associated with sacrifices that the Israelites offered to God. While dictating the rules about burnt offerings, God instructed the Israelites to slaughter the sacrificial bull before him, and then Aaron’s sons would splash the blood against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent meetings (Leviticus 1:5). In Leviticus 8:15, Moses carried out the Lord’s commands by slaughtering a bull before God and consecrating the altar with its blood. From these verses, we glean that a knife was used to shed blood during a sacrificial offering. Therefore, dreaming about blood on a knife can be a spiritual invitation for you to offer a sacrifice to God to receive atonement, cleansing, or blessings from him.