A weaver’s beam—a round wooden roller that cloth or carpet was wound around during the weaving process in Bible times. The spears of the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:7; 2 Samuel 21:19; 1 Chronicles 20:5) and an Egyptian killed by Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men (1 Chronicles 11:23), were compared to a weaver’s beam.
A tree trunk or log that has been cut and used for building purposes. King Solomon used cedar beams and planks to build the temple (1 Kings 6:9; 2 Chronicles 3:7) and his “House of the Forest of Lebanon” (1 Kings 7:2, 12). Another mention of cedar beams probably refers to their aroma (Song of Solomon 1:17).
→ View encyclopedia entryThe crossbeam of a Hebrew balance from which cords hung the scales.
A beam (King James Version) or log (Revised Standard Version) that Jesus mentioned (Matthew 7:3–5; Luke 6:41–42). Jesus compared the beam in an accuser’s eye with the mote (King James Version) or speck (Revised Standard Version) in his brother’s eye.
Beam
This term has multiple meanings in the Bible:
From Tyndale Bible Dictionary, adapted by Mission Mutual. CC BY-SA 4.0.