Offensive weapons can be divided into hand-held or short-range, medium-range, and long-range weapons. Among short-range weapons, the club was usually larger at the striking end (Prov. 25:18). The mace was a variation of the club with a stone or metal head (possibly implied in Ps. 68:21 [MT 22]; Hab. 3:13). The battle-ax came from axes used for cutting wood (possibly Jer. 51:20). The spear had a sharp blade affixed to the end of a long stick. It was a stabbing or thrusting weapon (John 19:34). The sword was very common (more than 400 occurrences in the OT), used for stabbing in hand-to-hand combat. It was short or longer, straight, and generally kept in a sheath (1 Sam. 17:51). The sickle sword was curved like a sickle and sharp on only one side. It was used for slashing rather than stabbing, and is implied in “smiting someone with the edge of a sword” (Josh. 8:24; Judg. 21:10).