Talk:Goad

What does a picture of a plough have to do with a stick (goad)?



This would be a better picture.



Perhaps something could be mentioned about the killing of Palestinians in the Old Testament with a goad?

Faro0485 (talk) 01:21, 7 September 2008 (UTC)


 * The current image is used because it shows a goad which presumably was used to keep the oxen pulling the plow moving. As for the image you think is better: 1. Is it free? (i.e., is it in the public domain or released under a license at least as free as the GFDL?); 2. Is that a goad or a spear that the man is holding, as he is in what appears to be a war chariot, even though it is being pulled by a bull? -- Donald Albury 13:11, 8 September 2008 (UTC)


 * The second image is from Greek mythology; Cadmus is raising an army by sowing a field with dragons' teeth. He has his spear in hand and the spear-tips of the supernatural army can be seen rising from the furrows of the plough.  It is not clear if he is using the spear as a goad and the spear is certainly not typical of an ox-goad, it is clearly a hoplite killing weapon and not an agricultural implement.  Not an appropriate image, the one in the actual page is much better. --Charlie  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.153.180.229 (talk) 15:36, 24 October 2008 (UTC)

This article says In the early days, before Israel had its own metal industries, farmers had to rely on the Philistines to sharpen their goads, as well as other metal tools, the plowshares and mattocks, forks, and axes (1 Sam. 13:21).

The relevant quote actually begins with 1 Sam. 13:19: Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" Of course this is just an English translation. I don't know what the original Hebrew or Aramic says, but metal tools and weapons were used throughout the Middle East thousands of years before the Hebrews or Philistines existed. I think the real issue here was the use of iron, which circa 1100 BC (plus or minus a few centuries) was a closely guarded secret. Zyxwv99 (talk) 17:00, 11 March 2012 (UTC)