qiāng (rifle; gun; firearm [→ [sth. shaped or functioning like a gun | mw for gunshots]] | {(short) spear}; dart 枪 槍/鎗) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”
[Note: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”, tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”.]
This week’s MEotW, “qiāng (rifle; gun; firearm [→ [sth. shaped or functioning like a gun | mw for gunshots]] | {(short) spear}; dart 枪 槍/鎗)”, now mainly used to mean “rifle; gun; firearm”, is relevant to both the Ukraine war and to yet another school shooting in America, which have sadly both been in the news recently.
An Older, Possibly Related Meaning
Interestingly, it seems that in the Mandarin New World Translation Bible, “qiāng (rifle; gun; firearm [→ [sth. shaped or functioning like a gun | mw for gunshots]] | {(short) spear}; dart 枪 槍/鎗)” is used to mean a “dart” or relatively short spear, while “máo ({(long) spear}; pike; lance 矛)”, meaning “lance; pike; spear”, is used to mean a relatively long spear. (2 Sa. 18:14 (English/Mandarin, see footnotes); Job 41:26 (English/Mandarin)) Also, “qiāngmáo (qiāng·máo {(short) spears}; darts · {(long) spears} → [spears] 枪矛 槍/鎗矛)” is used several times in the Mandarin NWT Bible, although this particular expression does not appear in the regular Chinese dictionaries I have loaded in Pleco. (It does appear in the Referenced Theo. Expressions dictionary.)
Scriptural Usage Examples That Give Hope
How reassuring and comforting it is for us to know that, as shown in scriptures such as the following, Jehovah will soon bring an end to wars and violence and the weapons associated with them:
Shīpiān (Shī·piān {Sacred Song} · {Piece of Writing} → [Psalm] 诗篇 詩篇) 46:9 (Mandarin WOL/Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus)
📖 📄 📘 Tā (he 他) zhōngzhǐ (zhōng·zhǐ {is ending} · {is halting} 终止 終止) zhànzhēng (zhàn·zhēng wars · contendings → [wars] 战争 戰爭), píngdìng (píng·dìng {is making to be flat, level, even → [is making to be peaceful]} · {is making to be settled → [is making to be calm]} 平定) tiānxià (tiān·xià heaven · under → [the whole world] 天下);
Tā (he 他) zhé (breaks 折 折/摺) gōng (bow 弓) duàn (snaps 断 斷) máo ({(long) spear} 矛), shāohuǐ (shāo·huǐ burns · {to be destroyed} 烧毁 燒毀/燬) zhànchē (zhàn·chē war · vehicles 战车 戰車).
Yǐsàiyàshū (Yǐsàiyà·shū Isaiah · Book 以赛亚书 以賽亞書) 2:4 (Mandarin WOL/Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) Plus)
📖 📄 📘 Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · {Emperor → [God]} → [God] 上帝) huì (will 会 會) shěnpàn (shěn·pàn try · judge 审判 審判) gèguó (gè·guó various · nations 各国 各國) de (’ 的) rén (peoples 人),
Wèi (for 为 為/爲) gèzú (gè·zú various · {ethnic groups} 各族) de (’ 的) rén (peoples 人) jiějué (jiě·jué {untie → [solve]} · decide → [resolve] 解决 解決) zhēngduān (zhēng·duān disputed · points → [disputes] 争端 爭端).
Tāmen (Tā·men he/she · [pl] → [they] 他们 他們) yào (must → [will] 要) bǎ (hold 把) dāojiàn (dāo·jiàn {knives → [swords]} · swords → [swords] 刀剑 刀劍) dǎchéng (dǎ·chéng {to be beaten} · {to be turned into} 打成) lítou (lí·tou {plough (US plow)} · {heads → [suf]} → [ploughshares (US plowshares)] 犁头 犁頭),
Bǎ (hold 把) qiāngmáo (qiāng·máo {(short) spears} · {(long) spears} → [spears] 枪矛 槍/鎗矛) dǎchéng (dǎ·chéng {to be beaten} · {to be turned into} 打成) liándāo (lián·dāo sickle · knives → [sickles] 镰刀 鐮刀).
Guó (nation 国 國) yǔ (with 与 與/与) guó (nation 国 國) búzài (bú·zài not · anymore 不再) bájiàn (bá·jiàn {will draw} · sword 拔剑 拔劍) xiāng ({each other} 相) gōng ({to attack} 攻),
Tāmen (Tā·men he/she · [pl] → [they] 他们 他們) yě (also 也) búzài (bú·zài not · anymore 不再) xuéxí (xué·xí {will learn} · {will get practised in} 学习 學習) zuòzhàn (zuò·zhàn {doing of} · {fighting (war)} 作战 作戰).