כִּישׁוֹר

# Kišhōr (כִּישׁוֹר): A Weaver's Tool The Hebrew word *kišhōr* appears only once in the biblical text and refers to a **distaff**—a wooden rod or staff used in the spinning process. A distaff holds raw fibers (such as wool or flax) and allows a spinner to draw out and twist them into thread. This was an essential tool for textile production in ancient households. The single occurrence of this term in Scripture suggests it was either a common enough item to require minimal explanation or a relatively specialized vocabulary word that appeared in only one relevant context. Its presence in the biblical record reflects the everyday reality of household textile production, a labor-intensive process typically performed by women in ancient Israelite society. The word's rarity in biblical Hebrew means we cannot trace its semantic range or variations in usage across different texts or time periods. The significance of *kišhōr* lies not in theological or narrative weight but in its attestation as material culture—a simple tool that illuminates the domestic economy and daily life of ancient Israel. Its single mention preserves a detail of ordinary work that would have been familiar to most people of that era.