Artillery

The term "artillery" in older English usage covers ranged weapons and military equipment generally. The single verse grouped under this heading describes Jonathan handing off his weapons after his clandestine signal to David: "And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city" (1 Sam 20:40).

Weapons in the Signal Scene

The verse falls within the account of David's departure from Saul's court. Jonathan had used arrows shot into a field as a coded signal to David, and 1 Sam 20:40 records the moment after: Jonathan sends his lad ahead with the weapons so that he and David can speak privately. The "weapons" here would have included the bow and arrows used in the signal. The episode is less about warfare than about the covert communication between two friends, with Jonathan's military equipment serving as the instrument of that communication.