Reference: Armour
Easton
is employed in the English Bible to denote military equipment, both offensive and defensive.
(1.) The offensive weapons were different at different periods of history. The "rod of iron" (Ps 2:9) is supposed to mean a mace or crowbar, an instrument of great power when used by a strong arm. The "maul" (Pr 25:18; cognate Hebrew word rendered "battle-axe" in Jer 51:20, and "slaughter weapon" in Eze 9:2) was a war-hammer or martel. The "sword" is the usual translation of hereb, which properly means "poniard." The real sword, as well as the dirk-sword (which was always double-edged), was also used (1Sa 17:39; 2Sa 20:8; 1Ki 20:11). The spear was another offensive weapon (Jos 8:18; 1Sa 17:7). The javelin was used by light troops (Nu 25:7-8; 1Sa 13:22). Saul threw a javelin at David (1Sa 19:9-10), and so virtually absolved him from his allegiance. The bow was, however, the chief weapon of offence. The arrows were carried in a quiver, the bow being always unbent till the moment of action (Ge 27:3; 48:22; Ps 18:34). The sling was a favourite weapon of the Benjamites (1Sa 17:40; 1Ch 12:2. Comp. 1Sa 25:29).
(2.) Of the defensive armour a chief place is assigned to the shield or buckler. There were the great shield or target (the tzinnah), for the protection of the whole person (Ge 15:1; Ps 47:9; 1Sa 17:7; Pr 30:5), and the buckler (Heb. mageen) or small shield (1Ki 10:17; Eze 26:8). In Ps 91:4 "buckler" is properly a roundel appropriated to archers or slingers. The helmet (Eze 27:10; 1Sa 17:38), a covering for the head; the coat of mail or corselet (1Sa 17:5), or habergeon (Ne 4; 13:31), harness or breat-plate (Re 9:9), for the covering of the back and breast and both upper arms (Isa 59:17; Eph 6:14). The cuirass and corselet, composed of leather or quilted cloth, were also for the covering of the body. Greaves, for the covering of the legs, were worn in the time of David (1Sa 17:6). Reference is made by Paul (Eph 6:14-17) to the panoply of a Roman soldier. The shield here is the thureon, a door-like oblong shield above all, i.e., covering the whole person, not the small round shield. There is no armour for the back, but only for the front.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
After these words, the word of Jehovah was to Abram in a vision, saying, Thou shalt not fear, Abram: I a shield to thee, thy reward great exceedingly.
Therefore take now, thy weapon, thy quiver and thy bow, and go forth to the field and hunt for me a hunting.
And I gave to thee one shoulder over thy brethren, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, will see, and he will rise up from the midst of the assembly and will take a spear in his hand; And he will go after the man of Israel to the tent, and will pierce the two of them, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly: and the smiting will be withheld from the sons of Israel.
And Jehovah will say to Joshua, Stretch with the javelin which is in thine hand, to Ai; for into thine hand will I give it. And Joshua will stretch forth with the javelin which in his hand, to the city.
And a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail of scales he put on; and the weight of the coat of mail five thousand shekels of brass. And brass fronts upon his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
And David will gird his sword over his garments and begin to go, for he tried them not And David will say to Saul, I shall not be able to go with these, for I tried them not And David will take them away from off him. And he will take his rod in his hand, and he will choose to him five smooth stones from the torrent, and he will put them in a vessel of the shepherds, which is to him, and in a sack; and his sling in his hand: and he will draw near to him of the rovers.
And the evil spirit of Jehovah will be upon Saul, and he will sit in his house, and his spear in his hand: and David playing with his hand. And Saul will seek to strike the spear into David and even into the wall: and he will slip away from the face of Saul, and he will strike the spear into the wall: and David fled, and he will escape in that night
And a man will rise to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: and the soul of my lord was bound up in the bundle of lives with Jehovah thy God; and the soul of thine enemies he will sling out in the midst of the hand of the sling.
And three hundred shields of beaten gold; three parts of gold will come up upon the one shield: and the king will give them to the house of the forest of Lebanon.
Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron; as a potter's vessel shalt thou break them in pieces. kings, and be instructed, ye judging the land.
Teaching my hands to war, and a bow of brass was bent by mine arms.
The nobles of the peoples were gathered together, the people of the God. of Abraham: for to God the shields of the earth: he was lifted up greatly.
He will cover thee with his wing feathers, and under his wings thou shalt trust: his truth a shield and buckler.
A mallet and a sword and an arrow sharpened, the man answering against his neighbor testimony of falsehood.
All the word of God is purified: he a shield to those trusting in him.
And he will put on justice as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and be will put on robes of vengeance a garment, and he will clothe himself with zeal as an upper garment
Thou a mallet to me, a weapon of war: and I broke the nations in pieces with thee, and I destroyed kingdoms with thee;
And behold, six men coming from the way of the highest gate which looking to the north, and each a weapon of smiting in pieces in his hand; and one man in the midst of them clothed with linen, an inkhorn of the scribe upon his loins: and they will come and stand by the altar of brass.
Thy daughters in the field he shall slay with the sword: and he gave a watch-tower against thee, and he threw up a mound against thee, and lifted up the buckler against thee.
Persia and Lud and Phut were in thy strength, thy men of war: hung the shield and helmet in thee; they gave thy decoration.
Stand therefore, having girded your loins around with truth, and put on the armor of justice;
Stand therefore, having girded your loins around with truth, and put on the armor of justice; And fastened under the feet in preparation of the good news of peace; read more. Over all, having taken the shield of faith, in which ye shall be able to quench all the inflamed darts of evil. And take ye the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
And they had coats-of-mail, as coats-of-mail of iron; and the voice of their wings as the voice of chariots of many horses running to war.
Morish
None of the Hebrew words translated 'armour' refer definitely to what is understood now by armour worn on the person. Saul armed David with his 'armour,' 1Sa 17:38, but the word used is also translated 'clothes,' etc., and it may refer to Saul's warrior-dress. The articles named are somewhat more definite.
1. Saul put on David a 'HELMET of brass.' These were raised a little above the head, as may be seen by some of the sculptures from Nineveh. 1Sa 17:38; Eze 23:24: the word is qoba. Another word, koba, meaning the same, is found in 1Sa 17:5; 2Ch 26:14; Isa 59:17; Jer 46:4; Eze 27:10; 38:5.
2. COAT OF MAIL. Saul put on David a 'Coat of Mail,' shiryon. 1Sa 17:5,38. This word is translated 'HABERGEON ' in 2Ch 26:14; Ne 4:16, which also signifies 'coat of mail,' and there is a similar word in Job 41:26. It was made of brass scales fastened together. The weight of Goliath's coat of mail was 5,000 shekels.
3. GREAVES. The giant wore Greaves of brass upon his legs. 1Sa 17:6. The word is mitschah, and occurs nowhere else.
4. TARGET. He had a Target of brass between his shoulders, 1Sa 17:6: the word is kidon, and is elsewhere translated both 'shield' and 'spear.' In this case it was probably a small spear carried between the shoulders.
5. SHIELD. A Shield was carried before him. This was a tsinnah, a shield of large size to protect the whole body, with a large boss in the centre rising to a point which could be used as a weapon. It is employed figuratively for God's protecting care of His people. Ps 5:12; 91:4. The same word is translated BUCKLER. Ps 35:2; Eze 23:24; 26:8, etc.
Another word is used for a smaller shield, magen, and this is the word which occurs most commonly in the O.T., especially in the Psalms, referring to God's protection, as Ps 28:7; 33:20; 84:11; 119:114, etc. The same word is translated BUCKLER. 2Sa 22:31; 1Ch 5:18; Cant. 4:4; Jer 46:3, etc.
The word shelet is translated Shield, but is also applied to Shields of gold, 2Sa 8:7, and those suspended for ornament. Eze 27:11. It occurs also in 2Ki 11:10; 1Ch 18:7; 2Ch 23:9; Cant. 4:4; Jer 51:11.
In the N.T. 'armour' is used symbolically.
1. ???? in contrast to 'the works of darkness' we are exhorted to put on 'the armour of light.' Ro 13:12. Paul and his fellow-labourers commended themselves as God's ministers by the "armour, or arms, of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." 2Co 6:7.
2. ????????, 'whole armour.' One stronger than Satan takes away all his 'armour.' Lu 11:22. The Christian is exhorted to put on the 'whole armour of God,' the panoply, that he may stand in the evil day in his conflict with the spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenlies. Eph 6:11,13. See BREASTPLATE, HELMET, etc.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail of scales he put on; and the weight of the coat of mail five thousand shekels of brass.
And a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail of scales he put on; and the weight of the coat of mail five thousand shekels of brass. And brass fronts upon his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
And brass fronts upon his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
And Saul will put his garments upon David, and give a helmet of brass upon his head, and put on him a coat of mail
And Saul will put his garments upon David, and give a helmet of brass upon his head, and put on him a coat of mail
And Saul will put his garments upon David, and give a helmet of brass upon his head, and put on him a coat of mail
And David will take the shields of gold which were upon the servants of Hadadezer, and he will bring them to Jerusalem.
The Strong One, blameless his way The saying of Jehovah purified, A shield to all trusting in him.
And the priest will give to the captains of hundreds the spears: and shields: which were to king David, Which were in the house of Jehovah.
And Uzziah will prepare for them for all the army shields and spears, and helmets, and coats of mail, and bows, and for stones of slings.
And it will be from that day the half of my young men doing in the work, and half of them holding fast and the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the chiefs behind every house of Judah.
The sword reaching him, shall not be raised up: the spear, the dart, and the coat of mail.
For thou wilt bless the just, O Jehovah: thou wilt surround him with favor as a shield
Jehovah my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusted, and I was helped: and my heart will exult, and from my song will I praise him.
Our soul waited for Jehovah: he our help and our shield.
Take hold of the shield and the buckler, and stand up for my help.
For Jehovah God a sun and shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; he will not withhold good to those going uprightly.
He will cover thee with his wing feathers, and under his wings thou shalt trust: his truth a shield and buckler.
In my heart I hid thy sayings, so that I shall not sin to thee.
And he will put on justice as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and be will put on robes of vengeance a garment, and he will clothe himself with zeal as an upper garment
Prepare the covering and the shield, and approach to the war. Harness the horses, and come up, ye horsemen, and stand in the helmets; polish the spears, and put on the coats of mail.
Polish the arrows; fill the quivers: Jehovah roused up the spirit of the kings of the Males: for his purpose is against Babel, to destroy her; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah, the vengeance of his temple.
And they came against thee firm with chariot and wheel, and with a convocation of peoples, shield and buckler and helmet, they will set against thee round about: and I gave judgment before them, and they judged thee with their judgments.
And they came against thee firm with chariot and wheel, and with a convocation of peoples, shield and buckler and helmet, they will set against thee round about: and I gave judgment before them, and they judged thee with their judgments.
Thy daughters in the field he shall slay with the sword: and he gave a watch-tower against thee, and he threw up a mound against thee, and lifted up the buckler against thee.
Persia and Lud and Phut were in thy strength, thy men of war: hung the shield and helmet in thee; they gave thy decoration. The sons of Arvad and thine army upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hung their shields upon thy walls round about; they completed thy beauty.
Persia, Cush and Phut with them, all of them with shield and helmet
And when a stronger than he, having come, conquers him, he takes away his complete armor in which he trusted, and distributes his spoils.
The night has advanced, and the day has drawn near: therefore let us lay down the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.
In the word of truth, in the power of God, through the weapons of justice of the right hands and the left,
Put on the complete armor of God, for you to be able to stand against the artifices of the accuser.
For this take up the complete armor of God, that ye might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having effected all things, to stand.