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.
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After these deeds, the word of God came unto Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not Abram, I am thy shield; and thy reward shall be exceeding great."
Now therefore take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the fields, and take me some venison,
Moreover, I give unto thee a portion of land above thy brethren which I gat out of the hands of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow."
And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest saw it, he rose up out of the company and took a weapon in his hand, and went after the man of Israel into the whorehouse, and thrust them through: both the man of Israel and also the woman even through the belly of her. And the plague ceased from the children of Israel.
Then the LORD said unto Joshua, "Stretch out the spear that is in thine hand toward Ai, for I have given thee it." And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand, toward the city.
and had a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail about him. And the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass. And he had a harness of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders.
and gird David with his own sword upon his raiment. And he assayed to go, for he never proved it. Then said David unto Saul, "I cannot go in these, for I have not been used thereto." And put them off him, and took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of a brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, and in a poke; and took a sling in his hand, and went to the Philistine.
And the evil spirit of the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house having a javelin in his hand, and David played with his hand. And Saul intended to nail David to the wall with the Javelin: But David rid himself out of Saul's presence and he smote the spear into the wall. But David fled and saved himself that same night.
And if any man rise to persecute thee and to seek thy soul, the soul of my lord be bound in a bundle of life with the LORD thy God. And the souls of thy enemies be slung in the middle of a sling.
And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold, three pounds of gold going to a piece, and put them in the house of the wood of Lebanon.
Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
He teacheth my hands to fight, and mine arms shall bend even a bow of steel. {TYNDALE: And teacheth my hands to fight, that a bow of brass is too weak for mine arms.}
The princes of the people are gathered together unto the God of Abraham; for God is far higher exalted, than the mighty lords of the earth.
He shall defend thee under his wings, that thou mayest be safe under his feathers: his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Whoso beareth false witness against his neighbour, he is a very spear, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
All the words of God are pure and clean, for he is a shield unto all them that put their trust in him.
He put righteousness upon him for a breastplate, and set the helmet of health upon his head. He put on wrath instead of clothing, and took jealousy about him for a cloak:
Thou breakest my weapons of war, and yet through thee I have scattered the nations and kingdoms;
Then came there six men out of the street of the upper port toward the north, and every man a weapon in his hand to the slaughter. There was one amongst them, that had on him a linen raiment, and a writer's inkhorn by his side. These went in, and stood beside the brazen altar:
Thy daughters that are in the land shall he slay with the sword: but against thee, he shall make bulwarks and grave up ditches about thee, and lift up his shield against thee.
The Persians, Lydians and Libyans were in thine host, and helped thee to fight: these hanged up their shields and helmets with thee; these set forth thy beauty.
Stand, therefore, and your loins gird about with verity, having on the breastplate of righteousness,
Stand, therefore, and your loins gird about with verity, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and shod with shoes prepared by the gospel of peace. read more. Above all, take to you the shield of faith, wherewith ye may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God,
And they had habergeons, as it were habergeons of iron. And the sound of their wings, was as the sound of chariots when many horses run together to battle.
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.
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and had a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail about him. And the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass.
and had a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail about him. And the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass. And he had a harness of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders.
And he had a harness of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders.
And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him,
And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him,
And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him,
And David took the shields of gold that were upon the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
The way of God is undefiled, and the word of the LORD fined as gold, and he a shield to all that trust in him.
And the priest gave to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that were king David's and had remained in the temple.
And Uzziah provided them, throughout all the host, shields, spears, helmets, habergeons, bows and slings for stones.
And from that time forth it came to pass, that the half part of the young men did the labour, and the other half part held spears, shields, bows, and breastplates: and the rulers stood behind all the house of Judah,
If any man draw out a sword at him, it shall not hurt him: there may neither spear, javelin, nor breast plate abide him.
for thou, LORD, wilt give thy blessing unto the righteous, and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him, as with a shield.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart danceth for joy, and in my song will I praise him.
Let our soul patiently abide the LORD, for he is our help and shield.
Lay hand upon the shield and buckler, and stand up to help me.
For the LORD God is a light and defense; the LORD will give grace and worship, and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life.
He shall defend thee under his wings, that thou mayest be safe under his feathers: his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thy words have I hid within my heart, that I should not sin against thee.
He put righteousness upon him for a breastplate, and set the helmet of health upon his head. He put on wrath instead of clothing, and took jealousy about him for a cloak:
"Ye make ready buckler and shield, ye go forth to fight. Ye harness your horses, and set yourselves upon them. Ye set your helmets fast on, ye bring forth your spears. Ye scour your swords, and put on your breastplates.
Make sharp the arrows, and fill the quivers: for the LORD shall raise up the spirit of the king of the Medes, which hath already a desire to destroy Babylon. This shall be the vengeance of the LORD's, and the vengeance of his temple.
These shall come upon thee with horses, chariots, and a great multitude of people: which shall be harnessed about thee on every side, with breastplates, shields and helmets. I will punish thee before them; yea, they themselves shall punish thee according to their own judgment.
These shall come upon thee with horses, chariots, and a great multitude of people: which shall be harnessed about thee on every side, with breastplates, shields and helmets. I will punish thee before them; yea, they themselves shall punish thee according to their own judgment.
Thy daughters that are in the land shall he slay with the sword: but against thee, he shall make bulwarks and grave up ditches about thee, and lift up his shield against thee.
The Persians, Lydians and Libyans were in thine host, and helped thee to fight: these hanged up their shields and helmets with thee; these set forth thy beauty. They of Arvad were with thine host round about thy walls, and were thy watchmen upon thy towers, these hanged up their shields round about thy walls, and made thee marvelous goodly.
The Persians, Ethiopians, and with them the Libyans which all bear shields and helmets:
But when a stronger than he cometh upon him, and overcometh him: he taketh from him, his harness, wherein he trusted, and divideth his goods.
The night is past and the day is come nigh. Let us therefore cast away the deeds of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
in the words of truth, in the power of God, by the armour of righteousness of the right hand and on the left hand,
Put on the armour of God, that ye may stand steadfast against the crafty assaults of the devil.
For this cause, take unto you the armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand perfect in all things.