Reference: Arms, Armor
Smith
Arms, Armor.
The subject naturally divides itself into-- I. Offensive weapons: Arms. II. Defensive weapons: Armor. I. Offensive weapons.--
1. Apparently the earliest known and most widely used was the Chereb or SWORD. Very little can be gathered as to its shape, size, material or mode of use. Perhaps if anything is to be inferred it is that the Chereb is both a lighter and a shorter weapon than the modern sword. It was carried in a sheath,
See Sword
1Sa 17:51; 2Sa 20:8; 1Ch 21:27
slung by a girdle,
and resting upon the thigh,
or upon the hips.
2. Next we have the SPEAR; and of this weapon we meet with at least three distinct kinds.
See Spear
a. The Chanith, a "spear," and that of the largest kind. It was the weapon of Goliath,
1Sa 17:7,45; 2Sa 21:19; 1Ch 20:5
and also of other giants,
and mighty warriors.
b. Apparently lighter than the preceding was the Cidon or "javelin." When not in action the Cidon was carried on the back of the warrior,
Authorized Version "target." c. Another kind of spear was the Romach. In the historical books it occurs in
and 1Kin 18:28 and frequently in the later books, as in
("buckler");
(It varied much in length, weight and size.) d. The Shelach was probably a lighter missile or "dart." see
("darts");
(see margin);
e. Shebet, a rod or staff, is used once only to denote a weapon.
3. Of missile weapons of offence the chief was undoubtedly the BOW, Kesheth. The ARROWS were carried in a quiver.
See Bow
See Arrows
Ge 27:3; Isa 22:6; 49:2; Ps 127:5
From an allusion in Job 6:4 they would seem to have been some times poisoned; and
may point to a practice of using arrows with some burning material attached to them.
4. The SLING is first mentioned in
See Sling
This simple weapon, with which David killed the giant Philistine, was the natural attendant of a shepherd. Later in the monarchy, slingers formed part of the regular army.
5. The BATTLE AXE,
a powerful weapon of whose exact form we have no knowledge. II. Armor.--
1. The BREASTPLATE, enumerated in the description of the arms of Goliath, a "coat of mail," literally a "breastplate of scales."
See Breastplate
This word has furnished one of the names of Mount Hermon. See
De 3:9
2. The HABERGEON is mentioned but twice--in reference to the gown of the high priest.
See Habergeon
It was probably a quilted shirt or doublet.
3. The HELMET is referred to in
See Helmet
1Sa 17:5; 2Ch 26:14; Eze 27:10
4. (GREAVES) or defences for the feet, made of brass, are named in
See Greaves
only.
5. Two kinds of SHIELD are distinguishable.
See Shield
a. The large shield; encompassing,
the whole person. When not in actual conflict it was carried before the warrior.
b. Of smaller dimensions was the buckler or target, probably for use in hand-to-hand fight.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison.
And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a coat of mail, that it be not rent.
and the mitre of fine linen, and the goodly head-tires of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen,
And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;
And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.
And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed'six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him.
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed'six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him.
And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
Then David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.
Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.
And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred'shekels of gold went to one buckler.
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.
And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;
And in every city he put'shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.
And he took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall without, and strengthened Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
They all builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one went with his weapon to the water.
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up: The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.
But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.
All mine enemies shall be put to shame and sore troubled: They shall turn back, they shall be put to shame suddenly.
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, Thy glory and thy majesty.
Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
And Elam bare the quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.
and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close:
Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of war: and with thee will I break in pieces the nations; and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;
Persia and Lud and Put were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.
Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course .