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 thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and get thee to the fields, and take me some venison,
And there shall be a hole for the head in the midst of it, and let there be a bond of woven work round about the collar of it: as it were the collar of a partlet, that it rend not.
and a mitre of bysse, and goodly bonnets of bysse, and linen breeches of twined bysse,
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,
Ehud made him a two-edged dagger of a span long, and girded it under his garment upon his right thigh;
And among all these folk were seven hundred left handed men, which every one could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.
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 the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spearhead weighed six hundred sicles of iron. And one bearing a shield went before him.
And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam. And his spearhead weighed six hundred sicles of iron. And one bearing a shield went before him.
And the Philistine came and drew near to David, with the man that bare a shield before him.
Then said David to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield: But I come to thee in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed upon.
he ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of his sheath and slew him and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
Then David said unto his men, "Gird every man his sword about him." And they girded every man his sword on, and David thereto girded on his sword. And there followed David upon a four hundred men, and two hundred abode by the stuff.
Howbeit, he would in no wise depart. Then Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the short ribs, that the spear came out behind him: that he fell down in the same place and died there. And as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.
Then said Joab, "I may not stand tarrying with thee. And therewith he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive on the body of the tree.
Then Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah: he was a captain over the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and was named with the three.
And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man, which had a spear in his hand. And Benaiah 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 sicles of gold went to a buckler.
And they cried loud and cut themselves, as their manner was, with knives and lances, till the blood flowed on them.
And they overthrew the cities, and on every good parcel of land, cast every man his stone and over-covered it, and stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees. And as long as the stones thereof did remain in the walls of brick the slingers went upon it and beat it.
And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David, when he kept a hold in the wilderness, men of might and men apt for war and could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were thereto as swift as the roes of the mountains:
And he ordained in all cities shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And so Judah and Benjamin were under him.
And he set all the people and every man his weapon in his hand, from the right corner of the house to the left corner of the house, along by the altar and the house round about the king.
And he went to lustily and built up the wall where it was broken, and made towers above upon, and yet another wall without, and repaired Millo the city of David, and made many darts and shields.
which builded on the wall, and bare burdens from those that laded them. With one hand did they the work, and with the other held they their weapon.
As for me and my brethren, and my servants, and the men of the watch behind me, we put never off our clothes, so much as to wash ourselves.
For the arrows of the almighty are in me, whose indignation hath drunk up my spirit, and the terrible fears of God fight against me.
keepeth his soul from destruction, and his life from the sword.
But if they will not obey, they shall go through the sword, and perish before they be aware.
All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed; they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly.
Gird thee with thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou Most Mighty, according to thy worship and renown.
Even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals.
Happy is the man, that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Elam bare the quiver in a chariot of footmen and of horsemen, and the city of Kir showed the shield open.
And he made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow he led me with his hand. And he made me as an excellent arrow, and hid in his quiver.
Thou breakest my weapons of war, and yet through thee I have scattered the nations and kingdoms;
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.
There shall not one drive another, but each shall keep his own way. They shall break in at the windows, and not be hurt: