Armor

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: A By: George A. Morrish

• 3 min. read • grade level: 8

None of the Hebrew words translated “armor” refer definitely to what is understood now by armor worn on the person. Saul armed David with his “armor” (1 Sam. 17:38³⁸And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. (1 Samuel 17:38)), but the word used is also translated “clothes,” 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 (1 Sam. 17:38³⁸And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. (1 Samuel 17:38); Ezek. 23:24²⁴And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments. (Ezekiel 23:24)); the word is goba. Another word, koba, meaning the same, is found in 1 Samuel 17:5⁵And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. (1 Samuel 17:5); 2 Chronicles 26:14¹⁴And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. (2 Chronicles 26:14); Isaiah 59:17¹⁷For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. (Isaiah 59:17); Jeremiah 46:4⁴Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. (Jeremiah 46:4); Ezek. 27:10¹⁰They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness. (Ezekiel 27:10); and Ezekiel 38:5⁵Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: (Ezekiel 38:5).

2. COAT OF MAIL. Saul put on David a “Coat of Mail,” shiryon (1 Sam. 17:5, 38⁵And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. (1 Samuel 17:5)
³⁸And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. (1 Samuel 17:38)). This word is translated HABERGEON in 2 Chronicles 26:14¹⁴And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. (2 Chronicles 26:14) and Nehemiah 4:16¹⁶And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. (Nehemiah 4:16), which also signifies “coat of mail,” and there is a similar word in Job 41:26²⁶The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. (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 (1 Sam. 17:6⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. (1 Samuel 17:6)). The word is mitschah, and occurs nowhere else.

4. TARGET. He had a target of brass between his shoulders (1 Sam. 17:6⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. (1 Samuel 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.