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Topic:
Thoughts
And Things Of The Bible -- Armor
The word "armor" 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" (Prov. 25:18; cognate Hebrew word rendered
"battle-axe" in Jer. 51:20, and "slaughter weapon" in
Ezek. 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 (1 Sam. 17:39; 2 Sam. 20:8; 1 Kings 20:11). The spear was another
offensive weapon (Josh. 8:18; 1 Sam. 17:7). The javelin was used by light
troops (Num. 25:7, 8; 1 Sam. 13:22). Saul threw a javelin at David (1 Sam.
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 (Gen. 27:3; 48:22;
Ps. 18:34). The sling was a favorite weapon of the Benjamites (1 Sam.
17:40; 1 Chr. 12:2. Comp. 1 Sam. 25:29).
(2.) Of the defensive armor 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 (Gen. 15:1; Ps. 47:9; 1 Sam. 17:7; Prov.
30:5), and the buckler (Heb. mageen ) or small shield (1 Kings 10:17;
Ezek. 26:8). In Ps. 91:4 "buckler" is properly a roundel
appropriated to archers or slingers. The helmet (Ezek. 27:10; 1 Sam.
17:38), a covering for the head; the coat of mail or corselet (1 Sam.
17:5), or habergeon (Neh. 4;16), harness or breast-plate (Rev. 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 (1 Sam. 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 armor for the back, but
only for the front.
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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