1 Samuel 17:6

6 He wore bronze protectors on his legs, and he had a bronze spear on his back.

1 Samuel 17:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 17:6

And he had greaves of brass upon his legs
Which were a sort of boots, or leg harnesses, which covered the thighs and legs down to the heels; such as Iolaus ^F11 and the Grecians usually wore, as described by Homer; which are supposed to be double the weight of the helmet, reckoned at fifteen pounds, so that these must weigh thirty pounds of avoirdupois weight:

and a target of brass between his shoulders;
the Targum is,

``a spear or shield of brass, which came out of the helmet, and a weight of brass upon his shoulders.''

Jarchi says the same, and that it was in the form of a spear to defend the neck from the sword; it seems to be a corslet of brass, worn between the helmet and the coat of mail for the defence of the neck, supposed to weigh thirty pounds ^F12

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Hesiod. Scutum Herc. ver. 122.
F12 Vid. Hostii Monomach. David & Goliath, c. 5.

1 Samuel 17:6 In-Context

4 The Philistines had a champion fighter from Gath named Goliath. He was about nine feet, four inches tall. He came out of the Philistine camp

5 with a bronze helmet on his head and a coat of bronze armor that weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds.

6 He wore bronze protectors on his legs, and he had a bronze spear on his back.

7 The wooden part of his larger spear was like a weaver's rod, and its blade weighed about fifteen pounds. The officer who carried his shield walked in front of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the Israelite soldiers, "Why have you taken positions for battle? I am a Philistine, and you are Saul's servants! Choose a man and send him to fight me.