1 Samuel 17:6

6 and he had on his thighs brazen boots, and a brazen shield covered his shoulders. (and he wore bronze boots up to his thighs, and a bronze shield covered his shoulders.)

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 And a man in the midst, that is, a strong man, and hardy, that goeth before the host, and is ready to fight against one of the enemies in singular battle, (that is, man-to-man,) went out of the Philistines? tents, Goliath by name, of Gath, of six cubits high and a span; (And a champion went out from the Philistines? camp, whose name was Goliath, and was from Gath, and he was six cubits and a span in height;)

5 and a brazen basinet on his head; and he was clothed with a mailed habergeon; and the weight of his habergeon was five thousand shekels of brass; (and he had a bronze helmet on his head; and was clothed with a breastplate of mail; and the weight of his breastplate was equal to five thousand brass shekels;)

6 and he had on his thighs brazen boots, and a brazen shield covered his shoulders. (and he wore bronze boots up to his thighs, and a bronze shield covered his shoulders.)

7 Forsooth the shaft of his spear was as the beam of webs (And his spear shaft was like a weaver's beam); and the iron of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his squire went before him.

8 And he stood, and cried (out) against the companies of (the) armed men of Israel, and said to them, Why came ye ready to (do) battle? Whether I am not a Philistine, and ye be the servants of Saul? Choose ye a man of you, and come he down to a singular battle, (that is, man-to-man);