Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 17:6

and a frontlet of brass [is] on his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Brass;   Greaves;   Javelin;   Target;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Targets;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arms, Military;   Brass, or Copper;   Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Brass;   Goliath;   Target;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Philistia, philistines;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Brass;   Buckler;   Copper;   Greaves;   Target;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Philistia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Bronze;   Copper;   Mediator;   Minerals and Metals;   Philistines, the;   Samuel, Books of;   Weights and Measures;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Armour, Arms;   David;   Giant;   Leg;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Goliath ;   Target;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Goliath;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Goliath;   Obsolete or obscure words in the english av bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Arms, Armor;   Copper,;   Metals;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Goliath;   Gorget;   Leg;   Philistines;   Scrip;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Simeon, Tribe of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
There was bronze armor on his shins, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.
Hebrew Names Version
He had brass shin-armor on his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
King James Version
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
Lexham English Bible
Bronze greaves were on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.
English Standard Version
And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
New Century Version
He wore bronze protectors on his legs, and he had a bronze spear on his back.
New English Translation
He had bronze shin guards on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders.
Amplified Bible
He had bronze shin protectors on his legs and a bronze javelin hung between his shoulders.
New American Standard Bible
He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze saber slung between his shoulders.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he had bootes of brasse vpon his legs, and a shield of brasse vpon his shoulders.
Legacy Standard Bible
He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.
Complete Jewish Bible
He had bronze armor protecting his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
Darby Translation
And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders.
Easy-to-Read Version
Goliath wore bronze protectors on his legs. He had a bronze javelin tied on his back.
George Lamsa Translation
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a cuirass of mail between his shoulders.
Good News Translation
His legs were also protected by bronze armor, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder.
Literal Translation
And a covering of bronze was on his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and harnesse of stele had he vpon his legges, and a shylde of stele vpon his shulders:
American Standard Version
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
Bible in Basic English
His legs were covered with plates of brass and hanging on his back was a javelin of brass.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he had bootes of brasse vpon his legges, and a shielde of brasse vpon his shoulders.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
King James Version (1611)
And he had greaues of brasse vpon his legs, and a target of brasse betweene his shoulders.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And greaves of grass were upon his legs, and a brazen target was between his shoulders.
English Revised Version
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
Berean Standard Bible
He had armor of bronze on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he hadde `bootis of bras in the hipis, and a `scheld of bras hilide hise schuldris.
Update Bible Version
And he had greaves of bronze on his legs, and a javelin of bronze between his shoulders.
Webster's Bible Translation
And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
World English Bible
He had brass shin-armor on his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
New King James Version
And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
New Living Translation
He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.
New Life Bible
He wore brass leg-coverings, and had a brass spear on his shoulders.
New Revised Standard
He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, greaves of bronze, on his feet, - and, a javelin of bronze, between his shoulders;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he had greaves of brass on his legs, and a buckler of brass covered his shoulders.
Revised Standard Version
And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.

Contextual Overview

1 And the Philistines gather their camps to battle, and are gathered to Shochoh, which [is] to Judah, and encamp between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-Dammim; 2 and Saul and the men of Israel have been gathered, and encamp by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array to meet the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines are standing on the mountain on this side, and the Israelites are standing on the mountain on that side, and the valley [is] between them. 4 And there goeth out a man of the duellists from the camps of the Philistines, Goliath [is] his name, from Gath; his height [is] six cubits and a span, 5 and a helmet of brass [is] on his head, and [with] a scaled coat of mail he [is] clothed, and the weight of the coat of mail [is] five thousand shekels of brass, 6 and a frontlet of brass [is] on his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders, 7 and the wood of his spear [is] like a beam of weavers', and the flame of his spear [is] six hundred shekels of iron, and the bearer of the buckler is going before him. 8 And he standeth and calleth unto the ranks of Israel, and saith to them, `Why are ye come out to set in array the battle? [am] not I the Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose for you a man, and let him come down unto me; 9 if he be able to fight with me, and have smitten me, then we have been to you for servants; and if I am able for him, and have smitten him, then ye have been to us for servants, and have served us.' 10 And the Philistine saith, `I have reproached the ranks of Israel this day; give to me a man, and we fight together.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

target of brass: or, gorget, 1 Kings 10:16, 2 Chronicles 9:15

Reciprocal: Joshua 8:18 - the spear

Cross-References

Genesis 17:4
`I -- lo, My covenant [is] with thee, and thou hast become father of a multitude of nations;
Genesis 17:6
and I have made thee exceeding fruitful, and made thee become nations, and kings go out from thee.
Genesis 17:16
and I have blessed her, and have also given to thee a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she hath become nations -- kings of peoples are from her.'
Genesis 17:17
And Abraham falleth upon his face, and laugheth, and saith in his heart, `To the son of an hundred years is one born? or doth Sarah -- daughter of ninety years -- bear?'
Genesis 17:20
As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation;
Genesis 35:11
And God saith to him, `I [am] God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and an assembly of nations is from thee, and kings from thy loins go out;
Ezra 4:20
and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 k 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 l

k Hesiod. Scutum Herc. ver. 122. l Vid. Hostii Monomach. David & Goliath, c. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A target ... - Rather, “a javelin.” as in 1 Samuel 17:45, and placed between the shoulders, as the quiver was.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 17:6. Greaves of brass upon his legs — This species of armour may be seen on many ancient monuments. It was a plate of brass (though perhaps sometimes formed of laminae or plates, like the mail) which covered the shin or fore part of the leg, from the knee down to the instep, and was buckled with straps behind the leg. From ancient monuments we find that it was commonly worn only on one leg. VEGETIUS, de Re Militari, says, Pedites Scutati etiam ferreas ocreas in dextris cruribus copebantur accipere. "The foot soldiers, called Scutati, from their particular species of shield, were obliged to use iron greaves on their right legs." One of these may be seen in the monument of the gladiator Buto, in Montfaucon; and another in the Mosaic pavement at Bognor, in Surrey.

A target of brass between his shoulders. — When not actually engaged, soldiers threw their shields behind their back, so that they appeared to rest or hang between the shoulders.

There are different opinions concerning this piece of armour, called here כידון kidon. Some think it was a covering for the shoulders; others, that it was a javelin or dart; others, that it was a lance; some, a club; and others, a sword. It is certainly distinguished from the shield, 1 Samuel 17:41, and is translated a spear, Joshua 8:18.


 
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