ARMS of the Hebrews. The Hebrews made use of all the Arms which were employed by other people of their time and country, such as Swords, Darts, Lances, Javelins, Bows, Arrows and Slings. For defensive Arms they had Helmets Cuirasses, Bucklers, and Armour for their Thighs. It is observable that at particular times, especially of oppression and servitude, whole armies of Israelites were without any good Weapons. In the War which Deborah and Barak carried on against Jabin, there were neither Shields nor Lances in an Army of Israelites which consisted Judg. v. 8.of forty thousand men. In the time of Saul, upon the day of Battle with the Philistines (1 Sam. viii. 22.) there were none in all Israel, besides Saul and Jonathan armed with Swords and Spears, because the Philistines, who were masters of the country, had forbidden the Hebrews to use the trades of Smiths and Farriers, and obliged them to go down into their territories to sharpen their tools of husbandry, but would make no Arms for them.
Job xx. 24. Ps. xvii. 35.Arms were of old made indifferently either of brass or iron1. We meet with accounts in Scripture of brazen Shields, Helmets, and Bows. Goliath wore an Helmet of brass, his Greaves and Target were of the same metal. The Hebrews were both expert Archers and Slingers: we know in what manner David used his Sling against Goliath1 Kings xiv. 27.. The Benjamites were so skilful in flinging, that they could cast stones at an 1 Sam. xvii. 5, 6, 7. Judg. xx. 36.hair’s-breadth without missing. The Scripture adds, that for the most part they used both hands alike.
In the original text of Scripture we meet with four terms to signify Bucklers2. There was without doubt some difference in them; but it would be very hard to fix the particular form and use of them. They were made of wood or ozier, and covered with brass, iron or leather: sometimes they only were bordered with metal, and at other times with several foldings of leather. When Goliath advanced against the Army of Israel, his shoulders were covered with a large Shield of Brass.
1 Sam. xvii. 5. קשקשים שריון 2 Sam. i. 9. Ezek. xxvii. 10.Their Cuirasses were sometimes of linen, woollen or cotton beaten like felt; at other times they were made of brass or copper, like coats of mail, or composed of scales or thin plates laid one upon another, and sometimes they were solid plates of copper, iron, or steel. Goliath had a Coat of Mail, Loricam squameam. Saul had one of very solid and almost impenetrable linen3. We have shewn in our Dissertation on the Militia of the Hebrews, that Cuirasses of these kinds were not unknown to the Ancients. It was a custom to hang up Arms and Shields on the towers of strong places: there is mention in the Canticles of Bucklers hung on David’s tower. Ezekiel speaks of the Bucklers and Helmets which the Tyrians, Persians, Libyans, and Lydians hung upon the walls of Tyre. The Maccabees 1 Macc. iv. 57.having purified and dedicated a-new the Temple, adorned the portal of it with gold Crowns and Bucklers. Simon Maccabæus embellished the Mausolæum erected for his Brethren, with 1 Macc.xiii. 29. with Arms and Ships carved upon the stone.
St. Paul in almost all his Epistles has allusions Ephes. vi. 11,12,13, &c. 1 Thess. v. 8.to Arms, War, military Exercises, and those of Wrestlers at the publick games.
He requires Christians to use their members as the armour of righteousness, for the service of God, not as the armour of iniquity, for the committing of sin; that they should put on the armour of light, or bright and shining armour; that they are not to engage with mortal enemies composed of flesh and blood, but with the rulers of darkness, with the powers of the air, with Devils; for this reason says he to them, Take the armour of God, put on the breast-plate of righteousness, and have your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: take the helmet of Salvation, the 1 Cor. ix. 25.word of the Spirit, which is the word of God, &c. And in another place, Let us put on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. They who combat in the publick games abstain from 2 Tim. xi. 5.many things to obtain a perishable crown, &c. He who contends in the publick games is not to be crowned, unless he has contended according to the rules established, &c.
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