the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Encyclopedias
Breastplate
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
or A rendering of the Hebrew "shiryon" or "siryon," which would be more correctly translated "coat of mail" or "cuirass." The kings of Israel used in warfare (1 Kings 22:34) such body-protectors as were in vogue among their neighbors (compare Goliath's "coat of mail," 1 Samuel 17:5). The character of this piece of armor, as seen on the monuments of Egypt, Assyria, and later in Rome, would indicate that it was a coat of various lengths, often, if not always, made of overlapping plates of metal (compare 1 Samuel 17:5; Deuteronomy 14:9). It protected the breast and the back, and in some cases reached as far down as the knees. In certain passages (for example, 2 Chronicles 22:14; Nehemiah 4:16) the exact character of the armor specified can not be determined. It may be that some such piece of armor served the illustrative purpose of the Prophet Isaiah (59:17) and of the apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:14).
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Singer, Isidore, Ph.D, Projector and Managing Editor. Entry for 'Breastplate'. 1901 The Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tje/b/breastplate.html. 1901.
