Bible Strands

1 Samuel 17:6

and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator describes Goliath’s equipment as he stands ready to fight the Israelite army in the Valley of Elah.

The words — מִצְחַת (mitzachat) denotes leg armor, and כִּידוֹן (kidon) denotes a javelin, both explicitly forged from נְחֹשֶׁת (nechoshet), bronze.

The thread — The javelin is directly echoed in David’s rebuttal at 1 Samuel 17:45, while the heavy bronze gear parallels the scaled weaponry described in 1 Samuel 17:5 and 17:7.

Why it lands — The text records the physical reality of Goliath’s protection before the narrative shifts to his defeat, demanding the reader acknowledge the gap between human armor and divine intervention without softening the contrast.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּמִצְחַ֥תu./mitz.Chatand/ leg armor ofנְחֹ֖שֶׁתne.Cho.shetbronzeעַל־'al-[was] onרַגְלָ֑יוrag.La/vfeet/ hisוְכִיד֥וֹןve./khi.Donand/ a javelin ofנְחֹ֖שֶׁתne.Cho.shetbronzeבֵּ֥יןbein[was] betweenכְּתֵפָֽיו׃ke.te.Fa/vshoulders/ his

King James Version

And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

Cross-references