arms, armor

Implements for war. In tribal societies like that of early Israel arms consisted of spears, swords, slingstones, and bows and arrows. Armor is first referred to in Israel when Saul offered David his armor to use in the upcoming combat with Goliath, whose own armor was considerable (1Sam 17:5-7). Armor is also mentioned often in contexts other than war or narrative description. It can be the subject of a proverbial saying (1Kgs 20:11), the object of God’s power (Ps 46:9), and, transformed, the basis for a new social order (Isa 2:1-4; Mic 4:1-5). NT writers also speak metaphorically of such things as the “breastplate of righteousness” and the “helmet of salvation” (Eph 6:13-17), and of the word of God being “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12).