3553. koba
Lexical Summary
koba: Helmet

Original Word: כּוֹבַע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kowba`
Pronunciation: koh-bah
Phonetic Spelling: (ko'-bah)
KJV: helmet
NASB: helmet, helmets
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to be high or rounded]

1. a helmet (as arched)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
helmet

From an unused root meaning to be high or rounded; a helmet (as arched) -- helmet. Compare qowba'.

see HEBREW qowba'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
helmet
NASB Translation
helmet (4), helmets (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
כּוֺבַע noun masculine helmet (√ dubious; Late Hebrew כּוֺבַע, Aramaic כּוֺבְעָא turban; compare קוֺבַע Ezekiel 23:24) — absolute ׳כ Ezekiel 27:10; כּוֺבָ֑ע Ezekiel 38:5; construct כּ֫וֺבַע (Ew§ 213, f.) 1 Samuel 17:5; Isaiah 59:17; plural כּוֺבָעִים Jeremiah 46:4; 2Chronicles 26:14; — helmet, of bronze נְחשֶׁת עַלרֿאֹשׁוֺ ׳כ 1 Samuel 17:5; Jeremiah 46:4; Ezekiel 27:10; Ezekiel 38:5; 2Chronicles 26:14; figurative of ׳י, יְשׁוּעָה ׳וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַּשִּׁרְיָן וְכ בְּראֹשׁוֺ Isaiah 59:17.

Topical Lexicon
Entry Title: Helmet – כּוֹבַע (Strong’s Hebrew 3553)

General Description

The כּוֹבַע is martial headgear designed to protect the skull in battle. The Old Testament restricts the term to contexts of warfare, emphasizing both the practical necessity of safeguarding the head and the symbolic value of security granted by God. Whenever Scripture records a כּוֹבַע, it is either worn by a warrior engaged in combat or represented as part of the Lord’s own armor when He rises to judge.

Occurrences in Scripture

1 Samuel 17:5 – Goliath, “He had a bronze helmet on his head…”
2 Chronicles 26:14 – King Uzziah equips his army with “shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows, and slingstones.”
Isaiah 59:17 – The LORD Himself “put on … the helmet of salvation on His head.”
Jeremiah 46:4 – The Egyptian cavalry is commanded, “take your positions with helmets on!”
Ezekiel 27:10 – Mercenaries of Tyre “hung their shields and helmets” within the city for display.
Ezekiel 38:5 – Persia, Cush, and Put advance “all with shields and helmets.”

Historical Background and Construction

During the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, helmets were typically cast or hammered from bronze, sometimes iron, and lined with leather or cloth for comfort. The Philistine example (Goliath) reflects Mycenaean influence—bronze pieces possibly covered with scale-like plates. Judahite forces under Uzziah, supported by agricultural prosperity and technological skill, manufactured helmets in quantity, signaling a transition from irregular militias to a standing, well-equipped force. The mercenary troops in Ezekiel, drawn from Persia, Lydia, Cush, and Put, show that helmets were standard among professional soldiers across the Ancient Near East.

Theological Themes

Protection and Human Limitation

Physical helmets underscore mankind’s acknowledgment of vulnerability. Even Goliath, though enormous and confident, seeks protection of the head. His defeat by David’s stone (striking the forehead beneath the helmet’s rim) reminds readers that no human armor ultimately guarantees safety apart from the Lord (Psalm 33:16-17).

Divine Warrior Motif

Isaiah 59:17 marks a decisive shift: God Himself dons a “helmet of salvation,” declaring that ultimate deliverance is wrought by His own arm when human defenders fail. The same passage portrays the LORD clothing Himself for battle on behalf of His people, foreshadowing messianic intervention.

Judgment upon the Nations

Helmets appear in prophetic oracles directed at foreign powers—Egypt (Jeremiah 46), Tyre (Ezekiel 27), and the Gog coalition (Ezekiel 38). In each case the nations marshal impressive equipment, yet their armaments cannot avert the decreed judgment. The imagery heightens God’s sovereignty over international affairs.

Prophetic and Messianic Resonances

Isaiah’s “helmet of salvation” later informs the apostolic teaching on spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8). The helm becomes a symbol of deliverance secured in Christ—salvation that guards the believer’s mind against despair and deception. Paul’s adoption of the motif links the Old Testament divine warrior with the risen Lord, who provides His own armor to His followers.

New Testament Echoes

Ephesians 6:17 – “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:8 – “…having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation.”

These passages do not reuse the Hebrew term but deliberately borrow its theological weight. The believer’s assurance in Christ functions as protective headgear in the unseen battle, echoing Isaiah’s portrayal of the LORD’s saving resolve.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Assurance of Salvation

Just as soldiers refused to enter combat without a helmet, Christians are called to engage the world rooted in the certainty of redemption. Pastors can urge congregants to fasten the “helmet of the hope of salvation,” guarding thoughts against nagging doubt.

2. Discipleship and Thought Life

Helmets protect the seat of thought. The metaphor encourages disciplined minds renewed by Scripture (Romans 12:2), reinforcing that intellectual surrender to Christ is part of spiritual warfare.

3. Missions and Spiritual Warfare

The failed confidence of armed nations in Jeremiah and Ezekiel serves as a caution: technological or cultural strength cannot substitute for covenant relationship with God. Missions leaders may highlight that evangelism confronts spiritual strongholds, demanding reliance on divine, not merely human, resources.

4. Comfort in Persecution

Believers facing hostility can recall that their salvation is as sure as a helmet forged by God Himself. The Lord who once put on His own helmet now shares that protective grace with His people.

Illustrative Points for Preaching and Teaching

• Goliath’s bronze helmet versus David’s faith illustrates the contrast between outward might and inward trust (1 Samuel 17).
• Uzziah’s military reforms (2 Chronicles 26) warn against pride; even well-equipped armies falter when leadership strays from worship.
Isaiah 59 encourages hope: when righteousness seems absent, God actively intervenes, wearing the helmet of salvation.
• God’s encirclement of His people with spiritual armor parallels His promise that “the LORD is a shield around me” (Psalm 3:3).

See Also

Ephesians 6:10-18 (Whole armor of God); Psalm 140:7 (God as “the strength of my salvation”); Judges 7 (victory independent of weaponry); 2 Samuel 22:31 (God’s way is perfect, “He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him”).

Forms and Transliterations
בְּכ֥וֹבָעִ֑ים בכובעים וְכ֣וֹבָעִ֔ים וְכ֤וֹבַע וְכ֥וֹבַע וְכוֹבַע֙ וְכוֹבָֽע׃ וכובע וכובע׃ וכובעים bə·ḵō·w·ḇā·‘îm beChoaIm bəḵōwḇā‘îm veChoa veChoaIm vechoVa wə·ḵō·w·ḇa‘ wə·ḵō·w·ḇā‘ wə·ḵō·w·ḇā·‘îm wəḵōwḇa‘ wəḵōwḇā‘ wəḵōwḇā‘îm
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Samuel 17:5
HEB: וְכ֤וֹבַע נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ עַל־
NAS: [He had] a bronze helmet on his head,
KJV: And [he had] an helmet of brass
INT: helmet a bronze on

2 Chronicles 26:14
HEB: מָגִנִּ֤ים וּרְמָחִים֙ וְכ֣וֹבָעִ֔ים וְשִׁרְיֹנ֖וֹת וּקְשָׁת֑וֹת
NAS: spears, helmets, body armor,
KJV: and spears, and helmets, and habergeons,
INT: shields spears helmets body bows

Isaiah 59:17
HEB: צְדָקָה֙ כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן וְכ֥וֹבַע יְשׁוּעָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ
NAS: like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation
KJV: as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation
INT: righteousness A breastplate helmet of salvation his head

Jeremiah 46:4
HEB: הַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּכ֥וֹבָעִ֑ים מִרְקוּ֙ הָֽרְמָחִ֔ים
NAS: And take your stand with helmets [on]! Polish
KJV: and stand forth with [your] helmets; furbish
INT: the steeds and take helmets Polish the spears

Ezekiel 27:10
HEB: מִלְחַמְתֵּ֑ךְ מָגֵ֤ן וְכוֹבַע֙ תִּלּוּ־ בָ֔ךְ
NAS: shield and helmet in you; they set
KJV: the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth
INT: of war shield and helmet hung they

Ezekiel 38:5
HEB: כֻּלָּ֖ם מָגֵ֥ן וְכוֹבָֽע׃
NAS: of them [with] shield and helmet;
KJV: with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
INT: all of them shield and helmet

6 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3553
6 Occurrences


bə·ḵō·w·ḇā·‘îm — 1 Occ.
wə·ḵō·w·ḇa‘ — 2 Occ.
wə·ḵō·w·ḇā·‘îm — 1 Occ.
wə·ḵō·w·ḇa‘ — 2 Occ.

3552
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