Lexical Summary shiryon or shiryan: Coat of mail, armor, breastplate Original Word: שִׁרְיוֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance breastplate, coat of mail, habergeon, harness Or shiryon {shir-yone'}; and shiryan {shir- yawn'}; also (feminine) shiryah {shir-yaw'}; and shiryonah {shir-yo-naw'}; from sharah in the original sense of turning; a corslet (as if twisted) -- breastplate, coat of mail, habergeon, harness. See ciyron. see HEBREW sharah see HEBREW ciyron NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition body armor NASB Translation armor (3), body armor (1), breastplate (1), breastplates (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שִׁרְיָה noun feminine a weapon, perhaps lance, javelin; — ׳שׁ Job 41:18 (+ חֶרֶב, חֲנִית, מַסָּע), — yet ᵐ5 θώρακα, ᵑ7 thorax, i.e. שִׁרְיוֺן. IV. שׁרה (√ of following; meaning dubious; compare Assyrian siriyâm, body-armour (Inscription of Sennacherib), Aramaic שִׁרְיוֺן, שִׁרְיָ֑ן noun [masculine] body-armour; — absolute שִׁרְיוֺן 1 Samuel 17:5,38; שִׁרְיָ֑ן (Ges§ 29u) 1 Kings 22:34 2Chronicles 18:33, שִׁרְיָ֔ן Isaiah 59:17; plural שִׁרְיֹנִים Nehemiah 4:10, שִׁרְיֹנוֺת2Chronicles 26:14; — body-armour, perhaps more exactly breast-armour, Nehemiah 4:10; with appendages (הַדְּבָקִים) 1 Kings 22:34 2Chronicles 18:33; with verb לבשׁ 1 Samuel 17:5, made of scale-like plates (קַשְׂקֵשִּׂים) of bronze 1 Samuel 17:5, named with helmet here, so 1 Samuel 17:38; 2Chronicles 26:14 and (figurative) Isaiah 59:17. — ׳שׂ proper name see שׂריון. Topical Lexicon Definition and Essence The shiryon is a fitted coat of mail or scale armor fashioned from overlapping metal plates sewn onto leather or heavy cloth. It covered the torso from neck to waist, protecting the heart and vital organs. As the most recognizable piece of ancient body armor, the shiryon became a metaphor for both human strength and, in prophetic literature, divine righteousness. Occurrences and Narrative Contexts • 1 Samuel 17:5, 38 – Goliath’s massive coat of mail, weighing “five thousand shekels of bronze,” and Saul’s own armor offered to David, display the conventional confidence of the Philistine and of Israel’s king, contrasted with David’s reliance on the LORD. Historical Background Archaeology confirms the prevalence of scale coats in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages across Canaan, Philistia, and Egypt. Typical construction used bronze or iron fish-scale plates laced together, allowing flexibility while deflecting blades and arrows. Weight ranged from twenty-five to seventy pounds; elite warriors and kings alone could afford such craftsmanship. By Uzziah’s reign (eighth century B.C.), Judah had acquired metallurgical skill sufficient to furnish an entire standing army with this equipment (2 Chronicles 26:14), marking a technological stride that paralleled Assyrian influence. Theological Themes 1. Reliance on God versus human armor – David rejects Saul’s shiryon (1 Samuel 17:38-39), demonstrating that victory stems from covenant faith, not military hardware. Christological Foreshadowing The prophetic vision of the LORD armored for salvation (Isaiah 59:17) anticipates Jesus Christ, who embodies righteousness and brings decisive victory over sin. Unlike Goliath’s or Saul’s mail, Christ’s protection is inviolable; He shares it with believers, clothing them in His own merits. Practical Applications for Ministry • Preaching: Contrast the weight of Goliath’s armor with the yoke that Christ declares “easy,” urging hearers to trust divine power rather than worldly strength. Summary The shiryon threads through Scripture as a tangible symbol of protection, pride, judgment, and divine righteousness. Whether hanging on the shoulders of giants, kings, common soldiers, or the LORD Himself, it calls readers to discern where true security lies: not in forged metal, but in the steadfast character and saving purpose of God. Forms and Transliterations הַשִּׁרְי֔וֹן הַשִּׁרְיָ֑ן השריון השרין וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים וְשִׁרְי֥וֹן וְשִׁרְיָֽה׃ וְשִׁרְיֹנ֖וֹת והשרינים ושריה׃ ושריון ושרינות כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן כשרין שִׁרְיֽוֹן׃ שריון׃ haš·šir·yān haš·šir·yō·wn hashshirYan hashshirYon hašširyān hašširyōwn kaš·šir·yān kashshirYan kašširyān shirYon šir·yō·wn širyōwn vehashshiryoNim veshirYah veshirYon veshiryoNot wə·haš·šir·yō·nîm wə·šir·yāh wə·šir·yō·nō·wṯ wə·šir·yō·wn wəhašširyōnîm wəširyāh wəširyōnōwṯ wəširyōwnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 17:5 HEB: עַל־ רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וְשִׁרְי֥וֹן קַשְׂקַשִּׂ֖ים ה֣וּא KJV: and he [was] armed with a coat of mail; INT: on his head A coat scale-armor and he 1 Samuel 17:5 1 Samuel 17:38 1 Kings 22:34 2 Chronicles 18:33 2 Chronicles 26:14 Nehemiah 4:16 Job 41:26 Isaiah 59:17 9 Occurrences |
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id.; Ecclus 43:20 id.; also Egyptian ¾u-ïra-na, tà-ra-y-na, WMMAs.u.Eur.102).