Greaves
Greaves
(, mitschah’, lit. a facing; Sept. , Vulg. ocreae) occurs in the A.V: only in 1Sa 17:6, in the description of the equipment of Goliath “He had greaves of brass (, copper) upon his legs” ( , lit. on his feet, whence some have supposed only a kind of boot to be meant). Its ordinary meaning is a piece of defensive armor reaching from the foot to the knee, and thus protecting the shin of the wearer. This was the case with the of the Greeks, which derived its name from its covering the , i.e., the lower part of the leg, and was a highly esteemed piece of defensive armor (see Smith, Dict. of Class. Ant. s.v. Ocrea). The Heb. term is derived from , therefore part of anything. Hence all the ancient versions and Josephus (Ant. 6:9, 1) agree in regarding it as designating a defensive armor for the leg. It is to be distinguished from
, seon’ (Isa 9:4), which Gesenius thinks was a sort of military shoe like the Roman caliga; and it probably was similar to the greaves of the Assyrians, as represented in their sculptures, which not only protected the leg, but covered the upper part of the foot like our gaiters, and seem to have been laced up in front; in other cases they appear to have extended over the whole thigh (Layard, Nineveh, 2:261). SEE ARMOR.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Greaves
only in 1 Sam. 17:6, a piece of defensive armour (q.v.) reaching from the foot to the knee; from French greve, “the shin.” They were the Roman cothurni.
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Greaves
GREAVES.See Armour, 2. (d).
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Greaves
grevz. See ARMOR, ARMS, IV, 4.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Greaves
SEE ARMOUR.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Greaves
1Sa 17:6
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Greaves
Greaves. A piece of defensive armor which reached from the foot to the knee and thus, protected the shin of the wearer. It was made of leather or brass.