שִׁרְיוֹן
𐤔𐤓𐤉𐤅𐤍
shiryôwn
H8302 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A body armor or protective garment made of interlinked or overlapping metal scales or plates, worn on the torso for defense in battle. Depending on the context, refers to a coat of mail, scale armor, or corselet. The word appears particularly in narratives describing armament, such as the story of Goliath, and is associated with warriors and military attire in the Iron Age.
Semantic Range
body armor, scale armor, coat of mail, corselet, breastplate, chainmail, military harness
Root / Etymology
שׁיריון is traditionally linked to the root שָׁרָה (to turn, twist), relating to the construction of armor by twisting or turning together metal scales or links. The morphological pattern indicates it is a noun form describing an object made by twisting or interlacing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שׁיריון designates a piece of protective body armor, specifically associated with metal scale or chainmail-type construction, and is a technical military term in biblical Hebrew. Its usage is concentrated in narratives concerning warfare (e.g., describing Goliath’s arms in 1 Samuel 17), and is indicative of evolving weapon technology in Iron Age Israelite society. In later periods, the term’s use narrows and it is often replaced by more specific armor terminology. Translations such as 'breastplate', 'coat of mail', or 'habergeon' reflect various forms of body armor but can obscure the original sense of scale or interlinked metallic defense. The parallel term סִרְיֹן (siryon) appears in some manuscript traditions and may be a variant or dialectal form. In rabbinic Hebrew, שׁיריון continues to denote armor or protective coverings, sometimes metaphorically. The term does not distinguish between the armor types of different ethnic groups; context determines whether an Israelite, Philistine, or foreign warrior is intended.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or שִׁרְיֹן; and שִׁרְיָן; also (feminine) שִׁרְיָה; and שִׁרְיֹנָה; from שָׁרָה in the original sense of turning; a corslet (as if twisted); breastplate, coat of mail, habergeon, harness. See סִרְיֹן.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שרה (š-r-h) — to turn, twist, interlace
Word Forms
8 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8302-01 |
הַ/שִּׁרְיָ֑ן | hashireyan | HTd/Ncbsa |
the breastplate | the interlaced armor | 2 |
H8302-07 |
וְ/שִׁרְי֥וֹן | veshireyon | HC/Ncbsc |
and-scale-armor | and twisted-scale armor of | 1 |
H8302-04 |
שִׁרְיֽוֹן | shireyon | HNcbsa |
a coat of mail | interlaced armor | 1 |
H8302-08 |
וְ/שִׁרְיֹנ֖וֹת | veshireyonot | HC/Ncbpa |
and coats of mail | interlaced scale-armors | 1 |
H8302-02 |
הַ/שִּׁרְי֔וֹן | hashireyon | HTd/Ncbsa |
of-the-scale-armor | the interlaced armor | 1 |
H8302-03 |
כַּ/שִּׁרְיָ֔ן | kashireyan | HRd/Ncbsa |
as a breastplate | as interlaced scale-armor | 1 |
H8302-06 |
וְ/שִׁרְיָֽה | veshireyah | HC/Ncfsa |
and his armor | interlaced armor | 1 |
H8302-05 |
וְ/הַ/שִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים | vehashireyonim | HC/Td/Ncbpa |
and the armor | the interlaced armors | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8302-07 |
1 Samuel 17:5 | וְ/שִׁרְי֥וֹן | veshireyon | HC/Ncbsc |
and-scale-armor | and twisted-scale armor of |
H8302-02 |
1 Samuel 17:5 | הַ/שִּׁרְי֔וֹן | hashireyon | HTd/Ncbsa |
of-the-scale-armor | the interlaced armor |
H8302-04 |
1 Samuel 17:38 | שִׁרְיֽוֹן | shireyon | HNcbsa |
a coat of mail | interlaced armor |
H8302-01 |
1 Kings 22:34 | הַ/שִּׁרְיָ֑ן | hashireyan | HTd/Ncbsa |
the breastplate | the interlaced armor |
H8302-03 |
Isaiah 59:17 | כַּ/שִּׁרְיָ֔ן | kashireyan | HRd/Ncbsa |
as a breastplate | as interlaced scale-armor |
H8302-06 |
Job 41:18 | וְ/שִׁרְיָֽה | veshireyah | HC/Ncfsa |
and his armor | interlaced armor |
H8302-05 |
Nehemiah 4:10 | וְ/הַ/שִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים | vehashireyonim | HC/Td/Ncbpa |
and the armor | the interlaced armors |
H8302-01 |
2 Chronicles 18:33 | הַ/שִּׁרְיָ֑ן | hashireyan | HTd/Ncbsa |
the breastplate | the interlaced armor |
H8302-08 |
2 Chronicles 26:14 | וְ/שִׁרְיֹנ֖וֹת | veshireyonot | HC/Ncbpa |
and coats of mail | interlaced scale-armors |