Coat of Mail

A vest made of small metal scales sewn onto cloth or leather, used as armor for protection in battle.

Detail of scale armor made of metal discs attached to each other
Detail of scale armor made of metal discs attached to each other (© MatthiasKabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) Scale armor, coat of mail

About Coat of Mail

Piece of armor, covering the body from the neck to the girdle, probably made of leather with small interlaced metal places sewn onto it. See Armor and Weapons.

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The object itself Article

Form, use in ancient daily life, and how translators render the term.

Key References

1 Samuel 17:5

and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,

1 Samuel 17:38

Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

All Scripture References (2)

1 Samuel (2)
1 Samuel 17:5

and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,

1 Samuel 17:38

Then Saul clothed David in his own tunic, put a bronze helmet on his head, and dressed him in armor.