Shield. A broad piece of defensive armor used by all ancient nations. It was equipped with an inside handle and was carried by the warrior during battle, usually on the left arm or in the left hand, although during the march it may have been hung from a shoulder strap. Isaiah 22:6 indicates that some may have been provided with a cover that was removed at time of combat. In peacetime, shields were often placed in arsenals.​—Ca 4:4.

The Hebrew word sheʹlet, rendered ‘circular shield,’ occurs seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is evidently similar to the more common ma·ghenʹ (shield), since it is used in conjunction with ma·ghenʹ in The Song of Solomon 4:4.