Harness

Harness [EBD]

(1.) Heb. 'asar, "to bind;" hence the act of fastening animals to a cart (1 Sam. 6:7, 10; Jer. 46:4, etc.).

(2.) An Old English word for "armour;" Heb. neshek (2 Chr. 9:24).

(3.) Heb. shiryan, a coat of mail (1 Kings 22:34; 2 Chr. 18:33; rendered "breastplate" in Isa. 59:17).

(4.) The children of Israel passed out of Egypt "harnessed" (Ex. 13:18), i.e., in an orderly manner, and as if to meet a foe. The word so rendered is probably a derivative from Hebrew hamesh (i.e., "five"), and may denote that they went up in five divisions, viz., the van, centre, two wings, and rear-guard.

HARNESS [ISBE]

HARNESS - har'-nes: A word of Celtic origin meaning "armour" in the King James Version; it is the translation of shiryan, "a coat of mail" (1 Ki 22:34; 2 Ch 18:33); of nesheq, "arms," "weapons" (2 Ch 9:24, the Revised Version (British and American) "armor"); of 'acar "to bind" (Jer 46:4), "harness the horses," probably here, "yoke the horses"; compare 1 Sam 6:7, "tie the kine to the cart" (bind them), Gen 46:29; another rendering is "put on their accoutrements"; compare 1 Macc 6:43, "one of the beasts armed with royal harness" (thorax), the Revised Version (British and American) "breastplates"; compare 1 Macc 3:3, "warlike harness"; 6:41 (hopla), the Revised Version (British and American) "arms"; 2 Macc 3:25, etc.; harnessed represents chamushim, "armed," "girded" (Ex 13:18, "The children of Israel went up harnessed," the Revised Version (British and American) "armed"). Tyndale, Cranmer, Geneva have "harnes" in Lk 11:22, Wycliff "armer."

W. L. Walker