1 Samuel 17:7

the staff of his spear, &c. The shaft of Goliath's spear, short, but extraordinarily stout and heavy, is compared to the "beam" to which the web is fastened in a loom (cp. 2 Samuel 21:19). The iron spear head weighed nearly nineteen pounds avoirdupois.

one bearing a shield A large shield to protect the whole body. Comp. Layard's NinevehII. 346, "The archers, whether on foot or in chariots, were accompanied by shield-bearers, whose office it was to protect them from the shafts of the enemy. The king was always attended in his wars by this officer; and even in peace, one of his eunuchs usually carried a circular shield for his use. This shield-bearer was probably a person of high rank as in Egypt." Ajax protects Teucer with his shield while he is shooting (Hom. Il.VIII. 266 272).