Harness

Harness - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

(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 - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

H`ARNESS, n.

1. Armor; the whole accouterments or equipments of a knight or horseman; originally perhaps defensive armor, but in a more modern and enlarged sense, the furniture of a military man,or offensive, as a casque, cuirass,helmet, girdle, sword,buckler, _c.

2. The furniture of a draught horse, whether for a wagon, coach, gig, chaise, _c., called in some of the American states, tackle or tackling, with which, in its primary sense, it is synonymous.

H`ARNESS, v.t. To dress in armor; to equip with armor for war, as a horseman.

Harnessed in rugged steel.

1. To put on the furniture of a horse for draught.

Harness the horses. Jer 46.

2. To defend; to equip or furnish for defense. 1 Macc.4.

har'-nes: A word of Celtic origin meaning "armour" in the King James Version; it is the translation of shiryan, "a coat of mail" (1Ki 22:34; 2Ch 18:33); of nesheq, "arms," "weapons" (2Ch 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 1Sa 6:7, "tie the kine to the cart" (bind them), Ge 46:29; another rendering is "put on their accoutrements"; compare /APC 1Macc 6:43, "one of the beasts armed with royal harness" (thorax), the Revised Version (British and American) "breastplates"; compare /APC 1Macc 3:3, "warlike harness"; /APC 1Macc 6:41 (hopla), the Revised Version (British and American) "arms"; /APC 2Macc 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 Lu 11:22, Wycliff "armer."

W. L. Walker