Bible Dictionary
ARMORY
An armory was a storehouse for valuable goods or weapons. Scripture also uses the image figuratively for God’s stored-up judgments and describes a royal arsenal where shields were kept.
Definition
An armory is a storehouse for goods or weapons. In biblical usage it may denote a storehouse, a royal arsenal containing shields and targets, or figuratively the place from which divine judgments are released.
Biblical Usage
The armory is associated with Solomon’s house of the forest of Lebanon and with stored shields and targets of beaten gold. Jeremiah uses the image for Yahweh’s stored-up anger breaking forth in judgment.
Historical Background
The term represents several Hebrew words, one of which is rendered “armory” in Song of Songs, though the Revised Version margin suggests “built with turrets.”
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ar'-mer-i:</p><p>(1) ('otsar; thesauros): A storehouse (1Ki 7:51; Ne 10:38), but employed figuratively of the stored-up anger of Yahweh which breaks forth in judgments (Jer 50:25).</p><p>(2) (nesheq): Identical with Solomon's "house of the forest of Lebanon," the arsenal close to the temple (1Ki 10:17; Ne 3:19; Isa 22:8), in which were stored the shields and targets of beaten gold.</p><p>(3) (talpiyoth): A puzzling word rendered "armory" in our versions (So 4:4)-- "the tower of David builded for an armory, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." the Revised Version margin renders "builded with turrets."</p><p>T. Nicol.</p>