θώραξ (thōrax)
thōrax
breastplate
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun thōrax refers to a breastplate or cuirass, specifically the armor protecting the torso from the neck to the navel. In the New Testament, it appears in only four verses, primarily within Paul’s letters and Revelation. It denotes the physical piece of gear worn by soldiers to shield vital organs during combat.
Paul adapts this military imagery for spiritual instruction. In Ephesians 6:14, he calls believers to "put on" the breastplate of righteousness, echoing Isaiah’s description of God Himself wearing such armor (Isaiah 59:17). Similarly, in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, faith serves as this protective covering. This usage shifts the focus from physical metal to moral and spiritual integrity.
The word also appears in Revelation 9:9 and 9:17 describing locust-like creatures whose breastplates resemble iron. These vivid images emphasize the unyielding, hard nature of the judgment depicted. Translators consistently render thōrax as "breastplate" or "cuirass," maintaining the concrete sense of protective armor throughout.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word thōrax refers to the heavy armor protecting a soldier’s vital organs from neck to navel. In Ephesians 6:14, Paul invites you to wear the breastplate of righteousness. This is not about earning perfection through your own strength, but about trusting in the moral integrity that Christ provides. It shields your heart from the shame and condemnation that often try to break us down.
Similarly, 1 Thessalonians 5:8 describes faith and love as this protective covering. When life feels chaotic or uncertain, these virtues act as a guard for your inner self. They do not remove the challenges you face, but they keep your core identity secure in God’s care. This imagery reminds us that our spiritual safety comes from who we are in Christ, not from our own resilience.
Even in Revelation, where breastplates of iron and fire appear on terrifying creatures, the contrast highlights the difference between judgment and grace. While those forces represent unyielding hardness, your armor is made of truth, faith, and love. This distinction offers a quiet hope: you are protected by God’s character, not by fear or force.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- breastplates3×
- breastplate1×
- [the] breastplate1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- θώρακας3×
- θώρακα2×
Key Verses
-
Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Paul uses this concrete military image to show that righteousness is the essential defense for a believer’s spiritual life.
-
I Thessalonians 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
The verse uniquely pairs faith and love as the material of the breastplate, linking protection directly to trust in God and care for others.
-
Revelation of John 9:9
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses rushing to war.
This description of iron-like breastplates on locusts emphasizes the unyielding, destructive nature of the judgment being depicted.