Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ver. 16. Above all] επι πασιν, Or, over and upon all. For the word here rendered a shield, cometh from another word that signifieth a door, θυρεος, θυρα; to note, that as a door or gate doth the body, so the shield of faith covereth the whole soul. Let us be therefore (as Epaminondas), Non de vita, sed de scuto solliciti. Sceva at the siege of Dyrrachium so long alone resisted Pompey's army, that he had 220 darts sticking in his shield, and lost one of his eyes, and yet gave not over till Caesar came to his rescue.
To quench all the fiery darts] Pointed and poisoned with the venom of serpents, which set the heart on fire from one lust to another; or fiery for the dolour and distemper that they work: in allusion to the Scythian darts, dipped in the gall of asps and vipers; the venomous heat of which, like a fire in their flesh, killed the wounded with torments the likest hell of any other. The apostle here might allude to the custom of soldiers in those times, who, to prevent the mischief of those impoisoned darts, had shields made of raw neats' leather, and when the firey darts lighted upon them they were presently quenched thereby. (Polyb. Vegetins.)