Reference: Metals
Fausets
Gold of Havilah is mentioned as early as Ge 2:11. The first worker of instruments of copper ("brass") and iron was Tubal-cain (Ge 4:22). Abram was rich in silver and gold (Ge 13:2). Instruments before Tubalcain (born according to Hebrew chronology 500 years after Adam and contemporary with Enoch from Seth; 1,000 according to Septuagint chronology) were apparently of flint, bone, and hard wood, such as uncivilized nations now use. Races that have degenerated into barbarism fall back upon flint; then advance to bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, harder than either: and then brass; and lastly iron. The oldest European races used only flint weapons, which are found in the gravel; but this is no proof they were unknown to Adam's early descendants. Isolation would soon reduce the distant emigrants to savagery. Silver was used for commerce, as "money" (Ge 23:16; 17:12; 20:16), gold for ornament.
Gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead were among the spoils taken front Midian (Nu 31:22). In Job 20:24 for "steel" translated brass. Also Ps 18:34, "a bow of steel" should be brass, which, or bronze, was used to strengthen arms, as for instance the Egyptians' bows. But God so taught David to war relying on Him that, no weapon could prevail against him; so Isa 54:17. In Jer 15:12, "shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?" the metal meant is copper mixed with iron by the Chalybes near the Pontus far N. of Palestine; i.e., can the Jews, however iron-like, break the hardier steel-like northern Chaldees (Jer 1:14). Common iron, as then prepared, was inferior to the Chalybian iron and brass combined. Thus explaining, we solve Henderson's difficulty that KJV makes iron not so hard as brass, and we need not transl, as he does "can one break iron, even northern iron, and brass?"
In Na 2:3, "the chariots will be with flaming torches," translated rather "with fire flashing scythes," literally, "with the fire (glitter) of scythes" or steel weapons fixed at right angles to the axles, and turned down, or parallel, inserted into the felly of the wheel. (On Ezr 1:4 "amber," Re 1:15 "fine brass". (See AMBER.) The first payment of gold is in 1Ch 21:25. (See ARAUNAH.) Gold was imported from Ophir, Sheba, Parvaim, and Uphaz (1Ki 9:27-28; 10/2/type/juliasmith'>10:2,10; 2Ch 3:6; Jer 10:9). The hills of Palestine yielded copper (De 8:9). Job 28 hints at the fact that gold is more superficial, iron lodes yield more the deeper you go: "there is a vein (a mine from whence it goes forth, Hebrew) for the silver, and a place for gold (which men) refine (it is found in the sands of rivers, and its particles have a superficial range in mines); iron is taken out of the dust (or earth, ore looking like it), and copper is molten out of the stone."
Copper is easier found and wrought than iron, so was in earlier use. Copper alloyed with tin formed brindle, of which Napier (Metal. of Bible) thinks the domestic vessels, the arms, etc., in Scripture were made, as it tarnishes less, takes a finer polish, and admits of a keen, hard edge (2Sa 21:16). Israel derived their skill in metallurgy from the Egyptians. Tin (bdiyl) was doubtless imported through the Phoenicians from Cornwall to Tarshish, and thence to Palestine (Eze 27:12; 22:18-20; Isa 1:25); the Assyrian bronze bowls, having one part tin to ten copper, now in the British Museum, consist of metal probably exported 3,000 years ago from the British isles. (See BOWLS.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The name of the one, Pison: it is that surrounding all the land Havilah, where there is gold.
And Zillah, she also will bear Tubal Cain, sharpening every cutting instrument of brass and iron: and Tubal Cain's sister was Naamah.
And Abram was very abundant in cattle, in silver and in gold.
And the son of eight days shall be circumcised, every male of your generations being born in the house, and he bought with silver, from every son of the stranger which is not of thy seed.
And to Sarah he said, Behold, I gave a thousand of silver to thy brother; behold, he is to thee for a garment of the eyes to all who are with thee, and with all: and she was set right
And Abraham will listen to Ephron, and Abraham will weigh to Ephron the silver, which he spake in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, passing for traffic.
A land where thou shalt eat bread in it not with poverty; thou shalt not want any thing in it; a land whose stones, iron, and out of its mountains thou shalt hew out brass.
And Ishbi-Benob who was from the children of Rephaim, and the weight of his spear three hundred weight of brass, and he being girded with a new one, and he will say to strike David.
And Hiram will send in the ships his servants, men of ships, knowing the sea with Solomon's servants. And they will come to Ophir, and take gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and bring to king Solomon.
And she will come to Jerusalem with very weighty strength, camels lifting up spices, and exceeding much gold and precious stone: and she will come to Solomon and will speak to him all which was in her heart
And she will give to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices very many, and precious stone; there came no more as this spice for multitude which queen Sheba gave to king Solomon.
And David will give to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold from weight
And every one being left in all the places where he sojourned there, the men of his place shall lift him up with silver and with gold, and with substance, and with cattle, with a voluntary gift to the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
He shall flee from the weapon of iron, the bow of brass shall pierce him.
Teaching my hands to war, and a bow of brass was bent by mine arms.
And I will turn back my hand upon thee, end I will straiten thy dross according to pureness, and I will remove all thine alloy:
Every vessel formed against thee shall not prosper: and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah, and their justice is from me, says Jehovah.
And Jehovah will say to me, From the north shall evil be opened upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
Silver beaten out shall be brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and the hands of the founder: cerulean purple and red purple their clothing: they all are the work of the wise.
Shall iron break the iron of the north, and brass?
Son of man, the house of Israel became to me for dross: all they brass and alloy, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they were drosses of silver. For this, thus said the Lord Jehovah: because all of them were for drosses, for this, behold me gathering you into the midst of Jerusalem. read more. The gathering silver and brass and iron and lead and alloy to the midst of the furnace to blow the fire upon it, to melt; so will I gather in mine anger and in my wrath, and I put down and melted you.
Tarshish thy merchant from the multitude of all riches: in silver, iron, alloy, and lead, they gave thy markets.
The shield of the strong ones being red, the men of strength being clothed in scarlet: with fire of irons the chariots in the day of his preparing, and the cypresses were made to tremble.
And his feet as brass of Lebanon, as refined by fire in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.
Smith
Metals.
The Hebrews, in common with other ancient nations, were acquainted with nearly all the metals known to modern metallurgy, whether as the products of their own soil or the results of intercourse with foreigners. One of the earliest geographical definitions is that which describes the country of Havilah as the land which abounded in gold, and the gold of which was good.
Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold,
silver, as will be shown hereafter, being the medium of commerce, while gold existed in the shape of ornaments, during the patriarchal ages. Tin is first mentioned
and lead is used to heighten the imagery of Moses' triumphal song.
Whether the ancient Hebrews were acquainted with steel, properly so called, is uncertain; the words so rendered in the Authorized Version,
2Sa 22:35; Job 20:24; Ps 18:34; Jer 15:12
are in all others passages translated brass, and would be more correctly copper. The "northern iron" of
is believed more nearly to correspond to what we call steel [STEEL] It is supposed that the Hebrews used the mixture of copper and tin known as bronze. The Hebrews obtained their principal supply from the south of Arabia and the commerce of the Persian Gulf.
See Steel
The great abundance of gold in early times is indicated by its entering into the composition of all articles of ornament and almost all of domestic use. Among the spoils of the Midianites taken by the Israelites in their bloodless victory when Balaam was slain were earrings and jewels to the amount of 16,750 shekels of gold,
equal in value to more than $150,000. Seventeen hundred shekels of gold (worth more than $15,000) in nose jewels (Authorized Version "ear-rings") alone were taken by Gideon's army from the slaughtered Midianites.
But the amount of treasure accumulated by David from spoils taken in war is so enormous that we are tempted to conclude the numbers exaggerated. Though gold was thus common, silver appears to have been the ordinary medium of commerce. The first commercial transaction of which we possess the details was the purchase of Ephron's field by Abraham for 400 shekels of silver.
The accumulation of wealth in the reign of Solomon was so great that silver was but little esteemed.
Brass, or more properly copper, was a native product of Palestine.
De 8:9; Job 28:2
It was plentiful in the days of Solomon, and the quantity employed in the temple could not be estimated, it was so great.
No allusion is found to zinc; but tin was well known. Arms,
2Sa 21:16; Job 20:24; Ps 18:34
and armor,
were made of copper, which was capable of being so wrought as to admit of a keen and hard edge. Iron, like copper, was found in the hills of Palestine. Iron-mines are still worked by the inhabitants of Kefr Hunch, in the sought of the valley of Zaharani.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The name of the one, Pison: it is that surrounding all the land Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. There bdellium and onyx stone.
And Abram was very abundant in cattle, in silver and in gold.
And Abraham will listen to Ephron, and Abraham will weigh to Ephron the silver, which he spake in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, passing for traffic.
Thou didst blow with thy spirit; the sea covered them: they rolled down as lead in the great waters.
And there will come near to Moses the officers which are over the thousands of the war, captains of thousands and captains of hundreds: And they will say to Moses, Thy servants took the head of the men of the battle which are in our hand, and a man was not missed from us. read more. And we will bring an offering to Jehovah, what each found, vessels of gold, armbands, and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and globules of gold, to expiate for our souls before Jehovah. And Moses will take, and Eleazar the priest, all the gold from them, all the vessels of work. And all the gold of the offering which they lifted up to Jehovah, will be sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, from the captains of thousands and from the captains of hundreds. The men of war plundered each for himself. And Moses will take, and Eleazar the priest, the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and they will bring it to the tent of appointment, a remembrance for the sons of Israel before Jehovah.
A land where thou shalt eat bread in it not with poverty; thou shalt not want any thing in it; a land whose stones, iron, and out of its mountains thou shalt hew out brass.
And I shall see in the plunder a wide cloak of Shinar, a good one, and two hundred shekels of silver and one tongue of gold of fifty shekels from its weight, and I shall desire them, and shall take them, and behold them hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
And the weight of the gold rings which he asked will be a thousand and seven hundred of gold; besides of little moons and earrings and purple robes which were upon the kings of Midian, and besides from the collars which upon their camels' necks.
And a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail of scales he put on; and the weight of the coat of mail five thousand shekels of brass. And brass fronts upon his feet, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
And Saul will put his garments upon David, and give a helmet of brass upon his head, and put on him a coat of mail
And Ishbi-Benob who was from the children of Rephaim, and the weight of his spear three hundred weight of brass, and he being girded with a new one, and he will say to strike David.
Teaching my hands to the war, And bringing down the brazen bow by mine arm.
And Solomon will leave all the vessels, an exceeding great multitude: and the weight of the brass was not searched out
And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon, gold, and every vessel of the house of the forest of Lebanon, gold shut up; nothing silver: it was not reckoned in the days of Solomon for any thing.
And the king will give silver in Jerusalem, as stones, and cedars he gave as sycamores which are in the plain for multitude.
He shall flee from the weapon of iron, the bow of brass shall pierce him.
He shall flee from the weapon of iron, the bow of brass shall pierce him.
Iron shall be taken from the dust, and stone will pour out brass.
Teaching my hands to war, and a bow of brass was bent by mine arms.
Teaching my hands to war, and a bow of brass was bent by mine arms.
Shall iron break the iron of the north, and brass?
Shall iron break the iron of the north, and brass?