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/mstc'>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 is Pishon; he it is that compasseth all the land of Havilah, where gold groweth.
And Zillah she also bare Tubalcain; a worker in metal and a father of all that grave in brass and iron. And Tubalcain's sister was called Naamah.
Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.
And every manchild when it is eight days old, shall be circumcised among you in your generations, and all servants also born at home or bought with money, though they be strangers and not of thy seed.
And unto Sara he said, "See, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, behold this thing shall be a covering to thine eyes unto all that are with thee and unto all men and an excuse."
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and weighed him the silver which he had said in the audience of the sons of Heth. Even four hundred silver sicles of current money among merchants.
a land wherein thou shalt not eat bread in scarceness, and where thou shalt lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou shalt dig brass.
And David waxed fainty, and Ishbi of Nob one of the sons of the Giants whose spear head weighed three hundredth sicles of brass, and was girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
And Hiram sent by ship also of his servants, that were shipmen and expert in the sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir and fetched from thence gold, to the sum of four hundred and twenty two talents, and brought it to Solomon.
And she came to Jerusalem with a mighty great multitude of Camels that bare sweet odours and gold exceeding much, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of sweet odours exceeding much, and precious stones. There came never after such abundance of sweet odors as the Queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
And so David gave to Ornan for the place sicles of gold, six hundred by weight.
And whosoever remaineth yet in any manner of place, where he is a stranger, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with good and cattle, beside that which they willingly offer, for the house of God at Jerusalem.'"
so that if he flee the iron weapons, he shall be shot with the steel bow.
He teacheth my hands to fight, and mine arms shall bend even a bow of steel. {TYNDALE: And teacheth my hands to fight, that a bow of brass is too weak for mine arms.}
And therefore shall I lay my hand upon thee, and burn out thy dross from the finest and purest, and put out all thy lead,
but all the weapons that are made against thee, shall not prosper. And as for all tongues that shall resist thee in judgment, thou shalt overcome them, and condemn them. This is the heritage of the LORD's servants, and the righteousness that they shall have of me, sayeth the LORD.
Then said the LORD unto me, "Out of the north shall come a plague upon all the dwellers of the land.
namely, wood; silver, which is brought out of Tarshish, and beaten to plates; and gold from Ophir, a work that is made with the hand of the craftsman and the caster, clothed with yellow silk and scarlet: even so is the work of their wise men altogether.
Doth one iron hurt another, or one metal that cometh from the North, another?
"Thou son of man, the house of Israel is turned to dross. All they that should be brass, tin, iron and lead, are in the fire become dross. Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as ye all are turned into dross, behold: I will bring you together unto Jerusalem, read more. like as silver, and brass, iron, tin, and lead, are put together in the furnace and the fire blown there under to melt them: Even so will I gather you, put you in together, and melt you in my wrath and indignation.
Tarshish occupied with thee in all manner of wares: in silver, iron, tin and lead, and made thy market great.
The shield of his giants glistereth, his men of war are clothed in purple. His chariots are as fire when he maketh him forward, his archers are well decked and trimmed.
and his feet like unto brass, as though they burnt in a furnace: and his voice as the sound 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 is Pishon; he it is that compasseth all the land of Havilah, where gold groweth. And the gold of that country is precious; there is found bdellium and a stone called Onyx.
Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and weighed him the silver which he had said in the audience of the sons of Heth. Even four hundred silver sicles of current money among merchants.
Thou blewest with thy breath and the sea covered them, and they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
And the officers of thousands of the host, the captains over the thousands and the captains over the hundreds came forth and said unto Moses, "Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war, which were under our hand, and there lacked not one man of them. read more. We have therefore brought a present unto the LORD: what every man found of jewels of gold: chains, bracelets, rings, earrings and spangles, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD." And Moses and Eleazar took the gold of them: jewels of all manner fashions. And all the gold of the heave offering of the LORD, of the captains over thousands and hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty sicles, which the men of war had spoiled, every man for himself. And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains over the thousands and over the hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of witness: to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, before the LORD.
a land wherein thou shalt not eat bread in scarceness, and where thou shalt lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou shalt dig brass.
I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundredth sicles of silver, and a tongue of gold of fifty sicles weight: and I coveted them, and I took them. And behold they lie hid in the earth in my tent and the silver thereunder."
And the weight of the golden earrings was a thousand and seven hundred sicles of gold, beside brooches, ouches and garments of scarlet that were of the kings of Midian, and beside the chains, that were about their camels' necks.
and had a helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail about him. And the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass. And he had a harness of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders.
And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him,
And David waxed fainty, and Ishbi of Nob one of the sons of the Giants whose spear head weighed three hundredth sicles of brass, and was girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
And teacheth my hands to fight, that a bow of brass is too weak for mine arms.
And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, for the exceeding abundance of brass that was in them.
And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the wood of Lebanon were of pure gold. And as for silver, it was nothing worth in the days of Solomon.
And the king made silver in Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and Cedar as plenteous as mulberry trees that grow in the valleys.
so that if he flee the iron weapons, he shall be shot with the steel bow.
so that if he flee the iron weapons, he shall be shot with the steel bow.
where iron is digged out of the ground, and stones resolved to metal.
He teacheth my hands to fight, and mine arms shall bend even a bow of steel. {TYNDALE: And teacheth my hands to fight, that a bow of brass is too weak for mine arms.}
He teacheth my hands to fight, and mine arms shall bend even a bow of steel. {TYNDALE: And teacheth my hands to fight, that a bow of brass is too weak for mine arms.}
Doth one iron hurt another, or one metal that cometh from the North, another?
Doth one iron hurt another, or one metal that cometh from the North, another?