Bellows

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Instead of “the bellows are burned,” some prefer to translate “the bellows puff, or blow, and the lead is consumed in the fire,” lead being formerly used to purify silver (Jer. 6:2929The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. (Jeremiah 6:29)). The allusion is that Israel had not been refined by means of judgment: “reprobate silver shall men call them” (Jer. 6:3030Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. (Jeremiah 6:30)). Bellows are seen on the monuments of Egypt, having two bags on which a man stands; by lifting up each foot alternately, and pulling a string, each bag is inflated, and the wind is forced to the fire as the foot descends.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:
4647 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)
Transliteration:
mappuach
Phonic:
map-poo’-akh
Meaning:
from 5301; the bellows (i.e. blower) of a forge
KJV Usage:
bellows

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

The use of the bellows in the East is confined now, as it was in ancient times, to the workers in metals, ordinary fires being regulated by fans. The ancient bellows consisted of a leathern bag in a wooden frame, with a long mouthpiece of reed tipped with metal to preserve it from the action of the fire. The operator stood with a bellows under each foot. In each hand, attached to the instrument under foot, was a string, by which he lifted the bag of skin when it became exhausted of air by the pressure of the foot.

Related Books and Articles:

538. Bellows
Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 1min