Brass, or Copper.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 2 min. read • grade level: 13

Dug out of the mountains. Deu. 8:9.

Purified by smelting. Job 28:2²Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. (Job 28:2).

CHARACTERIZED BY

Strength. Job 40:18¹⁸His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. (Job 40:18).

Fusibility. Eze. 22:18, 20¹⁸Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. (Ezekiel 22:18)
²⁰As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. (Ezekiel 22:20).

Yellow color. Ezr. 8:27²⁷Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. (Ezra 8:27) (marg.)

Fusibility. Ezr. 22:18, 20.

Sonorousness. 1 Cor. 13:1¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1)

Takes a high polish. 2 Chr. 4:16¹⁶The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the Lord of bright brass. (2 Chronicles 4:16). (marg.)

Inferior in value to gold and silver. Isa. 60:17¹⁷For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. (Isaiah 60:17). Dan. 2:32, 39³²This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, (Daniel 2:32)
³⁹And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. (Daniel 2:39).

Antiquity of working in. Gen. 4:22²²And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. (Genesis 4:22)

Extensive commerce in. Eze. 27:13¹³Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. (Ezekiel 27:13). Rev. 18:12¹²The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, (Revelation 18:12).

Working in, a trade. Gen. 4:22²²And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. (Genesis 4:22). 1 Kin. 7:14. 2 Chr. 24:12¹²And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 24:12). 2 Tim. 4:14¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: (2 Timothy 4:14).

Canaan abounded in. Deu. 8:9, with Deu. 33:25. (marg.)

TAKEN IN WAR

Often in great quantities. Jos. 22:8⁸And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. (Joshua 22:8). 2 Sam. 8:8⁸And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass. (2 Samuel 8:8). Kin. 25:13-16.

Cleansed by fire. Num. 31:21-23²¹And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses; ²²Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, ²³Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water. (Numbers 31:21‑23).

Generally consecrated to God. Jos. 6:19, 24¹⁹But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. (Joshua 6:19)
²⁴And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. (Joshua 6:24). 2 Sam. 8:10, 11¹⁰Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: ¹¹Which also king David did dedicate unto the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; (2 Samuel 8:10‑11).

Offerings of, for the tabernacles. Exo. 38:29²⁹And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels. (Exodus 38:29).

Collected by David for the temple. 1 Chr. 22:3, 14, 16³And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; (1 Chronicles 22:3)
¹⁴Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. (1 Chronicles 22:14)
¹⁶Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee. (1 Chronicles 22:16). 1 Chr. 29:2²Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. (1 Chronicles 29:2).

Offerings of, for the temple. 1 Chr. 29:6, 7⁶Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, ⁷And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. (1 Chronicles 29:6‑7).

Coined for money. Mat. 10:9. Mar. 12:41. (marg.)

MADE INTO

Mirrors. Exo. 38:8⁸And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Exodus 38:8). (marg.)

Gates. Psa. 107:16¹⁶For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. (Psalm 107:16). Isa. 45:2²I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: (Isaiah 45:2).

Bars for gates. 1 Kin. 4:13.

Fetters. Jud. 16:21. 2 Kin. 25:7.

Shields. 1 Kin. 14:27. 2 Chr. 12:10¹⁰Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house. (2 Chronicles 12:10).

Helmets. 1 Sam. 17:5⁵And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. (1 Samuel 17:5).

Greaves for the legs. 1 Sam. 17:6⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. (1 Samuel 17:6).

Household vessels. Mar. 7:4.

Sacred vessels. Exo. 27:3³And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. (Exodus 27:3). 1 Kin. 7:45.

Altars. Exo. 27:2²And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. (Exodus 27:2). Exo. 39:39³⁹The brazen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot, (Exodus 39:39).

Sockets for pillars. Exo. 38:10, 11, 17¹⁰Their pillars were twenty, and their brazen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. ¹¹And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. (Exodus 38:10‑11)
¹⁷And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. (Exodus 38:17).

Lavers. Exo. 30:18¹⁸Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. (Exodus 30:18). 1 Kin. 7:38.

Pillars. 1 Kin. 7:15, 16.

Idols. Dan. 5:4⁴They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (Daniel 5:4). Rev. 9:20²⁰And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: (Revelation 9:20).

Instruments of music. 1 Chr. 15:19¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; (1 Chronicles 15:19).

Moses made the serpent of. Num. 21:9⁹And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:9). 2 Kin. 18:4.

ILLUSTRATIVE OF

Obstinate sinners. Isa. 48:4⁴Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; (Isaiah 48:4). Ter. 6:28.

The decrees of God. Zec. 6:1¹And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. (Zechariah 6:1).

The strength and firmness of Christ. Dan 10:6⁶His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. (Daniel 10:6). Rev. 1:15¹⁵And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (Revelation 1:15).

Strength given to saints. Jer. 15:20²⁰And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 15:20). Mic. 4:13¹³Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Micah 4:13).

Macedonian empire. Dan. 2:39³⁹And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. (Daniel 2:39).

Extreme drought. Deu. 28:23.

The earth made barren. Lev. 26:19¹⁹And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: (Leviticus 26:19).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Boldness, Holy.

• Bondage, Spiritual.

• Brass, or Copper.

• Burnt Offering, the.

• Calves of Jeroboam.

• Character of Saints.

• Character of the Wicked.