Metals

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(mined). Precious and useful metals, such as gold, silver, tin, lead, copper, and iron, known to Hebrews and much used (Gen. 2:11-12¹¹The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; ¹²And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. (Genesis 2:11‑12); Num. 31:22²²Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, (Numbers 31:22)).

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Daniel 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) The gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron.

The working of metal into various articles of ornament or of use is all art as old as the days of Tubal-Cain. See Genesis 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). The different metals referred to in this text are frequently spoken of in the Bible. There is no question as to their identity, except in the case of nechash, which is the Chaldee form of nechosheth, and in the text is rendered “brass.” The factitious metal known by this name, and which is compounded of copper and zinc, is said to be of a later date than the early historic times of the Bible. It certainly cannot he intended by the word nechosheth in such passages as Deuteronomy 8:9⁹A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. (Deuteronomy 8:9) and Job 28:2²Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. (Job 28:2). Copper is probably the metal there referred to as being dug out of the earth. The same word is rendered “steel” in 2 Samuel 22:35³⁵He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. (2 Samuel 22:35); Job 20:24²⁴He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through. (Job 20:24); Psalm 18:34³⁴He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. (Psalm 18:34) and Jeremiah 15:12¹²Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel? (Jeremiah 15:12). Inasmuch as copper is better worked when alloyed, and as tin was known at a very early day (see Num. 31:22²²Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, (Numbers 31:22)) it is supposed that a combination of these two metals—that is, bronze—was used in the manufacture of different articles. Tools, utensils, and ornaments of bronze are found among the Egyptian and Assyrian remains. The vessels of the Tabernacle, which are represented in our version as made of “brass” (nechosheth) were probably either copper or bronze. See Exodus 38:2-6, 8²And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. ³And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass. ⁴And he made for the altar a brazen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it. ⁵And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves. ⁶And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass. (Exodus 38:2‑6)
⁸And 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).

Metals

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Related Books and Articles: