Free Online Bible Library | Smith or Blacksmith

We also have classes for:

Pastors, Church Leaders, the Church, and New Believers.

Courses cover a wide range of Bible, Theology and Ministry topics.

Would you do us the favor of answering this two question poll so we can know how to serve you better? You will also be given the opportunity to join our team tasked with how to make BiblicalTraining.org better. Thank you.  --Bill Mounce

Search

Smith or Blacksmith

SMITH or BLACKSMITH. The Heb. term for blacksmith (חָרָשׁ, H3093) is literally “the skilled craftsman who works in iron.” The originator of this craft was Tubal-cain (Gen 4:22). The context of 1 Samuel 13:19 refers to the Philistine blacksmiths who were the first to bring the craft of working iron into Pal. The prophet Isaiah gave a good description of a blacksmith in 44:12 but the passage is in the midst of a description of idol-making and no iron idols have been found. Isaiah 54:16 refers to the making of an iron artifact of some kind, but it is not definitely specified. The context caused the trs. to use the term “weapon,” which is a possible tr.

The word “smith” (מַסְגֵּר, H4994) is used to describe one class of craftsmen taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, but the exact meaning of the Heb. term used is still unknown and “smith” is only a conjecture (2 Kings 24:14, 16; Jer 24:1; 29:2).

Bibliography

R. J. Forbes, Studies in Ancient Technology, vol. IX (1964).