Lexical Summary hittuk: Cutting, division, separation Original Word: הִתּוּךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is melted From nathak; a melting -- is melted. see HEBREW nathak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nathak Definition a melting NASB Translation melted (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs הִתּוּךְ noun [masculine] a melting (Hophal-formative, dissimilated from הֻתּוּךְ, according to BaNB § 102 d); — construct כְּהִתּוּךָ כֶּסֶף בְּתוֺךְ כּוּר Ezekiel 22:22 like a melting of silver in a smelting-pot. Topical Lexicon Summary of Term הִתּוּךְ (Strong’s 2046) appears once, in Ezekiel 22:22, portraying the melting of metal in a furnace. The image communicates the consuming heat of God’s judgment and His purpose of refining His people. Definition and Imagery The word evokes a smelter’s crucible, where ore is liquefied and dross rises to the surface. The process is violent yet necessary for obtaining pure silver or gold. Scripture frequently employs similar refining language (Job 23:10; Proverbs 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2–3; 1 Peter 1:6–7) to describe divine testing. Biblical Context: Ezekiel 22:22 “As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside it; then you will know that I the LORD have poured out My wrath upon you”. In an oracle against Jerusalem (Ezekiel 22:17–22), the Lord condemns violence, idolatry, and oppression. By choosing הִתּוּךְ, the prophet underscores that the coming Babylonian siege would not merely chastise but liquefy, separating authentic faith from pervasive corruption. The judgment is both punitive and purifying, preserving a remnant (Ezekiel 22:30). Historical Background of Metallurgy in Ancient Israel Copper from Timna, silver imported from Anatolia, and locally mined iron were refined in charcoal-fired furnaces (kur). Bellows sustained temperatures exceeding 1,000 °C, sufficient to produce molten metal—precisely the ordeal Ezekiel’s audience visualized when hearing הִתּוּךְ. Theological Significance of Divine Refinement 1. Holiness Demands Exposure: God’s fire reveals and consumes sin (Hebrews 4:13). Comparison with Related Terms • צָרַף “refine” (Psalm 12:6) stresses testing. Together they present a comprehensive biblical theology of fire as both destructive and redemptive. Christological Foreshadowing The furnace motif culminates in the Messiah’s atoning suffering (Isaiah 53:10). On the cross, He endures the ultimate heat of divine wrath, securing purification for believers (Hebrews 9:14). At Pentecost, tongues of fire symbolize the Spirit’s ongoing refining work (Acts 2:3), forming a holy people. Applications for Discipleship and Preaching • Pursue Holiness: Leaders and laity must reject the “dross” of sin (2 Timothy 2:20–21). Key Reference Forms and Transliterations כְּהִתּ֥וּךְ כהתוך kə·hit·tūḵ kehitTuch kəhittūḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 22:22 HEB: כְּהִתּ֥וּךְ כֶּ֙סֶף֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ NAS: As silver is melted in the furnace, so KJV: As silver is melted in the midst INT: is melted silver the midst 1 Occurrence |
    |