Lexical Summary kibshan: Furnace Original Word: כִּבְשָׁן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance furnace From kabash; a smelting furnace (as reducing metals) -- furnace. see HEBREW kabash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kabash Definition a kiln NASB Translation furnace (2), kiln (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs כִּבְשָׁן noun masculine kiln, for lime or pottery (so Ki, AW; MishnaKel viii. 9; √ and original meaning dubious; according to Thes as subduing, reducing its contents, compare igne ferrum domatur PlinNat. Hist. 36. 27) — always absolute; only in ׳קִיטוֺר הַכּ Genesis 19:28 (J; simile of smoke of כִּכָּר, Sodom and Gomorrah); ׳עֶשֶׁן הַכּ Exodus 19:18 (E; simile of smoke of Sinai); ׳מִּיחַ כ ashes of kiln Exodus 9:8, compare Exodus 9:10 (both P). כדד (√ of following; Arabic Topical Lexicon Entry Title: כִּבְשָׁן – Kibshan (“Furnace,” “Kiln”)Term and Semantic Range Kibshan denotes a man-made structure designed to contain and intensify fire for industrial purposes such as smelting metals or firing pottery and lime. Unlike an open hearth, a kibshan is enclosed, allowing extreme heat, controlled atmosphere, and the production of dense smoke that can serve as a striking visual metaphor in Scripture. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Genesis 19:28 – After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, “the smoke was going up from the land like smoke from a furnace”, picturing total, consuming judgment. Historical and Archaeological Background Archaeological finds in Egypt and the Levant reveal small, bottle-shaped kilns for pottery and metallurgy dating to the Middle Bronze Age, consistent with the patriarchal period. Lime kilns created towering plumes of acrid smoke visible for miles, explaining why kibshan became a ready point of comparison when narrators sought to describe dense clouds of judgment or divine glory. Symbolic and Theological Significance • Judgment: The Genesis passage links kibshan to catastrophic judgment on unrepentant wickedness. Progressive Revelation The Old Testament use of kibshan anticipates later biblical motifs of fiery judgment and refining (Psalm 12:6; Malachi 3:2). The New Testament speaks of the believer’s works tested “as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13) and of eternal judgment in “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14), concepts foreshadowed by the furnace imagery first attached to kibshan. Ministry Implications 1. Preaching on Holiness: Sinai’s kibshan-like smoke warns congregations that God is not to be approached casually; holiness precedes communion. Related Concepts and Terms • Tannur – a smaller oven; used metaphorically in Genesis 15:17. Key Takeaway Kibshan encapsulates the paradox of divine fire—terrible in judgment, gracious in covenant revelation, and ultimately purifying for those who submit to the LORD’s refining work. Forms and Transliterations הַכִּבְשָֽׁן׃ הַכִּבְשָׁ֔ן הַכִּבְשָׁ֗ן הכבשן הכבשן׃ כִּבְשָׁ֑ן כבשן hak·kiḇ·šān hakkiḇšān hakkivShan kiḇ·šān kiḇšān kivShanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 19:28 HEB: הָאָ֔רֶץ כְּקִיטֹ֖ר הַכִּבְשָֽׁן׃ NAS: ascended like the smoke of a furnace. KJV: went up as the smoke of a furnace. INT: of the land the smoke of a furnace Exodus 9:8 Exodus 9:10 Exodus 19:18 4 Occurrences |
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is toil severely; 
fatigue, weary, harass, tread; 
mortar in which things are pounded, bruised; 
what remains in bottom of cooking-pot).