Lexical Summary ophereth: Lead Original Word: עוֹפֶרֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lead Or mophereth {o-feh'-reth}; feminine participle active of aphar; lead (from its dusty color) -- lead. see HEBREW aphar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as opher Definition lead (a metal) NASB Translation lead (9). Brown-Driver-Briggs עֹפֶרֶת noun masculineJeremiah 6:29 (si vera lectio Qr) lead (√ dubious; probably foreign word; compare ᵑ7 אֲבָרָא lead, Syriac  , and (asAramaic loan-word) Arabic  [see Dozy], Frä152; perhaps also Assyrian abaru, a metal, magnesite according to HilprAssyriaca i (1894), 80 ff. Hptib. 83); — ׳כִּכַּר ע Zechariah 5:7 a round weight (disc) of lead, ׳אֶבֶןהָֿעו Zechariah 5:5; with other metals (see בְּדִיל) : ׳עוֺ Ezekiel 22:18,20; Ezekiel 27:12 הָעֹפָ֑רֶת Numbers 31:22 (P); ׳עֹפ also Job 19:24 (with which chiselled letters are filled according to Di and most; Bu reads ׳בְּע in [a tablet of] lead); also (as flux) Jeremiah 6:29 (reading Qr; so Gf Co; emendation Gie); ׳עוֺ in simile Exodus 15:10 (song). עֵפָ֫תָה see עֵיפָה below II. עוף. עֵץ see II.עצה. Topical Lexicon Physical characteristics and ancient useLead is a dense, bluish-gray metal with a low melting point, easily worked into weights, sheets, or alloyed with other metals. Archaeology confirms its widespread use in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages for sinkers, writing inlays, cosmetics, roofing, and as a flux in smelting. The biblical texts reflect this versatility: it is listed among the recoverable war spoils (Numbers 31:22) and among the traded commodities of Phoenician Tyre (Ezekiel 27:12). Its heaviness and readiness to sink or to separate from purer metals give rise to vivid literary images. Biblical occurrences and narrative settings 1. Exodus 15:10 – In Moses’ victory song the Egyptians “sank like lead in the mighty waters,” an early figurative use that contrasts the weight of enemy pride with the upholding power of the LORD. Theological symbolism Weight of judgment Refining and purity Permanence of witness Historical perspective Texts from Ugarit, Egypt, and Mesopotamia mention lead for weights and writing inlays; Assyrian tablets describe its use as a solder in bronze work. Excavations at Timna and Faynan show slag with lead traces beside copper smelters, matching the biblical picture of lead employed as a refining aid (Jeremiah 6:29). By Solomon’s era, Phoenician traders moved large quantities of lead from Anatolian and Cypriot mines—background for Ezekiel 27:12. Ministry implications • The sinking Egyptians invite believers to rehearse God’s salvation: what opposes Him is as helpless as lead against His power. Summary Lead in Scripture functions as more than a metal. Its physical traits—heaviness, fusibility, capacity to absorb dross, and usefulness in permanent records—provide rich imagery for salvation history: the overthrow of enemies, the refining of God’s people, the certainty of divine testimony, and the sure containment of evil awaiting final judgment. Forms and Transliterations הָעֹפֶ֖רֶת הָעֹפָֽרֶת׃ העפרת העפרת׃ וְעֹפָ֑רֶת וְעוֹפֶ֔רֶת וְעוֹפֶ֙רֶת֙ וְעוֹפֶ֤רֶת ועופרת ועפרת כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת כעופרת עֹפֶ֖רֶת עֹפָ֑רֶת עפרת ‘ō·p̄ā·reṯ ‘ō·p̄e·reṯ ‘ōp̄āreṯ ‘ōp̄ereṯ hā‘ōp̄āreṯ hā‘ōp̄ereṯ hā·‘ō·p̄ā·reṯ hā·‘ō·p̄e·reṯ haoFaret haoFeret ka‘ōwp̄ereṯ ka·‘ō·w·p̄e·reṯ kaoFeret oFaret oFeret veoFaret veoFeret wə‘ōp̄āreṯ wə‘ōwp̄ereṯ wə·‘ō·p̄ā·reṯ wə·‘ō·w·p̄e·reṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:10 HEB: יָ֑ם צָֽלֲלוּ֙ כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת בְּמַ֖יִם אַדִּירִֽים׃ NAS: them; They sank like lead in the mighty KJV: them: they sank as lead in the mighty INT: the sea sank lead waters the mighty Numbers 31:22 Job 19:24 Jeremiah 6:29 Ezekiel 22:18 Ezekiel 22:20 Ezekiel 27:12 Zechariah 5:7 Zechariah 5:8 9 Occurrences |
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