Lexical Summary qebutsah: Gathering, assembly, collection Original Word: קְבֻצָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gather Feminine passive participle of qabats; a hoard -- X gather. see HEBREW qabats NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qabats Definition a gathering NASB Translation gather (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [קְבֻצָהִ] noun feminine a gathering; — construct קְבֻצַת כֶּסֶףאֶ֗֗֗לאתּוֺךְ כּוּר Ezekiel 22:20 (after קבץ אֶתְכֶם, followed by אֶקְבֹּץ). Topical Lexicon Conceptual Overview Derived from the common biblical idea of “gathering,” קְבֻצָה presents a vivid picture of a collected mass. Unlike the dynamic verb “to gather,” this noun focuses on the final heap—a single, compact entity drawn together for a specific purpose. In Ezekiel it designates the pile of mixed metals cast into a furnace, a metaphor that turns Israel’s corporate life into a tangible lump ready for refining fire. Biblical Context Ezekiel 22:20 employs the term as part of a prophetic oracle against Jerusalem: “As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so in My anger and wrath I will gather you inside the city and melt you”. The noun underscores three elements: 1. Corporate identity: all the different “metals” are now one inseparable clump. Historical Background Ezekiel ministered from Babylon to exiles and to the residents of Jerusalem shortly before its destruction in 586 B.C. Smelting technology was common throughout the Ancient Near East; furnaces in places such as Timna and Ezion-Geber produced copper and bronze by piling ore, charcoal, and flux together. Listeners would picture ore being swept off the floor and thrown into a clay furnace—an ordinary industrial scene turned into a solemn warning. Theological Themes • Divine gathering for judgment. The One who “gathers the lambs in His arms” (Isaiah 40:11) can also gather rebels for discipline. Related Imagery in Scripture • Gathering for judgment: Joel 3:2; Matthew 13:40-43. Ministry Implications 1. Preaching: Ezekiel 22:20 confronts complacency; modern audiences must weigh the danger of collective compromise in families, congregations, or nations. Christological and Eschatological Connections Jesus Christ endured the furnace of divine wrath at Calvary (Isaiah 53:5-10), guaranteeing that those united to Him are refined, not consumed (Romans 8:1). His future return includes both a gathering of the elect (Matthew 24:31) and a gathering of the ungodly for fiery judgment (Revelation 20:13-15). קְבֻצָה therefore foreshadows the final separation of precious metal from dross when “each man’s work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light” (1 Corinthians 3:13). Contemporary Application • Personal reflection: Ask, “Am I part of the precious metal or part of the dross inside the heap?” Summary קְבֻצָה reminds readers that God gathers people into a single mass for a decisive encounter with His holiness. Whether that encounter results in ruin or refinement depends on repentance and faith. The word’s solitary appearance in Ezekiel 22:20 is therefore sufficient to sound a timeless call: be gathered to Christ now, or be gathered for judgment later. Forms and Transliterations קְבֻ֣צַת קבצת keVutzat qə·ḇu·ṣaṯ qəḇuṣaṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 22:20 HEB: קְבֻ֣צַת כֶּ֡סֶף וּ֠נְחֹשֶׁת NAS: As they gather silver and bronze KJV: [As] they gather silver, and brass, INT: gather silver and bronze 1 Occurrence |
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