Definition and Meaning:
Dross refers to the impurities or waste material that are separated from metals during the refining process. In a biblical context, dross is often used metaphorically to describe moral or spiritual impurities that need to be removed to achieve purity and righteousness.

Biblical References:
The concept of dross is mentioned several times in the Bible, often in the context of refining metals such as silver and gold. This process serves as a metaphor for God's refining work in the lives of His people.

1. Proverbs 25:4 : "Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth."
· This verse highlights the necessity of removing impurities to create something valuable and useful. It implies that just as silver must be purified, so must individuals be refined to fulfill their God-given purpose.

2. Isaiah 1:22 : "Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water."
· Here, the prophet Isaiah uses dross to symbolize the moral and spiritual decline of the people of Israel. Their once-pure state has been corrupted, necessitating divine intervention and purification.

3. Ezekiel 22:18-19 : "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are the dross of silver. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Because all of you have become dross, behold, I will gather you into Jerusalem.'"
· In this passage, God compares the people of Israel to dross, indicating their spiritual impurity and the need for judgment and purification. The imagery of a furnace suggests a process of intense refinement.

4. Psalm 119:119 : "All the wicked on earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies."
· The psalmist expresses a love for God's laws, recognizing that those who reject His commandments are like dross, destined to be discarded. This verse underscores the value of adhering to divine truth and righteousness.

Theological Significance:
In Scripture, dross serves as a powerful metaphor for sin and moral corruption. The process of refining metals is likened to God's sanctifying work in believers' lives. Just as a refiner uses fire to purify metal, God uses trials, discipline, and His Word to cleanse His people from sin and impurity. This purification process is essential for believers to become vessels of honor, fit for the Master's use.

Practical Application:
Believers are called to examine their lives for any "dross" that may hinder their relationship with God. This involves a willingness to undergo spiritual refinement, allowing God to remove impurities and transform them into His likeness. Through prayer, repentance, and obedience to God's Word, Christians can experience the refining work of the Holy Spirit, leading to greater holiness and effectiveness in their walk with Christ.The impurities of silver separated from the one in the process of melting (Proverbs 25:4; 26:23; Psalm 119:119). It is also used to denote the base metal itself, probably before it is smelted, in Isaiah 1:22, 25. 1. (n.) The scum or refuse matter which is thrown off, or falls from, metals in smelting the ore, or in the process of melting; recrement.

2. (n.) Rust of metals.

3. (n.) Waste matter; any worthless matter separated from the better part; leavings; dregs; refuse.

DROSS

dros (sigh): The refuse of smelting of precious metal (Proverbs 25:4; Proverbs 26:23); used figuratively of what is base or worthless (Isaiah 1:22, 25 Ezekiel 22:18, 19 Psalm 119:119).

5509. sig -- a moving back or away, dross
sig or sug. 5508, 5509. sig or sug. 5510 . a moving back or away, dross.
Transliteration: sig or sug Phonetic Spelling: (seeg) Short Definition: dross. ...
/hebrew/5509.htm - 6k

913. bedil -- alloy, tin, dross
... 912, 913. bedil. 914 . alloy, tin, dross. Transliteration: bedil Phonetic
Spelling: (bed-eel') Short Definition: tin. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/913.htm - 6k

Of the Method by which we Can Remove the Dross from Our Memory.
... The Conferences of John Cassian. Chapter XIII. Of the method by which we
can remove the dross from our memory. Nesteros: From this ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xiii of the method.htm

Of the Way to Attain Divine Union
... can blend and become one. Can the impurity of dross be united with the purity
of gold? What then does God do? He sends His own Wisdom ...
/.../guyon/a short and easy method of prayer/chapter xxiv of the way.htm

Isaiah's Discourse
... she that was full of judgement! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/iii isaiahs discourse.htm

The Vengeance of Rome
... I may say the world has become to me but dung and dross, but that I should become
dung and dross to the world, is another matter." For Christ, it was sweet to ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxxv the vengeance of.htm

The Invasion of the Assyrians
... Then they are truly purged in the fire of affliction, that whatever dross and trash
is in their hearts may be burnt out, and the pure gold left. ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvii the invasion of.htm

Chastisement
... Weigh thyself, and discern how much dross is mingled with thy gold, and dost thou
think the fire too hot to get away so much dross as thou hast? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/chastisement.htm

Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
... and tries them with fire, as the refiner of silver sits by his furnaces watching
the melted metal till he knows that it is purged from all its dross by seeing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/out of the deep/i out of the deep.htm

God's People in the Furnace
... 22nd chapter of Ezekiel, 17th and 18th verses, "And the word of the Lord came unto
me, saying, son of man, the house of Israel, is to me become dross: all they ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/gods people in the furnace.htm

The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
... There is much corruption in the best heart: affliction does by degrees work it out,
as the fire works out the dross from the gold, "This is all the fruit, to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the worst things work for.htm

Of the Scriptures
... been put in the furnace of questions and doubtings,"it hath often been tried in
the fire of afflictions,"but it came forth like pure gold, without dross. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture v of the scriptures.htm

Dross (7 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DROSS. ... Multi-Version Concordance Dross (7 Occurrences).
Psalms 119:119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross. ...
/d/dross.htm - 9k

Refiner (10 Occurrences)
... The resulting lead oxide, called in the Bible silver dross, was used for glazing
pottery (Proverbs 26:23), a use to which it is still put by Syrian potters. ...
/r/refiner.htm - 13k

Refining (8 Occurrences)
... The resulting lead oxide, called in the Bible silver dross, was used for glazing
pottery (Proverbs 26:23), a use to which it is still put by Syrian potters. ...
/r/refining.htm - 12k

Tin (6 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 1:25 and I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross,
and will take away all your tin. (WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT). ...
/t/tin.htm - 10k

Refine (9 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to
free from dross or alloy; to separate from extraneous matter; to purify; to ...
/r/refine.htm - 9k

Purely (4 Occurrences)
... 1:25, the Revised Version (British and American) "thoroughly (margin "as with lye,"
the King James Version "purely") purge away thy dross"; "pureness" is the ...
/p/purely.htm - 9k

Furnace (35 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 22:18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me: all of them
are brass and tin and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are the ...
/f/furnace.htm - 22k

Drought (20 Occurrences)

/d/drought.htm - 13k

Copper (55 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 22:18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me: they are all
copper, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace: they are ...
/c/copper.htm - 27k

Lye (4 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 1:25 and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy
dross, and will take away all thy tin; (See JPS NAS RSV). ...
/l/lye.htm - 7k

What is the meaning of dross in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of the refiner's fire and launderer's soap in Malachi 3:2? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about purity? | GotQuestions.org

Dross: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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