Definition and Description:
A hammer is a tool typically used for driving nails, breaking objects, or shaping materials. In biblical times, hammers were essential tools in construction, craftsmanship, and various forms of labor. They were usually made of stone or metal, with a handle crafted from wood or another sturdy material.

Biblical References:
Hammers are mentioned in several contexts within the Bible, often symbolizing strength, judgment, or the act of building and crafting. The use of hammers in the Bible reflects their importance in ancient society for both practical and symbolic purposes.

1. Construction and Craftsmanship:
· In the construction of the tabernacle and the temple, skilled craftsmen would have used hammers as part of their toolkit. Although not explicitly mentioned in every instance, the presence of hammers is implied in the detailed work described in the construction of sacred spaces.
· Isaiah 41:7 illustrates the collaborative effort in craftsmanship: "The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, 'It is good.' And he fastens it with nails, so that it will not totter."

2. Symbol of Judgment and Power:
· The hammer is sometimes used metaphorically to represent God's power and judgment. In Jeremiah 23:29 , the word of God is compared to a hammer: "Is not My word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that smashes a rock?"
· This imagery conveys the idea of God's word being powerful and transformative, capable of breaking down resistance and bringing about change.

3. Destruction and Warfare:
· Hammers are also associated with destruction, as seen in Jeremiah 50:23 , where Babylon is referred to as the "hammer of the whole earth" that is broken and shattered. This metaphor highlights the destructive power that Babylon once wielded and its eventual downfall.

Cultural and Historical Context:
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, hammers were indispensable tools for various trades, including blacksmithing, carpentry, and masonry. The use of hammers in these trades underscores their role in building and maintaining society's infrastructure. The biblical references to hammers reflect their everyday presence and the broader cultural understanding of their significance.

Theological Implications:
The hammer's dual role as a tool for building and a symbol of destruction mirrors the dual nature of God's interaction with humanity—constructive in nurturing faith and community, yet destructive in judgment against sin and rebellion. The metaphorical use of the hammer in Scripture serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the power of His word to shape and transform lives.

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not provide extensive details about the physical characteristics of hammers, their symbolic and practical significance is evident throughout the Scriptures. As tools of both creation and destruction, hammers serve as powerful symbols of God's word and His work in the world.3597. kelappoth -- an axe
... 3596, 3597. kelappoth. 3598 . an axe. Transliteration: kelappoth Phonetic
Spelling: (kay-laf') Short Definition: hammers. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/3597.htm - 5k

4717. maqqebeth -- a hammer
... Short Definition: hammer. Word Origin from naqab Definition a hammer NASB Word
Usage hammer (2), hammers (2). hammer. From naqab; properly ...
/hebrew/4717.htm - 6k

Whether an Infinite Multitude Can Exist?
... But the multitude of hammers, inasmuch as one may be broken and another used, is
an accidental multitude; for it happens by accident that many hammers are used ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether an infinite multitude can.htm

On the Negative Spirit
... It is as if a man were asked, "What is the use of a hammer?" and answered, "To make
hammers"; and when asked, "And of those hammers, what is the use?" answered ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/ii on the negative spirit.htm

The Northern Iron and the Steel
... If they beat upon him like hammers on an anvil, he should be made of such strong,
enduring texture, that he should be able to resist all their blows. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the northern iron and the.htm

The Riot
... They rained blows upon the gates with axes and hammers, and at last improvised a
battering-ram from the top of a marble bench, until the oaken valves were ...
/.../gathering clouds a tale of the days of st chrysostom/chapter ii the riot.htm

Sin Immeasurable
... Here is a piece of iron laid upon the anvil. The hammers are plied upon it
lustily. ... Temptations are the hammers; your sins the sparks. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/sin immeasurable.htm

To the Right Honourable the Earl of Lichfield.
... In subtle sophistry's laborious forge,. Wit hammers out a reason new, that
stoops. To sordid scenes, and meets them with applause. ...
/.../young/youngs night thoughts/to the right honourable the.htm

Mercy's Master Motive
... wroth with his heritage, and therefore he gave his holy and beautiful house to the
fire, and the carved work thereof to be broken down with hammers, while the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/mercys master motive.htm

The Release of Saint George.
... themselves.". The Fairy having thus spoken, supplied the Knight and his Squire
with hammers, chisels, spades, mattocks, and crowbars. ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter eleven the release of.htm

Argument: Although the Heathens Acknowledge their Kings to be ...
... is planed; and a god of brass or of silver, often from an impure vessel, as was
done by the Egyptian king, [1798] is fused, is beaten with hammers and forged ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxiii argument although the heathens.htm

The Departure of Mary and the Holy Women of Calvary.
... There lay the terrible cross, the hammers, the ropes, the nails, and alongside of
these frightful instruments to torture stood the brutal executioners, half ...
/.../chapter xxxvii the departure of.htm

Hammers (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Hammers (3 Occurrences). Psalms 74:6 Now they
break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers. ...
/h/hammers.htm - 7k

Tools (3 Occurrences)
... Certainly no such distinction is made as that between "hammer" and "mallet," nor
were separate names given to the different hammers used in the various crafts ...
/t/tools.htm - 14k

Axe (19 Occurrences)
... (Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 74:6 But now they break
down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. ...
/a/axe.htm - 18k

Hammer (15 Occurrences)
... From the context, the instrument mentioned was probably not a hammer. In Psalm
74:6, kelaph, is better translated "axes," not "hammers." See TOOLS. ...
/h/hammer.htm - 15k

Hammering (7 Occurrences)

/h/hammering.htm - 8k

Nails (16 Occurrences)
... NIV). Jeremiah 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten
it with nails and with hammers, that it not move. (WEB KJV ...
/n/nails.htm - 12k

Loses (17 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 44:12 The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with
his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food ...
/l/loses.htm - 10k

Iron-worker (4 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 44:12 The iron-worker is heating the metal in the fire, giving it form with
his hammers, and working on it with his strong arm: then for need of food ...
/i/iron-worker.htm - 7k

Ironsmith (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 44:12 He hath wrought iron 'with' an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And
with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is ...
/i/ironsmith.htm - 7k

Iron-smith (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 44:12 The iron-smith hath a chisel, and he worketh in the coals, and he
fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm; but he is hungry ...
/i/iron-smith.htm - 6k

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