Lime is a substance mentioned in the Bible primarily in the context of construction and judgment. It is a material derived from limestone, which, when heated, becomes a powdery substance used in building and agriculture. In biblical times, lime was an essential component for making mortar and plaster, serving as a binding agent in construction.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 33:12 : "The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and set ablaze." This verse metaphorically describes the judgment of nations, likening their destruction to the burning of lime. The imagery of lime here emphasizes the thoroughness and intensity of divine judgment, as lime, when burned, becomes a fine, consuming powder.

2. Amos 2:1 : "This is what the LORD says: 'For three transgressions of Moab, even for four, I will not revoke My judgment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.'" In this passage, lime is associated with desecration and judgment. The act of burning bones to lime signifies a profound disrespect and serves as a basis for divine retribution against Moab. The transformation of bones into lime underscores the totality of the act and its irreversible nature.

3. Deuteronomy 27:2-4 : "And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land the LORD your God is giving you, you are to set up large stones and coat them with plaster." While lime is not explicitly mentioned, the plaster used to coat the stones likely contained lime as a key ingredient. This use of lime in plastering the stones for the writing of the Law signifies the permanence and visibility of God's commandments to His people.

Symbolism and Usage:

In the Bible, lime serves as a symbol of both construction and destruction. Its role in building materials highlights its importance in creating lasting structures, reflecting the stability and endurance of God's covenant with His people. Conversely, its association with burning and judgment illustrates the consuming nature of divine wrath against sin and rebellion.

Lime's dual symbolism can be seen as a reflection of God's character—both as a builder who establishes His kingdom and as a judge who purifies and refines through fire. The use of lime in biblical imagery serves to remind believers of the seriousness of sin and the steadfastness of God's promises.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, lime was a valuable resource for construction and agriculture. Its production involved heating limestone in kilns, a process that required significant labor and resources. The resulting lime was used not only in building but also in agriculture to improve soil quality.

The biblical references to lime would have been understood by the original audience as indicative of both practical and spiritual realities. The use of lime in construction would have been familiar to them, while its metaphorical use in judgment would have conveyed the severity and finality of God's actions.

Overall, lime in the Bible serves as a multifaceted symbol, representing both the constructive and destructive power of God in the lives of His people and the world.Lime

the substance obtained form limestone, shells, etc., by heat. It is noticed only three times in the Bible, viz., in (27:2) (Authorized Version "plaster"), (Isaiah 33:12) and Amos 2:1

The Hebrew word so rendered means "boiling" or "effervescing." From Isaiah 33:12 it appears that lime was made in a kiln lighted by thorn-bushes. In Amos 2:1 it is recorded that the king of Moab "burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime." The same Hebrew word is used in Deuteronomy 27:2-4, and is there rendered "plaster." Limestone is the chief constituent of the mountains of Syria. 1. (n.) A thong by which a dog is led; a leash.

2. (n.) The linden tree. See Linden.

3. (n.) A fruit allied to the lemon, but much smaller; also, the tree which bears it. There are two kinds; Citrus Medica, var. acida which is intensely sour, and the sweet lime (C. Medica, var. Limetta) which is only slightly sour.

4. (n.) Birdlime.

5. (n.) Oxide of calcium; the white or gray, caustic substance, usually called quicklime, obtained by calcining limestone or shells, the heat driving off carbon dioxide and leaving lime. It develops great heat when treated with water, forming slacked lime, and is an essential ingredient of cement, plastering, mortar, etc.

6. (v. t.) To smear with a viscous substance, as birdlime.

7. (v. t.) To entangle; to ensnare.

8. (v. t.) To treat with lime, or oxide or hydrate of calcium; to manure with lime; as, to lime hides for removing the hair; to lime sails in order to whiten them.

9. (v. t.) To cement.

LIME

lim

(1) sidh; compare Arabic shad, "to plaster";

(2) gir; compare Arabic jir, "gypsum" or "quick-lime";

(3) 'abene-ghir):

Sidh is translated "lime" in Isaiah 33:12, "And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire," and in Amos 2:1, "He burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime." It is translated "plaster" in Deuteronomy 27:2, "Thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster," also in Deuteronomy 27:4. Gir is translated "plaster" in Daniel 5:5, "wrote.... upon the plaster of the wall." In Isaiah 27:9 we have, "He maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones" ('abhene-ghir).

Everywhere in Palestine limestone is at hand which can be converted into lime. The lime-kiln is a thick-walled, cylindrical or conical, roofless structure built of rough stones without mortar, the spaces between the stones being plastered with clay. It is usually built on the side of a hill which is slightly excavated for it, so that the sloping, external wall of the kiln rises much higher from the ground on the lower side than on the upper. The builders leave a passage or tunnel through the base of the thick wall on the lower side. The whole interior is filled with carefully packed fragments of limestone, and large piles of thorny-burner and other shrubs to serve as fuel are gathered about the kiln. The fuel is introduced through the tunnel to the base of the limestone in the kiln, and as the fire rises through the mass of broken limestone a strong draft is created. Relays of men are kept busy supplying fuel day and night. By day a column of black smoke rises from the kiln, and at night the flames may be seen bursting from the top. Several days are required to reduce the stone to lime, the amount of time depending upon the size of the kiln and upon the nature of the fuel. At the present day, mineral coal imported from Europe is sometimes employed, and requires much less time than the shrubs which are ordinarily used.

See CHALKSTONE; CLAY.

Alfred Ely Day

2867. koniao -- to plaster over
... whiten, whitewash. From konia (dust; by analogy, lime); to whitewash -- whiten.
(kekoniamene) -- 1 Occurrence. (kekoniamenois) -- 1 Occurrence. 2866, 2867. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2867.htm - 6k

3005. leimma -- a remnant
... a remnant. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: leimma Phonetic Spelling:
(lime'-mah) Short Definition: a remnant, remainder Definition: a remnant ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3005.htm - 6k

7875. sid -- lime, whitewash
... 7874, 7875. sid. 7876 . lime, whitewash. Transliteration: sid Phonetic
Spelling: (seed) Short Definition: lime. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/7875.htm - 6k

1615. gir -- chalk, lime
... chalk, lime. Transliteration: gir Phonetic Spelling: (gheer) Short Definition: chalk. ...
Perhaps from kuwr; lime (from being burned in a kiln) -- chalk(-stone). ...
/hebrew/1615.htm - 6k

4955. misraphah -- a burning
... burning. From saraph; combustion, ie Cremation (of a corpse), or calcination (of
lime) -- burning. see HEBREW saraph. 4954, 4955. misraphah. 4956 . ...
/hebrew/4955.htm - 6k

2902. tuach -- to overspread, overlay, coat, besmear
... daub, overlay, plaster, smut. A primitive root; to smear, especially with lime --
daub, overlay, plaister, smut. 2901, 2902. tuach. 2903 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/2902.htm - 6k

1528. gir -- chalk, plaster
... plaster (1). plaster. (Aramaic) corresponding to gir; lime -- plaster. see
HEBREW gir. 1527, 1528. gir. 1529 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1528.htm - 6k

Examples from Nature Proving that Bodies May Remain Unconsumed and ...
... Again, let us consider the wonders of lime; for besides growing white in fire, which
makes other things black, and of which I have already said enough, it has ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 4 examples from nature proving.htm

On a Piece of Chalk. A Lecture to Working Men.
... Chalk, in fact, is a compound of carbonic acid gas and lime, and when you make
it very hot the carbonic acid flies away and the lime is left. ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/ix on a piece of.htm

The Old Gravestone
... One was always so glad to see them, sitting together on the bench at the top
of their stone staircase, under the old lime-tree's shade. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the old gravestone.htm

The Apostles Teach that it was Neither Christ nor the Saviour, but ...
... those persons who, by reason of the resemblance of the words, imbibe a poison which
disagrees with their constitution, just as if one, giving lime mixed with ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xvii the apostles teach that.htm

On the Physical Basis of Life.
... The statement that a crystal of calc-spar consists of carbonate of lime, is quite
true, if we only mean that, by appropriate processes, it may be resolved into ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/vii on the physical basis.htm

Psalm CXXXIX.
... For lust was the lime of our wings, it clashed us down from the freedom
of our sky, that is, the free breezes of the Spirit of God. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxxix.htm

Letter Lxxxviii. (AD 406. )
... Not contented with beating us with bludgeons and killing some with the sword, they
even, with incredible ingenuity in crime, throw lime mixed with acid [? ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxxviii a d 406.htm

It is Then My Purpose to Prove to You...
... So they did in our case what crafty fowlers are wont to do, who set branches
smeared with bird-lime beside water to deceive thirsty birds. ...
/.../augustine/on the profit of believing /section 2 it is then.htm

Choosing the Tens
... In the open spaces were covered heaps of sand, and tons of lime, in sacks; layers
of paint and hogsheads of tar; ingots of copper and pigs of bronze. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter i choosing the tens.htm

Habakkuk-On his Watch-Tower
... me upon the tower.""Habakkuk 2.i. HABAKKUK'S tower was not built of stone
and lime. Hiram's Tyrian workmen, with all their skill ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/ix habakkuk-on his watch-tower.htm

Lime (4 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew word so rendered means "boiling" or "effervescing." From Isaiah 33:12
it appears that lime was made in a kiln lighted by thorn-bushes. ...
/l/lime.htm - 11k

Plaster (13 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A composition of lime, water, and sand, with or without hair as a bond,
for coating walls, ceilings, and partitions of houses. See Mortar. ...
/p/plaster.htm - 13k

Chalkstone
... and the sun-images shall rise no more." 'Abhne-ghir is compounded of 'ebhen, "stone,"
which occurs in many passages, and gir or gir, "lime" (compare Arabic jir ...
/c/chalkstone.htm - 8k

Alabaster (6 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A hard, compact variety of carbonate of lime, somewhat translucent, or of
banded shades of color; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. ...
/a/alabaster.htm - 11k

Tanner (3 Occurrences)
... The sheep or goat skins are smeared on the flesh side with a paste of slaked lime
and then folded up and allowed to stand until the hair loosens. ...
/t/tanner.htm - 11k

Teil
... Teil tree. (an old name for the lime-tree, the tilia), Isaiah 6:13, the terebinth,
or turpentine-tree, the Pistacia terebinthus of botanists. ...
/t/teil.htm - 7k

Mortar (16 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Hebrews homer), cement of lime and sand (Genesis
11:3; Exodus 1:14); also potter's clay (Isaiah 41:25; Nahum 3:14). ...
/m/mortar.htm - 14k

Build (242 Occurrences)
... The absence of lime is a striking characteristic. ... 4. Modern Methods: The native
wall of today is less rudely built and is bedded in lime mortar. ...
/b/build.htm - 45k

Slacken (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (v.) To be remiss or backward; to be negligent. 3. (v.) To lose cohesion or solidity
by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks. ...
/s/slacken.htm - 7k

Building (249 Occurrences)
... The absence of lime is a striking characteristic. ... 4. Modern Methods: The native
wall of today is less rudely built and is bedded in lime mortar. ...
/b/building.htm - 47k

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