Definition and Description:

Smelting is the process of extracting metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting. In biblical times, smelting was a crucial technology for the development of tools, weapons, and various implements used in daily life. The process typically involved the use of a furnace and bellows to achieve the high temperatures necessary to separate metal from its ore.

Biblical References:

While the Bible does not explicitly mention the term "smelt," the process is implied in various passages that discuss metalworking and the use of metals. The art of smelting is closely associated with the work of blacksmiths and metalworkers, who are mentioned in several biblical texts.

1. Genesis 4:22 : "Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah." Tubal-cain is noted as a significant figure in the development of metalworking, indicating the early use of smelting techniques to create tools and weapons from bronze and iron.

2. 1 Kings 7:46 : "The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan." This passage describes the casting of bronze, a process that would have involved smelting to produce the molten metal necessary for casting.

3. Isaiah 54:16 : "Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc." This verse highlights the role of the craftsman, who uses fire to smelt and shape metal into weapons, underscoring the importance of smelting in the production of tools for both constructive and destructive purposes.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Israel and the surrounding regions, smelting was a well-established practice by the time of the biblical patriarchs. The availability of metals such as copper, bronze, and iron played a significant role in the development of societies, influencing everything from agriculture to warfare. The ability to smelt and work with metals was a highly valued skill, often associated with divine wisdom and craftsmanship.

The process of smelting required not only technical knowledge but also access to resources such as ore, fuel, and suitable locations for furnaces. The presence of metalworkers and their workshops in ancient cities and settlements indicates the central role of smelting in the economy and daily life of biblical times.

Theological Significance:

In the Bible, the process of smelting and refining metals is often used metaphorically to describe God's refining work in the lives of His people. Just as impurities are removed from metal through smelting, so God purifies and refines His people through trials and tribulations.

1. Malachi 3:3 : "And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness." This imagery of refining and purifying is a powerful metaphor for spiritual growth and sanctification.

2. Proverbs 17:3 : "A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts." Here, the smelting process is used to illustrate how God tests and purifies the hearts of individuals, much like a refiner purifies precious metals.

Through these metaphors, the Bible conveys the idea that just as smelting transforms raw ore into valuable metal, so God's refining work transforms believers into vessels of honor and righteousness.1. (p. p.) of Smell.

2. (v.) imp. & p. p. of Smell.

3. (n.) Any one of numerous species of small silvery salmonoid fishes of the genus Osmerus and allied genera, which ascend rivers to spawn, and sometimes become landlocked in lakes. They are esteemed as food, and have a peculiar odor and taste.

4. (n.) A gull; a simpleton.

5. (v. i.) To melt or fuse, as, ore, for the purpose of separating and refining the metal; hence, to reduce; to refine; to flux or scorify; as, to smelt tin.

6884. tsaraph -- to smelt, refine, test
... 6883, 6884. tsaraph. 6885 . to smelt, refine, test. Transliteration: tsaraph
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-raf') Short Definition: goldsmith. Word Origin a prim ...
/hebrew/6884.htm - 6k

6694. tsuq -- to pour out, melt
... A primitive root (identical with tsuwq through the idea of narrowness (of orifice));
to pour out, ie (figuratively) smelt, utter -- be molten, pour. ...
/hebrew/6694.htm - 6k

The Second Difference Between Meditation and Contemplation.
... the perfumed water distilled from all those flowers: for the latter in one smell
receives all the scents together, which the other had smelt divided and ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter v the second difference.htm

The Argument for Christian Practices Becomes all the Stronger...
... then, both when fastened into each other and tied together in thread and rush, be
what they are when free, when loose"things to be looked at and smelt. ...
/.../tertullian/the chaplet or de corona/chapter v the argument for.htm

I have Now Come to the Most Difficult Part of My Story. ...
... In describing it, Durante says that the ground everywhere smelt sweetly, and that
a gentle, even-tempered wind, which never blew faster or slower, breathed in ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 10 i have now.htm

A New Forest Ballad
... She went and went through the broad gray lawns As down the red sun sank, And chill
as the scent of a new-made grave The mist smelt cold and dank. ...
/.../kingsley/andromeda and other poems/a new forest ballad.htm

Of Patient Endurance
... And His eyes overflowed with the bitterness of sorrow and death; His nose smelt
the filth which the Jews spat out of their mouths into His face; His mouth and ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter v of patient endurance.htm

The Gospel Contains the Ill Deeds Also which were done to Jesus.
... and who, having experienced a genuine recovery from her evil state, had grace to
pour her ointment over Jesus so that every one in the house smelt the sweet ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/12 the gospel contains the.htm

Evil is not a Substance, but a Disagreement Hostile to Substance.
... And does not mud itself, which is offensive and noxious when swallowed or smelt,
serve as cooling to the touch in hot weather, and as a cure for wounds from ...
/.../chapter 8 name is not.htm

Other Passages from the Song of Songs are Considered with Relation ...
... This is the odour of which the patriarch Jacob smelt when he heard his father say:
"See the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which is full." [3204 ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter ix other passages from.htm

Above his Changeable Mind, He Discovers the Unchangeable Author of ...
... thrown again on my accustomed habits, carrying along with me naught but a loving
memory thereof, and an appetite for what I had, as it were, smelt the odour of ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xvii above his changeable mind.htm

Of Certain Outward Temptations and Appearances of Satan. Of the ...
... like that of brimstone. I smelt nothing myself; but the odour lasted long
enough to become sensible to them. 6. On another occasion ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/chapter xxxi of certain outward.htm

Smelt (3 Occurrences)
... 5. (vi) To melt or fuse, as, ore, for the purpose of separating and refining the
metal; hence, to reduce; to refine; to flux or scorify; as, to smelt tin. ...
/s/smelt.htm - 7k

Refine (9 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 9:7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts: behold, I will smelt them,
and try them; for how else should I do, because of the daughter of My people? ...
/r/refine.htm - 9k

Smelted (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Smelt. Multi-Version Concordance
Smelted (1 Occurrence). Job 28:2 Iron is taken out of the ...
/s/smelted.htm - 6k

Smells (2 Occurrences)

/s/smells.htm - 7k

Clothes (208 Occurrences)
... And he smelt the smell of his clothes, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell
of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed. (DBY NIV). ...
/c/clothes.htm - 37k

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