In biblical times, the process of smelting was an essential aspect of metallurgy, which involved extracting metal from its ore by heating and melting. This process is referenced in various passages of the Bible, illustrating both the practical and symbolic significance of smelting in ancient Israelite culture.

Biblical References:

1. Proverbs 17:3 : "A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts." This verse uses the imagery of smelting to convey the idea of purification and testing. Just as metals are refined through fire, so too are human hearts tested and purified by God.

2. Ezekiel 22:20-22 : "As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with fire, so I will gather you in My anger and wrath, put you inside, and melt you." Here, the prophet Ezekiel uses the metaphor of smelting to describe God's judgment upon Israel. The imagery of melting metals in a furnace symbolizes the intense purification and judgment that God will bring upon His people.

3. Isaiah 48:10 : "See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." This passage highlights the refining process as a metaphor for the trials and tribulations that God uses to purify and strengthen His people. The furnace of affliction serves as a divine tool for spiritual growth and maturity.

Historical Context:

In ancient Israel, smelting was a well-known process, crucial for producing tools, weapons, and various artifacts. The Israelites, like other ancient civilizations, utilized furnaces to extract metals such as iron, copper, and bronze. The process involved heating the ore to high temperatures, allowing the metal to separate from impurities. This practice not only had economic and practical implications but also carried deep spiritual symbolism, as seen in the biblical texts.

Symbolism and Spiritual Lessons:

The Bible frequently uses the imagery of smelting and refining to convey spiritual truths. The process of smelting, with its intense heat and purification, serves as a powerful metaphor for God's work in the lives of His people. Just as metals are purified and strengthened through fire, believers are refined through trials and divine testing. This process is intended to remove impurities, strengthen faith, and produce a character that reflects God's holiness.

The smelting process also underscores the theme of judgment and redemption. In prophetic literature, the furnace often symbolizes God's judgment, where impurities are burned away, leaving behind a purified remnant. This dual theme of judgment and purification is central to understanding God's relationship with His people, as He seeks to refine and restore them to righteousness.

In summary, the concept of smelting in the Bible serves as a rich metaphor for divine testing, purification, and judgment. It reflects the ancient practices of metallurgy while conveying profound spiritual truths about God's refining work in the hearts of His people.(imp. & p. p.) of Smelt.6694. tsuq -- to pour out, melt
... Definition: poured. Word Origin a prim. root Definition to pour out, melt
NASB Word Usage poured (1), smelted (1). be molten, pour. A ...
/hebrew/6694.htm - 6k

The Ray and the Reflection
... To know that God loves, and to love again"there is a little pocket encyclopaedia
in two volumes, which contains the smelted-down essence of all theology and ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the ray and the reflection.htm

Occasion of Writing. Relative Position of Jews and Gentiles ...
... to Aaron, "Make us gods to go before us." [1135] And when the gold out of the necklaces
of the women and the rings of the men had been wholly smelted by fire ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter i occasion of writing relative.htm

After Christ: with Christ
... 'If any man serve Me, let him follow Me.' Everything is smelted down into that;
and there you have a sufficient directory for every man's every action. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/after christ with christ.htm

The Springing of the Great Light
... These are all smelted into one designation, 'the people which sat in darkness,'
and thus the whole of verse 15 and the first clause of verse 16 make the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the springing of the great.htm

The Touch that Cleanses
... canst,' does not make him confident, because it is weakened by 'If Thou wilt.' Faith,
desire, humility, and submissiveness are beautifully smelted together in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the touch that cleanses.htm

The Dying King's Last vision and Psalm
... sayings of Jehovah. The human and divine elements are smelted together.
Note the description of the human personality. First, the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the dying kings last vision.htm

The Resurrection Morning
... Who can say anything about that transcendent recognition, in which all the stooping
love of the risen Lord is smelted into one word, and the burst of rapture ...
/.../the resurrection morning.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... The substance of their speech is given in one unified whole, the various arguments
with which father and son plied their friends being smelted together. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

V. ...
... Hence you see what the monks' and nuns' state of life is; how far it is removed
from such hearty love: if all they have were to be smelted together in one man ...
/.../the epistles of st peter and st jude preached and explained/chapter iii v .htm

On the Soul and the Resurrection.
... Just as in the amalgam of gold and silver a certain methodical force is to be observed
which has fused the metals, and if the one be afterwards smelted out of ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the soul and the 2.htm

Smelted (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Smelted (1 Occurrence). Job 28:2 Iron is taken out of
the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore. (WEB NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/smelted.htm - 6k

Ore (5 Occurrences)
... heaped up unto thee; (DBY). Job 28:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper
is smelted out of the ore. (WEB RSV NIV). Job 28:3 Man ...
/o/ore.htm - 8k

Tin (6 Occurrences)
... The tin must have been brought in the form of ore and smelted in Syria. The writer
has some slag dug from a deposit near Beirut which yielded nearly pure tin. ...
/t/tin.htm - 10k

Dross (7 Occurrences)
... 119). It is also used to denote the base metal itself, probably before it
is smelted, in Isaiah 1:22, 25. Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/d/dross.htm - 9k

Melted (33 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Job 28:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of
the ore. (Root in WEB WBS NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 22:14 I am poured out like water ...
/m/melted.htm - 16k

Metals (1 Occurrence)
... Tin was probably used in making bronze before it was known as a separate metal,
because the native oxide, cassiterite, was smelted together with the copper ore ...
/m/metals.htm - 10k

Smelter (2 Occurrences)

/s/smelter.htm - 7k

Smelt (3 Occurrences)

/s/smelt.htm - 7k

Copper (55 Occurrences)
... gold. (KJV DBY WBS). Job 28:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is
smelted out of the ore. (WEB ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV). Ezekiel ...
/c/copper.htm - 27k

Iron (104 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Job 28:2 Iron is taken out
of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore. (WEB ...
/i/iron.htm - 50k

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

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Smelted: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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