In the Scriptures, the imagery of metals such as brass and iron is often employed to convey the nature and character of the wicked. This metaphorical language serves to illustrate the hardness, stubbornness, and moral corruption inherent in those who oppose God's ways.

Biblical References:

1. Jeremiah 6:28 : "All are hardened rebels, walking around as slanderers. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt." In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah laments the pervasive wickedness among the people of Judah. The comparison to bronze and iron underscores their obstinacy and resistance to repentance. These metals, known for their strength and durability, symbolize the entrenched nature of their rebellion against God.

2. Ezekiel 22:18-20 : "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. Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted down with a fiery blast, so I will gather you in My anger and wrath, put you inside, and melt you.'" Here, the prophet Ezekiel conveys God's judgment upon Israel, likening the people to impure metals that must be refined. The imagery of iron and other metals as dross highlights their impurity and the necessity of divine purification.

3. Deuteronomy 28:23 : "The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron." In this portion of the Mosaic Law, the consequences of disobedience to God's commandments are vividly described. The metaphor of a bronze sky and iron earth signifies the unyielding and oppressive conditions that result from turning away from God. This serves as a warning of the spiritual barrenness and hardship that accompany wickedness.

Theological Implications:

The use of brass and iron as symbols for the wicked in the Bible carries significant theological weight. These metals, while valuable in certain contexts, are depicted as negative when associated with human character. The hardness of iron and the tarnishability of brass reflect the spiritual state of those who persist in sin. Their resistance to God's will and their moral decay are akin to the properties of these metals, which require intense heat to be shaped or purified.

Furthermore, the imagery of metals in the context of judgment, as seen in Ezekiel, emphasizes the necessity of divine intervention to cleanse and restore. The process of refining, though severe, is portrayed as essential for the removal of impurities and the restoration of righteousness.

Historical and Cultural Context:

In the ancient Near East, metals such as brass and iron were integral to daily life, used in tools, weapons, and various artifacts. Their strength and utility made them valuable, yet their susceptibility to corrosion and the difficulty of working with them also made them apt symbols for moral and spiritual lessons. The biblical authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, utilized these familiar elements to communicate profound truths about human nature and divine justice.

The comparison of the wicked to brass and iron thus resonates with the original audience's understanding of these materials, reinforcing the message of the prophets and the Law. This metaphor continues to serve as a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for repentance and transformation through God's grace.Jeremiah 6:28
They are all grievous rebels, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 22:18
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the middle of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Relation of Men to Angels.
... we see our gatherings also filled with wicked persons. ... the things to which they are
likened or compared, but only ... is become to me all mixed with brass and iron ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/13 relation of men to.htm

God's People in the Furnace
... are continually vexed with the conversation of the wicked and who ... suffer' but "his
feet were like fine brass, as if ... it is but small and light compared with the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/gods people in the furnace.htm

Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that it was not Right to ...
... esteem; while, on the other hand, the wicked shall receive ... any one who has conquered
[995] by brass or iron ... With justice, then, have you been compared to those ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter x answer to the objection.htm

"The Axe is Laid to the Root. "
... This is not the only time in the Bible when wicked men are compared to trees. ... Cast
it into the fire," but leave the stump with a band of iron and brass. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xxxi the axe is laid.htm

Treatise on Christ and Antichrist.
... and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron ... of the world."
[1560] But what saith He to the wicked? ... [1429] The nations are compared to a ...
/.../treatise on christ and antichrist.htm

Demonstration v. --Of Wars.
... [733] And David said:"I saw the wicked exalted and ... But as to the seed of man which
is compared with the ... next verse he said:"The iron and the brass and the ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration v of wars.htm

The City of Benares.
... Of late years the enchased brass vessels made in ... and most frequented, are small compared
with Christian ... fantastic, capricious, foolish, and wicked deeds, when ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter vii the city of.htm

The Mysteries of the Brazen Serpent
... Can a father send his son into this wicked world with ... Fiery serpents, ye are nothing
when compared with fiery lusts ... A serpent of brass lifted up upon a pole, to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the mysteries of the brazen.htm

The Misery of those Who, Besides Losing the Saints' Rest, Lose the ...
... of the saints, so Satan is the comforter of the wicked. ... were as iron, and thy bones
as brass; if thy ... not the grave be accounted a paradise, compared with that ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter vi the misery of.htm

The Sixth vision "On Earth"
... Chapter xii. when compared with chap. xiii. and xvii. ... his belly and his thighs of
brass, (three) 4. verse 33. his legs of iron (four) 5. verse 33. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the sixth vision on earth.htm

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