Bronze and Copper

I. נְחֹ֫שֶׁת137 n.m. 1 K 7:45 (cf. AlbrechtZAW xvi (1896), 108; f. 1 Ch 18:8) copper, bronze (NH = BH; Ph. נחשׁת; Palm. נחשא Lzb 322; Syriac ܢܚܳܫܳܐ 𝔗 נְחָשָׁא, Arabic نُحَاسٌ Ethiopic ናሕስ (so also OEth. DHMEpigr. Denkm. aus Abess. (1894), 52); WMMAs. u. Eur. 127 cites Egyptian teḥost, copper (= tenḥost), as loan-wd. from נְחשֶׁת + fem. art.);—נ׳ abs. Gn 4:22 +; cstr. Ex 38:29; sf. נְחָשְׁתִּי La 3:7, נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ Ez 16:36, נְחֻשְׁתָּהּ 24:11, נְחֻשְׁתָּם 2 K 25:13 + 2 times; du. נְחֻשְׁתַּ֫יִם Ju 16:21 + 6 times;— 1. copper, as ore Dt 8:9, cf. Zc 6:8; worked by artificer Gn 4:22 (J) 1 K 7:14(×2) 2 Ch 24:12; material—doubtless hardened with alloy, prob. tin, making bronze, cf. NowArch. i. 243 BenzArch. 214—of armour 1 S 17:5, 6 1 K 14:27, utensils 2 K 25:14 = Je 52:18, Lv 6:21 Nu 17:4 + very often, altar 2 K 16:14, 15 Ex 38:30; 39:39, etc., and other objects Nu 21:9(×2) (JE), 2 K 18:4 1 K 4:13; 7:15 ff. +, especially in description of tabernacle and temple; cast 1 K 7:14; polished מְמֹרָט v 45, מָרוּק 2 Ch 4:16 (cf. Lv 6:21); and shining מֻצְהָב Ezr 8:27. On נ׳ קָלָל Ez 1:7 Dn 10:6 v. קָלָל" dir="rtl" >קלל; נ׳ as spoil of war 2 S 8:8 2 K 25:13 = Je 52:17, 20 etc. †2. fetters of copper or bronze, usually du. Ju 16:21 2 S 3:34 2 K 25:7 = Je 39:7; 52:11 2 Ch 36:6, also 33:11; sg. only la 3:9 (fig. of oppression). 3. as less in value than gold but more than wood Is 60:17(×2) fig. of worthless people Je 6:28 (+ בַּרְזֶל), id. (as dross of silver) Ez 22:18 (+ בְּדִיל, בַּרְזֶל, עוֹפֶרֶה).—On Ez 16:36 v. נחשׁ³" dir="rtl" >IV. נחשׁ. 4. fig. of pitiless sky Dt 28:23.

† נְחוּשָׁה and (Lv 26:19 Jb 40:18) נְחֻשָׁה n.f. copper, bronze (only poet.; cf. i. נְחשֶׁת);—נ׳ always abs.;— 1. copper, produced from ore by melting Jb 28:2. 2. copper, doubtless hardened with alloy, = bronze, as material of bow 2 S 22:35 = ψ 18:35, Jb 20:24; gates Is 45:2; fig. of strength Jb 40:18 (bones of hippopotamus), cf. 41:19, Mi 4:13 (hoofs of Zion); of obstinate brow Is 48:4 (‖ גִּיד בַּרְזֶל עָרְפֶּ֑ךָ); unproductive earth Lv 26:19.

† נְחָשׁ n.m. copper, bronze (𝔗 Syriac; BH נְחשֶׁת, נְחוּשָׁה, √ III. נחשׁ);—as material: abs. נ׳ Dn 2:32; 4:12, 20; 7:19; emph. נְחָשָׁא 2:35, 39, 45; 5:4, 23.

χαλκός, Cretan dialect καυχός Refs 3rd c.BC+, ὁ:— copper, χ. ἐρυθρός Refs 8th c.BC+; and of the ornaments of a house, χαλκοῦ τε στεροπήν Refs 8th c.BC+; of copper as the first metal that men learnt to smelt and work, τῶν δ᾽ ἦν χάλκεα μὲν τεύχεα, χάλκεοι δέ τε οἶκοι, χαλκῷ δ᾽ εἰργάζοντο, μέλας δ᾽ οὐκ ἔσκε σίδηρος Refs 8th c.BC+; χ. ἐρυθρός (compare above) Refs 5th c.BC+; alloyed with tin to form bronze, the usual meaning of the word in Refs 8th c.BC+ and frequently in later writers: σίδηρος δὲ καὶ χ. πολέμων ὄργανα Refs 5th c.BC+ __II in Poets frequently for anything made of metal, especially of arms (hence Refs 5th c.BC+ the proper epithet of iron, Refs; of offensive arms, ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ, νηλέϊ χ., of a spear, a sword, Refs 8th c.BC+; of a knife, Refs; of an axe, Refs 8th c.BC+; of a fish-hook, Refs 8th c.BC+; of defensive arms, as the plates laid on a shield, Refs; χαλκὸν ζώννυσθαι, of a warrior girding on his armour,Refs; of both combined, πλάγχθη δ᾽ ἀπὸ χαλκόφι χαλκός the spear of bronze glanced off the helm of bronze, Refs __II.2 of vessels, copper, cauldron, urn,Refs 8th c.BC+; of a cinerary urn, Refs 5th c.BC+; collectively of bronze plate, χ. μυρίος, Refs 8th c.BC+; used in payment of ransom, Refs 8th c.BC+ __II.3 of a bronze mirror, Refs 4th c.BC+; used as a burning-glass, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II.4 collectively, copper money, NT+4th c.BC+; generally, money, opposed to κύαμοι, Refs 3rd c.AD+; χαλκοῦ σπάνις MenRefs __II.5 ={χάλκωμα}, bronze plate or tablet, τὰν προξενίαν γράψαντας εἰς χαλκὸν ἀνθέμεν Refs 4th c.BC+; οὐετρανοὶ οἱ χωρὶς χαλκῶν, who have not received bronze copies of the privileges granted on discharge, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II.6 a weight, 1/8 obol, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __III χαλκοῦ ἄνθος, particles thrown off by copper when cooling, Refs 5th c.BC+ __III.b χαλκοῦ λεπίς, small pieces that scale off under the hammer, Refsgeležìs 'iron'.)

χαλκο-λίβᾰνος [ῐ], ου, ἡ, either fine brass, brass of Lebanon, or yellow frankincense, NT

χάλκεος, έα, Ionic dialect -έη Refs 8th c.BC+, εον (also εος, εον Refs 8th c.BC+; Aeolic dialect, Doric dialect χάλκιος Refs 7th c.BC+, also Boeotian dialect, compare χαλκοῦ; Attic dialect χαλκοῦς, ῆ, οῦν Refs, but χαλκέων δέλτων Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect also χάλκειος, see at {χάλκειος}: (χαλκός):—of copper or bronze, brazen, οὐδός, δόμος, τεῖχος, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἄξων, κύκλα, Refs 8th c.BC+; especially of arms and armour, ἔγχος, ξίφος, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἔντεα Refs 5th c.BC+; χαλκέοισικάδοις, χαλκέοις δρεπάνοις, S.[same place]; in Trag. mostly contraction, χαλκοῖς βάθροισι Refs __b of statues, χ. Ζεύς, χ. Ποσειδέων, a bronze statue of.., Refs 5th c.BC+; compare χαλκῆ. __c χ. ἀγών a contest for a shield of brass, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 metaphorically, brazen, i. e. hard, stout, strong, χάλκεος Ἄρης Refs 8th c.BC+ (unless wearing brazen armour, compare χάλκεοι ἄνδρες Oracle texts cited in Refs 5th c.BC+; Χαλκοῦς, nickname of Aristomedes, Refs 4th c.BC+in D.Refs 5th c.BC+; χάλκεον ἦτορ a heart of brass, Refs 8th c.BC+; χαλκέοισι νώτοις, of Atlas, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 χαλκῆ μυῖα, a boy's game, a sort of blind-man's-buff, Refs 3rd c.BC+ __II as substantive, see at {χαλκοῦς. [χάλκεοι} is disyllable in Refs 8th c.BC+

χαλκ-εύς, έως, ὁ: plural χαλκεῖς, Attic dialect -ῆςRefs 5th c.BC+:—coppersmith, opposed to τέκτων (joiner, Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 generally, worker in metal, of a goldsmith, Refs 8th c.BC+; of a worker in iron. Refs; hence later, blacksmith, smith (χαλκέας τοὺς τὸν σίδηρον ἐργαζομένους LXX+5th c.BC+ __II John Dory, Zeus faber, Refs 4th c.BC+; distinguished from χαλκίς, Refs 2nd c.AD+

χαλκίον, τό, copper vessel, cauldron, kettle, Refs 5th c.BC+; χ. θερμαντήριον, ={θερμαντήρ}, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 cymbal, τὸ Δωδωναῖον χ., proverbial of a chatterbox, Refs 4th c.BC+ __3 bowl of the κότταβος, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __4 copper ticket given to the dicasts, bearing the name of the court in which they were to serve, Refs 4th c.BC+ __5 piece of copper money, πονηρὰ χαλκία Refs 5th c.BC+ __II probably diminutive of χάλκη, ={κάλχη}Refs 4th c.BC+

† נָחוּשׁ adj. of bronze;—אִם־בְּשָׂרִי נ׳ Jb 6:12 or is my flesh of bronze? fig. for strong, enduring (‖ אֲבָנִים; cf. 40:18).

† II. [נְחֹ֫שֶׁת] n.[f.] sf. נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ Ez 16:36 where context (‖ עֶרְוָה) favours meaning lust, harlotry, or specif. sens. obscoen. (Co [citing Ki Ra] Berthol, v. also Da); text perhaps crpt. (cf. Nö ZMG xi (1886), 730); Sm proposes תַּזְנוּתַיִךְ, so appar. Toy Hpt; Or בָּשְׁתֵּךְ.