Topic
Copper
27 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Deuteronomy 8:9Easton · ISBE · Nave Incorrectly translated brass
A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
- Ezra 8:27Easton · Smith · ISBE
Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.
- 1 Samuel 17:5Easton · Smith
And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
- 1 Samuel 17:6Easton · Smith
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
- 1 Samuel 17:38Easton · Smith
¶ And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
- 2 Samuel 21:16Easton · Smith
And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
- Jeremiah 15:12Easton · Smith
Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
- Genesis 4:22Easton
And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
- Exodus 38:8Smith
¶ And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
- Leviticus 6:28Easton
But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
- Leviticus 26:19Easton
And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
- Numbers 16:39Easton
And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
Show 15 more
- Numbers 31:22 Easton
- Numbers 35:16 Easton
- 2 Samuel 22:35 Easton
- 1 Kings 7:14 Easton
- 1 Kings 7:45 Easton
- 1 Chronicles 22:3 Easton
- 1 Chronicles 22:14 Easton
- 2 Chronicles 4:16 Easton
- Job 20:24 Easton
- Job 40:18 ISBE
- Psalms 18:34 Easton
- Isaiah 60:17 Easton
- Daniel 10:6 Easton
- Matthew 10:9 ISBE
- 2 Timothy 4:14 Easton
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 27 references
Derived from the Greek kupros (the island of Cyprus), called “Cyprian brass,” occurs only in the Authorized Version in Ezra 8:27. Elsewhere the Hebrew word (nehosheth) is improperly rendered “brass,” and sometimes “steel” (2 Sam. 22:35; Jer. 15:12). The “bow of steel” (Job 20:24; Ps. 18:34) should have been “bow of copper” (or “brass,” as in the R.V.). The vessels of “fine copper” of Ezra 8:27 were probably similar to those of “bright brass” mentioned in 1 Kings 7:45; Dan. 10:6.
Tubal-cain was the first artificer in brass and iron (Gen. 4:22). Hiram was noted as a worker in brass (1 Kings 7:14). Copper abounded in Palestine (Deut. 8:9; Isa. 60:17; 1 Chr. 22:3, 14). All sorts of vessels in the tabernacle and the temple were made of it (Lev. 6:28; Num. 16:39; 2 Chr. 4:16; Ezra 8:27); also weapons of war (1 Sam. 17:5, 6, 38; 2 Sam. 21:16). Iron is mentioned only four times (Gen. 4:22; Lev. 26:19; Num. 31:22; 35:16) in the first four books of Moses, while copper (rendered “brass”) is mentioned forty times. (See BRASS.)
We find mention of Alexander (q.v.), a “coppersmith” of Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:14).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 7 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 4 references
kop'-er (nechosheth): The word is translated "copper" in only one passage (Ezr 8:27 the King James Version). In the American Standard Revised Version of this passage, "brass" has been substituted. Neither describes the actual alloy according to present definitions so well as the word "bronze." Copper was one of the earliest metals to be known and utilized in alloy, but copper, as a single metal, was probably little used. The remains of spears, balances, arms, vases, mirrors, statues, cooking utensils, implements of all kinds, etc., from Bible times are principally of an alloy of copper hardened with tin known today as bronze (see BRASS). In such passages as De 8:9, where reference is made to the native metal or ores, "copper" should be substituted for "brass" as in the American Standard Revised Version (compare Job 40:18). This is true also of coins as chalkos, in Mt 10:9.
Our modern English word "copper" is derived from an old name pertaining to the island of Cyprus. Copper was known to the ancients as Cyprian brass, probably because that island was one of the chief sources for this metal. The Sinai peninsula and the mountains of northern Syria also contributed to the ancient world's supply (see Tell el-Amarna Letters). No evidences of copper ore in any quantity are found in Palestine proper.
James A. Patch.
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.