metals

Malleable materials of varying degrees of strength, hardness, and value. Biblical references to metals are frequent, but allusive. Tubal-cain (Gen 4:22) is known as a metalsmith. Palestine is described as “a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper” (Deut 8:9; Ezra 1:9-11). (Judg 17:3-4); Judg 18:14-18) use the expression “cast metal” in reference to an idol, and (Hab 2:18) contains a similar reference to “cast” (NRSV; cf. RSV “metal”), also describing an idol made with human hands.