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נְחֹשֶׁת

𐤍𐤇𐤔𐤕

nᵉchôsheth

H5178 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A metallic substance, primarily copper or bronze, used for implements, weapons, and decorative objects in ancient Israelite material culture; occasionally employed in a figurative sense to denote hardness, strength, or baseness in comparison to more valuable metals such as gold and silver.

Semantic Range

copper, bronze, object made of copper/bronze (vessel, fetter, chain, altar, pillar), figurative meaning of strength or baseness

Root / Etymology

Root: נחש (nachash), meaning 'to shine, to be bright', from which the noun נְחֹשֶׁת likely derives, indicating a shiny metal. The word refers to copper in its pure state, but often designates bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) in contexts where alloyed metals are implied. Over time, the boundary between copper and bronze was linguistically and technologically fluid.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, נְחֹשֶׁת most often denotes copper or bronze, reflecting either the pure metal or its alloyed forms, depending on context and period. In the patriarchal and early monarchic periods, copper was a common metal, with bronze (copper alloyed with tin) becoming increasingly important during the later Bronze Age contexts. The term is used for sacred vessels, tools, weapons, and elements of temple construction (e.g., the Bronze Altar and 'pillar of bronze'), as well as for fetters and yokes. Occasionally, the word is used figuratively to signify qualities like strength, resilience, or moral baseness (especially in contrast to more precious metals like silver or gold). The translation tradition sometimes rendered נְחֹשֶׁת as 'brass,' but true brass (copper and zinc) was unknown in biblical times. The use of נְחֹשֶׁת does not indicate modern 'steel.' In later periods, such as during the post-exilic and Second Temple era, the term's spectrum may be more restricted or clarified by context, with Greek translations typically using χαλκός (chalkos). Comparisons with related terms: while זָהָב (zahav) is gold and כֶּסֶף (kesef) is silver, נְחֹשֶׁת covers both native copper and common bronze used for utilitarian and sacred purposes. Modern English translations frequently use 'bronze' rather than 'brass' for accuracy.

Translation Consistency

primary "bronze" 39 occurrences

'Bronze' is the most frequent and natural English rendering in the attested occurrences and fits the typical material and object sense (vessels, implements, altars, chains). It also covers the common ancient-metal sense (copper/bronze alloy) and reads naturally in figurative uses of hardness or baseness. Using 'bronze' ensures consistent, idiomatic translation across all forms.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"filthiness" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

for נְחוּשָׁה; copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e. coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or silver); brasen, brass, chain, copper, fetter (of brass), filthiness, steel.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

נחש (Nechushetan) — to shine, to practice divination (root meanings); in this form, 'made of copper or bronze, shiny, metallic'

Root נחש to shine, to be bright
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5153 נָחוּשׁ bronze-made
H5173 נַחַשׁ act of divination
H5174 נְחָשׁ copper
H5180 נְחֻשְׁתָּן Bronze-Thing

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5178-09 נְחֹ֖שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze 75
H5178-03 הַ/נְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa the bronze the bronze the bronze 30
H5178-13 וּ/נְחֹֽשֶׁת unechoshet HC/Ncfsa and bronze and bronze and bronze 11
H5178-02 בַּֽ/נְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם banechushetayim HRd/Ncfda with bronze shackles in two bronze pieces in two bronze pieces 4
H5178-14 וּ/בַ/נְּחֹ֣שֶׁת uvanechoshet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and in bronze and in the bronze and in the bronze 3
H5178-01 בַּ/נְּחֹ֑שֶׁת banechoshet HRd/Ncfsa in bronze in the bright-metal in bronze 2
H5178-11 נְחֻשְׁתָּ֖/ם nechushetam HNcfsc/Sp3mp bronze-of-them their bronze their bronze 2
H5178-16 בַֽ/נְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם vanechushetayim HRd/Ncfda in-bronze-fetters in double-bronze with bronze fetters 2
H5178-18 וְ/לַ/נְּחֹ֤שֶׁת velanechoshet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and for bronze and to the bronze and to the bronze 2
H5178-04 לַ/נְּחֹ֗שֶׁת lanechoshet HRd/Ncfsa for-the-bronze for the bronze for the bronze 1

Occurrences in Scripture

140 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5178-09 Jeremiah 52:22 נְחֹ֗שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 Jeremiah 52:22 נְחֹ֑שֶׁת nechoshet-2 HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 Ezekiel 1:7 נְחֹ֥שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-03 Ezekiel 9:2 הַ/נְּחֹֽשֶׁת hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa the bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-12 Ezekiel 16:36 נְחֻשְׁתֵּ/ךְ֙ nechushetekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs your filthiness your bronze your filthiness
H5178-09 Ezekiel 22:18 נְ֠חֹשֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-13 Ezekiel 22:20 וּ֠/נְחֹשֶׁת unechoshet HC/Ncfsa and bronze and bronze and bronze
H5178-10 Ezekiel 24:11 נְחֻשְׁתָּ֗/הּ nechushetah HNcfsc/Sp3fs its-bronze her bronze her bronze
H5178-09 Ezekiel 27:13 נְחֹ֔שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 Ezekiel 40:3 נְחֹ֔שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 Zechariah 6:1 נְחֹֽשֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 Psalms 107:16 נְחֹ֑שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-08 Lamentations 3:7 נְחָשְׁתִּֽ/י nechasheti HNcfsc/Sp1cs my bronze chain my bronze my bronze
H5178-09 Daniel 10:6 נְחֹ֣שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 Ezra 8:27 נְחֹ֜שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 1 Chronicles 15:19 נְחֹ֖שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 1 Chronicles 18:8 נְחֹ֖שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-03 1 Chronicles 18:8 הַ/נְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa of bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-03 1 Chronicles 18:8 הַ/נְּחֹֽשֶׁת hanechoshet-2 HTd/Ncfsa the bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-13 1 Chronicles 18:10 וּ/נְחֹֽשֶׁת unechoshet HC/Ncfsa and bronze and bronze and bronze
H5178-13 1 Chronicles 22:3 וּ/נְחֹ֥שֶׁת unechoshet HC/Ncfsa and-bronze and bronze and bronze
H5178-18 1 Chronicles 22:14 וְ/לַ/נְּחֹ֤שֶׁת velanechoshet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and for bronze and to the bronze and to the bronze
H5178-18 1 Chronicles 22:16 וְ/לַ/נְּחֹ֥שֶׁת velanechoshet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and of the bronze and to the bronze and to the bronze
H5178-17 1 Chronicles 29:2 וְ/הַ/נְּחֹ֣שֶׁת vehanechoshet HC/Td/Ncfsa and-the-bronze and the copper and the bronze
H5178-04 1 Chronicles 29:2 לַ/נְּחֹ֗שֶׁת lanechoshet HRd/Ncfsa for-the-bronze for the bronze for the bronze
H5178-13 1 Chronicles 29:7 וּ/נְחֹ֕שֶׁת unechoshet HC/Ncfsa and bronze and bronze and bronze
H5178-03 2 Chronicles 1:5 הַ/נְּחֹ֗שֶׁת hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa the-bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-03 2 Chronicles 1:6 הַ/נְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-14 2 Chronicles 2:6 וּ/בַ/נְּחֹ֣שֶׁת uvanechoshet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and in bronze and in the bronze and in the bronze
H5178-01 2 Chronicles 2:13 בַּ/נְּחֹ֨שֶׁת banechoshet HRd/Ncfsa in bronze in the bright-metal in bronze
H5178-09 2 Chronicles 4:1 נְחֹ֔שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-09 2 Chronicles 4:9 נְחֹֽשֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa with bronze shining copper with bronze
H5178-09 2 Chronicles 4:16 נְחֹ֖שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-03 2 Chronicles 4:18 הַ/נְּחֹֽשֶׁת hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa of the bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-09 2 Chronicles 6:13 נְחֹ֗שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-03 2 Chronicles 7:7 הַ/נְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ hanechoshet HTd/Ncfsa of the bronze the bronze the bronze
H5178-09 2 Chronicles 12:10 נְחֹ֑שֶׁת nechoshet HNcfsa of bronze shining copper bronze
H5178-13 2 Chronicles 24:12 וּ/נְחֹ֔שֶׁת unechoshet HC/Ncfsa and bronze and bronze and bronze
H5178-02 2 Chronicles 33:11 בַּֽ/נְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם banechushetayim HRd/Ncfda with bronze [chains] in two bronze pieces in two bronze pieces
H5178-02 2 Chronicles 36:6 בַּֽ/נְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם banechushetayim HRd/Ncfda with bronze shackles in two bronze pieces in two bronze pieces
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