Topical Encyclopedia
Fire-wood, in biblical times, was an essential resource for daily life, serving as the primary fuel for cooking, heating, and religious sacrifices. The use of fire-wood is mentioned throughout the Bible, highlighting its significance in both domestic and religious contexts.
Domestic Use:In ancient Israel, fire-wood was a crucial component of daily living. It was used for cooking meals, as seen in the account of the widow of Zarephath, who was gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son before the prophet Elijah intervened (
1 Kings 17:10-12). The gathering of fire-wood was often a labor-intensive task, typically performed by women and children, as indicated in various biblical narratives.
Religious Significance:Fire-wood played a vital role in the religious practices of the Israelites. It was used in the burnt offerings and sacrifices commanded by God. In Leviticus, the priests are instructed to keep the fire burning on the altar continually, which required a constant supply of wood: "The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it" (
Leviticus 6:12). This perpetual fire symbolized God's eternal presence and the ongoing need for atonement.
The preparation and use of fire-wood for sacrifices were taken seriously, as seen in the account of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son, as they ascended Mount Moriah (
Genesis 22:6). This act of obedience and faith is a profound moment in biblical history, underscoring the importance of fire-wood in sacrificial rituals.
Symbolic Meaning:Fire-wood also carries symbolic meaning in the Scriptures. It is often associated with judgment and purification. In Ezekiel, God commands the prophet to use fire-wood as a symbol of the impending judgment on Jerusalem: "Take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair. When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword" (
Ezekiel 5:1-2). Here, fire-wood is part of a prophetic act illustrating the severe consequences of disobedience to God.
Practical Considerations:The procurement and storage of fire-wood were practical concerns for the Israelites. In Nehemiah, the people are reminded of their obligation to bring wood for the temple services: "We also cast lots for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites, and the people, so that we might bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law" (
Nehemiah 10:34). This communal responsibility ensured that the temple had a sufficient supply of wood for its sacrificial needs.
In summary, fire-wood in the Bible is more than just a physical resource; it is deeply intertwined with the spiritual and communal life of the Israelites, serving as a symbol of worship, judgment, and daily sustenance.
Strong's Hebrew
2404. chatab -- to cut or gather wood... root Definition to cut or gather wood NASB Word Usage chops your wood (1), cut
(1), fashioned (1), gather
firewood (1), hewers of wood (3), woodcutters (1
...Library
Pagans.
... "The pile was made by driving green bamboo stakes into the earth, between which
was first laidfire-wood, very dry and combustible; upon this was put a...
'the Angel Adjutant'
... under their foul porches, are worn, broken, and greasy; the doors and windows in
the reeking basements have been smashed up in nearly every case forfirewood....
Of the Advantage and Use of the World and of the Seasons.
... countries; he uses the earth for receiving a variety of fruits, the hills for planting
vineyards, the mountains for the use of trees andfirewood, [1716] the...
The Downfall, 1616-1621.
... At Klostergrab the church was pulled down, and the wood of which it was built was
used asfirewood; and in each case the new King, Matthias, took the Catholic...
The Larger Part of Womankind, However, have had to Fight for...
... just do for a fur coat, or a tea-cozy just do for a cocked hat; when a toy theater
needs timber and cardboard, and the house has just enoughfirewood and just...
The vineyards
... dry and barren. And if you did not know they were vines, you would think,
that wood is good for nothing butfirewood.'. "But in that...
That a Schism must not be Made, Even Although He who Withdraws...
... In Ecclesiasticus, in Solomon: "He that cleavethfirewood shall be endangered by
it if the iron shall fall off." [4555] Also in Exodus: "In one house shall it...
Christian Furchtegott Gellert
... a very beautiful brow, all rendered his presence agreeable." Nor was his influence
confined to his class-room: a peasant one day laid a load offirewood at his...
Vineyards in Spring. May 31.
... it as the sacred and miraculous fruit, the special gift of God; not merely the pruning
out of the unfruitful branches, to be burned asfirewood"not merely...
But Seeing that Paradise is the Home of Living Spirits...
... If you do not throw into thefire wood, or straw, or grass, or something that it
can consume, it has not the force to last by itself; so the power of death...
Thesaurus
Firewood (4 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Wood for fuel. Multi-Version Concordance
Firewood (4 Occurrences). Leviticus 6:9 Command Aaron and
...Fire-wood (4 Occurrences)
Fire-wood.Firewood,Fire-wood. Firing . Multi-Version ConcordanceFire-wood
(4 Occurrences).... (BBE).Firewood,Fire-wood. Firing . Reference Bible.
Firing (3 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) The process of partly vitrifying pottery by exposing it to intense heat
in a kiln. 5. (n.) Fuel;firewood or coal. Multi-Version Concordance...
Fire-trays (6 Occurrences)
Fire-trays. Fire-spoon, Fire-trays.Firewood . Multi-Version Concordance
Fire-trays (6 Occurrences).... (BBE). Fire-spoon, Fire-trays.Firewood . Reference...
Botany
... Thefirewood brought to Jerusalem comes from ever-increasing distances, as the wood
in the neighborhood is consumed, and the destruction has been increasingly...
Grain-cleaning (1 Occurrence)
... See, I give you the oxen for burned offerings and the grain-cleaning instruments
forfire-wood, and the grain for the meal offering; I give it all. (BBE)....
Gog (12 Occurrences)
... Their bodies shall be food for the birds, their weapons shall serve asfirewood
for seven years and their bones shall be buried East of the Jordan in Hamon-gog...
Dung (27 Occurrences)
... unprofitable. (2.) Used as fuel, a substitute forfirewood, which was with
difficulty procured in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt (Ezek....
Buck (23 Occurrences)
... 12. (vt) To throw by bucking. See Buck, vi, 2. 13. (n.) A frame on whichfirewood
is sawed; a sawhorse; a sawbuck. 14. (n.) The beech tree....
Sticks (25 Occurrences)
... Judges 15:4 So Samson went and got three hundred foxes and some sticks offire-wood;
and he put the foxes tail to tail with a stick between every two tails...
Resources
What does it mean that God is a consuming fire? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about Purgatory? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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