Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, mortar was a crucial building material used in construction and various other applications. It is mentioned several times throughout the Scriptures, highlighting its significance in ancient society.
Definition and Composition:Mortar is a mixture used to bond stones or bricks together. In ancient times, it was typically made from a combination of clay, lime, sand, and water. The consistency and composition could vary depending on the resources available in a particular region.
Biblical References:1.
Construction and Building: Mortar is first mentioned in the context of construction in
Genesis 11:3, during the building of the Tower of Babel: "They said to one another, 'Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar." This passage illustrates the use of mortar as a binding agent in construction, although in this instance, tar was used as a substitute.
2.
Symbol of Strength and Permanence: In
Leviticus 14:42, mortar is used in the context of cleansing a house from mildew: "Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take additional mortar to replaster the house." Here, mortar symbolizes the restoration and strengthening of a dwelling, ensuring its durability and cleanliness.
3.
Metaphorical Use: Mortar is also used metaphorically in the Bible. In
Proverbs 27:22, it is written: "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, you will not separate his foolishness from him." This imagery conveys the idea that certain inherent traits or behaviors are difficult to change, even with intense effort.
4.
Judgment and Destruction: Mortar is mentioned in the context of judgment in
Ezekiel 13:10-15, where false prophets are condemned for building a wall with untempered mortar: "Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because when a flimsy wall is built, they plaster it with whitewash, tell those who plaster it with whitewash that it will fall." This passage uses mortar as a metaphor for false security and the inevitable collapse of deceitful constructs.
Cultural and Historical Context:In ancient Near Eastern cultures, mortar was an essential component of construction, used in both humble dwellings and grand structures. Its use in the Bible reflects the everyday life of the people and their reliance on sturdy materials for building. The biblical references to mortar also serve as powerful metaphors for spiritual truths, illustrating concepts of strength, integrity, and the consequences of falsehood.
Conclusion:Mortar, as depicted in the Bible, is more than just a building material; it is a symbol of the human endeavor to create, restore, and sometimes deceive. Its presence in Scripture underscores the importance of solid foundations, both physically and spiritually, in the life of the believer.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Mortar"a wide-mouthed vessel in form of an inverted bell, in which substances are pounded or bruised with a pestle." --Webster. The simplest and probably most ancient method of preparing corn for food was by pounding it between two stones. The Israelites in the desert appear to have possessed mortars and handmills among their necessary domestic utensils. When the manna fell they gathered it, and either ground it in the mill or pounded it in the mortar till it was fit for use. (Numbers 11:8) So in the present day stone mortars are used by the Arabs to pound wheat for their national dishkibby . Another word occurring in (Proverbs 27:22) probably denotes a mortar of a larger kind in which corn was pounded: "Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him." Corn may be separated from its husk and all its good properties preserved by such an operation, but the fool's folly is so essential a part of himself that no analogous process can remove it from him. Such seems the natural interpretation of this remarkable proverb. The language is intentionally exaggerated, and there is no necessity for supposing an allusion to a mode of punishment by which criminals were put to death by being pounded in a mortar. A custom of this king existed among the Turks, but there is no distinct trace of it among the Hebrews. Such, however, is supposed to be the reference in the proverb by Mr. Roberts, who illustrates it from his Indian experience.
ATS Bible Dictionary
MortarThis well-known utensil was employed by the Hebrews in preparing manna for use,Numbers 11:8. Large iron mortars, for pounding grain, have been used by the Turks in the execution of criminals; but it is not known that the Jews ever practiced this mode of punishment. To this day a favorite article of food in Syria is prepared by pounding meat for hours in an iron mortar, and adding grain and spice while the process of "braying" goes on,Proverbs 27:22.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Hebrews homer), cement of lime and sand (
Genesis 11:3;
Exodus 1:14); also potter's clay (
Isaiah 41:25;
Nahum 3:14). Also Hebrews `aphar, usually rendered "dust," clay or mud used for cement in building (
Leviticus 14:42, 45).
Mortar for pulverizing (Proverbs 27:22) grain or other substances by means of a pestle instead of a mill. Mortars were used in the wilderness for pounding the manna (Numbers 11:8). It is commonly used in Palestine at the present day to pound wheat, from which the Arabs make a favourite dish called kibby.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A strong vessel, commonly in form of an inverted bell, in which substances are pounded or rubbed with a pestle.
2. (n.) A short piece of ordnance, used for throwing bombs, carcasses, shells, etc., at high angles of elevation, as 45, and even higher; -- so named from its resemblance in shape to the utensil above described.
3. (n.) A building material made by mixing lime, cement, or plaster of Paris, with sand, water, and sometimes other materials; -- used in masonry for joining stones, bricks, etc., also for plastering, and in other ways.
4. (v. t.) To plaster or make fast with mortar.
5. (n.) A chamber lamp or light.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MORTARmor'-ter (medhokhah (Numbers 11:8), makhtesh (Proverbs 27:22)): A hollowed stone or vessel in which grain or other substance was pounded or beaten with a pestle. The Israelites used a mortar in which to beat the manna in the wilderness (Numbers 11:8), andProverbs 27:22 declares, "Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle.... yet will not his foolishness depart from him," i.e. it is inherent and ineradicable. Some have supposed an allusion to an oriental mode of punishment by pounding the criminal to death in a mortar, but this is unlikely. In illustration ofProverbs 27:22 such proverbs are quoted as "Though you beat that loose woman in a mortar, she will not leave her ways." See alsoBRAY. For "mortar" (the King James Version "morter").
SeeBITUMEN.
James Orr
Strong's Hebrew
4085. medokah --mortar... 4084, 4085. medokah. 4086 .
mortar. Transliteration: medokah Phonetic
Spelling: (med-o-kaw') Short Definition:
mortar. Word Origin
...4388. maktesh --mortar
... 4387, 4388. maktesh. 4389 .mortar. Transliteration: maktesh Phonetic Spelling:
(mak-taysh') Short Definition: hollow.... hollow place,mortar....
4423. melet --mortar, cement
... 4422, 4423. melet. 4424 .mortar, cement. Transliteration: melet Phonetic
Spelling: (meh'-let) Short Definition:mortar. Word Origin...
2563a. chomer -- cement,mortar, clay
... 2563, 2563a. chomer. 2563b . cement,mortar, clay. Transliteration: chomer
Short Definition: clay. Word Origin from chamar Definition...
2563. chomer -- cement,mortar, clay
... 2562, 2563. chomer. 2563a . cement,mortar, clay. Transliteration: chomer Phonetic
Spelling: (kho'mer) Short Definition: clay. clay, heap, homer, mire, motion...
4389. Maktesh -- a place probably in Jer.
... Maktesh. 4390 . a place probably in Jer. Transliteration: Maktesh Phonetic Spelling:
(mak-taysh') Short Definition:mortar.... NASB Word Usagemortar (1). Maktesh...
7322. ruph -- tremble
... Word Origin see raphaph. tremble A primitive root; properly, to triturate (in a
mortar), ie (figuratively) to agitate (by concussion) -- tremble. 7321, 7322....
1743. duk -- to pound, beat
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition to pound, beat NASB Word Usage beat
(1). beat. A primitive root; to bruise in amortar -- beat. 1742, 1743....
2915. tiach -- a coating
... daubing. From (the equiv. Of) tuwach;mortar or plaster -- daubing. see HEBREW
tuwach. 2914, 2915. tiach. 2916 . Strong's Numbers.
6083. aphar -- dry earth, dust
... 1), plaster (3), rubbish (1), rubble (1). ashes, dust, earth, ground,mortar,
powder, rubbish. From aphar; dust (as powdered or gray...
Library
Of the Character of the Unregenerate.
... because they have seduced my people, saying Peace, when there was no peace; and
one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untemperedmortar: say unto...
The Boyhood and Training of Moses
... And the Egyptians were cruel and made slaves of them, making their lives bitter
with hard labor inmortar and brick, and by all kinds of hard work in the field...
February the Twenty-Third the Process and the End
... The maker of chaste and delicate porcelain reaches his lovely ends through an awful
mortar, where the raw material of bone and clay is pounded into a cream....
Mobbed by Masons
... The mob quickly rewarded him by plastering him over withmortar from head
to foot. They then fell upon the carriage, which they...
Members of Christ
... In the course of time, the stone becomes more and more knit to it. When first the
mortar is placed there, and is wet, you might also shake the stone....
Civilized Barbarism (Preached for the Bishop of London's Fund, at...
... merely the society of London, and the industry of London, and the wealth of London,
but the very buildings of London, the brick and themortar, would crumble...
Heart's-Ease
... Our strength is measured by our plastic power... Bricks andmortar aremortar and
bricks until the architect can make them into something else....
Chapter xi
... 3, 4. And they said, one to another: Come, let us make bricks and let us burn them
well. And they used brick in place of stone and bitumen in place ofmortar....
Peter Alone with Jesus
... to him about an angry God. You may bray a fool in amortar, and his foolishness
will not depart from him. You may break a man down...
Hugh the Builder
... the building of his great Castle Saucy, the Chateau Gaillard, it is not wonderful
that Hugh also should be ready and willing to do much in stone andmortar....
Thesaurus
Mortar (16 Occurrences)...Mortar for pulverizing (Proverbs 27:22) grain or other substances by means of a
pestle instead of a mill.
... 4. (vt) To plaster or make fast with
mortar.
...Plaster (13 Occurrences)
... SeeMortar.... In Egypt burnt gypsum, and in Palestine and Syria burnt limestone
(lime) are the commonest materials for makingmortar....
Whited (7 Occurrences)
... they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no peace; and when one
buildeth up a wall, behold, they daub it with untemperedmortar : (See JPS)....
Bray (3 Occurrences)
... bra (nahaq, "to bray," of the ass; kathash, "to pound in amortar"): This word occurs
with two distinct meanings: (a) The harsh cry of the ass (Job 6:5). Job...
Slime (6 Occurrences)
... Latin Bible, 390-405 AD) bitumen; the Revised Version margin "bitumen"; compare
Arabic chummar, "bitumen"; and compare chomer, "clay," "mortar"): In the...
Pestle (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) An implement for pounding and breaking or braying
substances in amortar.... SeeMORTAR. Multi-Version Concordance...
Untempered (5 Occurrences)
... UNTEMPERED. un-tem'-perd (taphel): Used ofmortar in Ezekiel 13:10-15; Ezekiel
22:28. Taphel probably refers tomortar made with clay instead of slaked lime....
Maktesh (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible DictionaryMortar, a place in or near Jerusalem inhabited by
silver merchants (Zephaniah 1:11). It has been conjectured...
Pits (13 Occurrences)
... Latin Bible, 390-405 AD) bitumen; the Revised Version margin "bitumen"; compare
Arabic chummar, "bitumen"; and compare chomer, "clay," "mortar"): In the...
Clay (50 Occurrences)
... Clay was also in primitive times used formortar (Genesis 11:3). The "clay ground"
in which the large vessels of the temple were cast (1 Kings 7:46; 2...
Resources
What is the Wailing Wall / Western Wall? | GotQuestions.orgHow do the elements of the Passover Seder point to Christ? | GotQuestions.orgMortar: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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