Burnished Brass
Revelation 1:15 & 2:18

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Posted by Steve Caruso , updated Tuesday, August 20, 2002 8:29 AM

"And his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters." -Revelation 1:15

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:" - Revelation 2:18

Both of the bolded areas are the compound Greek word, "χαλκολιβανω" (kalkolibanô"). Breaking it down into it's two parts, we get:

1: "χαλκο-" ("kalko")

Greek:

Strong's Number: 5475 chalkos {khal-kos'}
Perhaps from 5465 through the idea of hollowing out as a vessel (this metal being chiefly used for that purpose);;
n m AV - brass 3, money 2; 5

1) brass
2) what is made of brass, money, coins of brass (also of silver and gold)

 

2: "-λιβανω" (libanô)

Greek:

Strong's Number: 3030 libanos {lib'-an-os}
Of foreign origin 03828; TDNT - 4:263,533;
n m AV - frankincense 2; 2

1) the frankincense tree
2) the perfume, frankincense

 

Wait a sec! Brass and Frankincense? That does not make sense. Why was it translated as burnished?

Also, bolded above, it's of foreign origin? Let's take a look at Strong's Number 03828:

Hebrew:

Strong's Number: 03828 l@bownah {leb-o-naw'} or l@bonah {leb-o-naw'}
from 03836
; TWOT - 1074d;
n f AV - frankincense 15, incense 6; 21

1) frankincense

1a) a white resin burned as fragrant incense

1a1) ceremonially
1a2) personally
1a3) used in compounding the holy incense

 

Once again, referred to another root word, Strong's Number 03836:

Hebrew:

Strong's Number: 03836 laban {law-bawn'} or (Gen. 49:12) laben {law-bane'}
from 03835; TWOT - 1074a;
adj AV - white 29; 29

1) white

 

Ahhh! Not again! One more time:

Hebrew:

Strong's Number: 03835 laban {law-ban'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 1074b,1074h;
v AV - make white 3, make 2, make brick 1, be white 1, be whiter 1; 8

1) to be white

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to make white, become white, purify
1a2) to show whiteness, grow white

1b) (Hithpael) to become white, be purified (ethical)

2) (Qal) to make bricks

 

So now we know that the word comes from an ancient Hebrew root.

But what does that mean?

What other language comes from Hebrew roots? Aramaic.

We could have avoided this Strong's goosechase, for the word "-λιβανω" (libanô) seems to be a translitteration, not a translation, of the Aramaic for "whitening" or "Lebanese."

It is not, how the Greek suggests, brass and frankensense in a furnace, but whitening or Lebanese brass in a furnace:

"And his feet like unto whitened brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters." -Revelation 1:15

Re 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto whitened brass:" - Revelation 2:18

OR

"And his feet like unto Lebanese brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters." -Revelation 1:15

Re 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto Lebanese brass:" - Revelation 2:18

 

Everything © 2002 Steve Caruso unless otherwise noted.
Please feel free to use this for private or public use, just send me an email first! :-)


 


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