כִּבְשָׁן
𐤊𐤁𐤔𐤍
kibshân
H3536 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A kiln or furnace used for firing pottery, baking bricks, or smelting and refining metals, typically constructed to withstand high temperatures. In ancient contexts, it refers primarily to an installation for the industrial process of reducing metal ores or firing ceramics, rather than domestic hearths.
Semantic Range
smelting furnace, kiln for pottery/bricks, place of intense heat, symbol of affliction or testing
Root / Etymology
From the root כָּבַשׁ (k-b-sh), meaning 'to subdue, bring into subjection, press down.' The derived noun כִּבְשָׁן (kibshân) denotes a place or device where raw materials are subdued or transformed by intense heat, aligning metaphorically with the idea of subduing or altering something.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כִּבְשָׁן refers to large, communal furnaces or kilns utilized for processes such as smelting metals (Genesis 19:28; Exodus 9:8, 10; Deuteronomy 4:20), firing bricks (Exodus 9:8, 10), or making pottery. Its usage is distinct from terms for smaller domestic ovens (such as תַּנּוּר, tannûr). The kibshân is often a symbol of extreme heat or testing (as in the simile 'smoke of a furnace'). During the Iron Age, such installations were critical to urban and temple economies, influencing both technological and symbolic aspects of Israelite society. English translation as 'furnace' is broadly accurate, though sometimes obscures the word's technological specificity and metaphorical resonance in ancient contexts. In later rabbinic Hebrew, the term retains reference to industrial or craft kilns. The semantic field partially overlaps with the Akkadian 'kispum' and Ugaritic 'kbšn,' indicating a shared Northwest Semitic technology and vocabulary.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּבַשׁ; a smelting furnace (as reducing metals); furnace.
Bantu Hebrew
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כבשׁ (k-b-sh) — to subdue, bring into submission, press down
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3536-01 |
הַ/כִּבְשָֽׁן | hakiveshan | HTd/Ncmsa |
of a furnace | the smelting furnace | 3 |
H3536-02 |
כִּבְשָׁ֑ן | kiveshan | HNcmsa |
from a kiln | subduing furnace | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3536-01 |
Genesis 19:28 | הַ/כִּבְשָֽׁן | hakiveshan | HTd/Ncmsa |
of a furnace | the smelting furnace |
H3536-02 |
Exodus 9:8 | כִּבְשָׁ֑ן | kiveshan | HNcmsa |
from a kiln | subduing furnace |
H3536-01 |
Exodus 9:10 | הַ/כִּבְשָׁ֗ן | hakiveshan | HTd/Ncmsa |
the kiln | the smelting furnace |
H3536-01 |
Exodus 19:18 | הַ/כִּבְשָׁ֔ן | hakiveshan | HTd/Ncmsa |
of a furnace | the smelting furnace |