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BRASS.—Wherever we find the word ‘brass’ in the Authorized and Revised Versions , we may be reasonably certain that copper or bronze is intended. Copper was universally used by the ancients, on account of its extreme ductility. In Bible lands it was mined in the region of Lebanon, in Edom, in the Sinaitic peninsula, where the great Egyptian mines were located, and in the isle of Cyprus. Brass is a fictitious metal, an alloy of copper and zinc; bronze is a mixture of copper and tin. But while in ancient vessels a combination of tin with copper is frequently found, analysis hardly ever reveals the presence of zinc.
1. The word ÷áëêßá in Mar_7:4 (found here only in the NT), Authorized Version and Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 ‘brasen vessels,’ may be translation ‘copper vessels,’ and is actually so rendered in the German and Dutch versions.
2. The noun ÷áëêüò , translation ‘brass,’ is used by Christ in Mat_10:9 ‘Get you no gold nor silver nor brass in your purses,’ by metonymy for copper coin. ÷áëêüò occurs also in Mar_6:8; Mar_12:41, where it is translation ‘money,’ marg. ‘brass.’
3. The word ÷áëêïëßâáíïí , white copper, translation ‘fine brass’ ( Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 ‘burnished brass’) in Rev_1:15; Rev_2:18 (cf. Dan_10:6), is descriptively applied to the feet of Christ as He appeared in the vision of St. John in Patmos. There is quite a diversity of opinion as to its correct meaning. Some have supposed it to be that rare metal, more precious than gold, Orichalcum, whilst others have thought of frankincense and even of amber. In this connexion it evidently refers to the strength and stable majesty of the glorified Christ, in the same way as the Heb. nĕôsheth is used in the OT (Psa_107:16, Mic_4:13, Zec_6:1).
Literature.—Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible , art. ‘Brass’; Smith, Dict. of Antiq. s.v. ‘Aes’; Grimm-Thayer, Lex. s.v. ÷áëêïëßâáíïí .
Henry E. Dosker.