Steel beasts gold crack3/15/2023 ![]() ![]() 18:35 as “the miraculous bow,” taking nechushah from *NCHSH in the sense of “practice divination, to charm, enchant,” and translated: Mitchell Dahood interpreted the qesheth nechushah of Ps. ![]() A number of medieval rabbis (Rashi, Kimchi, Ralbag) understood nechushah as a metaphor for strength: i.e., “strong bow, hard to pull bow.”Ģ. Pinker next surveys previous attempts to see the key Hebrew term, nechushah, as something other than bronze:ġ. Of course, a bow that was entirely ornamental could be made of bronze, but the scriptural passages contemplate a bow that actually works. Some have thought that the bronze refers only to ornamentation on the bow, but that would still interfere with the proper working of it. Pinker begins by surveying the difficulty with positing a bow made of bronze, which would not work for bow construction, inasmuch as the body must be light and pliable. The article is Aron Pinker, “On the Meaning of ,” The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Volume 5, Article 12 (2004-2005), available here: Understanding of the Old Testament precedents, but also for our understanding of Nephi’s steel bow from 1 Nephi 16:18. Virtually all modern translations render the Hebrew expression qesheth nechushah as something like “bronze bow,” and simply acknowledge that we do not really know what that means in terms of bow construction.Ī recent article seeks to answer these questions, and therefore is significant not only for our Of course, those same problems exist in the OT passages as well. Why would anyone make a bow of copper or bronze? These metals are not practical for bow construction, even if only added as ornamental touches. And I think we can certainly agree that Nephi’s steel bow must be understood in the same light as the KJV “bow of steel” that appears in three passages of the Old Testament. It successfully rebuts the notion that “steel” is an anachronism in the Book of Mormon. The metal is apparently called “steel” in the KJV because bronze is “steeled” (strengthened) copper through alloying it with tin or through some other process.” There is one other reference to “steel” in the KJV at Jer 15.12, also referring to bronze. In all cases it translates the Hebrew phrase qeshet nechushah, which modern translations consistently, and correctly, translate as “bronze.” It is ancient.) The phrase “bow of steel” occurs three times in the KJV: 2 Sam 22.35, Job 20.24, and Ps 18.34. (I think this is obvious whether Joseph Smith invented the text or My assumption here is that this phrase is meant to describe the same weapon that is called a “steel bow” in the KJV Bible. “An interesting key to the problem is Nephi’s steel bow (1 Ne 16.18). The key paragraph of Hamblin’s piece on this point is as follows: Represent the current apologetic state of the art on this issue. ![]() William Hamblin’s comments in an article on “Steel in the Book of Mormon,” reprinted in this 2005 Meridian Magazine article: Lehi inquires of the Lord, and the liahona directs Nephi to the top of the mountain, where he is able to slay wild beasts to feed the family.Ĭritics of the Book of Mormon have long pointed to Nephi’s bow of steel from verse 18 as a clear anachronism, as carbonized steel did not yet exist at that time. In verse 23 Nephi makes a new bow of wood and an arrow from a straight stick, and inquires of his father where he should hunt. Verse 21 reports that the bows of Nephi’s brothers had lost their “springs” (presumably, the tension provided by the flexibility of the wood). ![]() “And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel and after I did break my bow, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.” ![]()
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