In biblical times, the hearth was a central feature in the home, serving as a place for cooking, warmth, and gathering. The concept of the hearth is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, symbolizing both physical and spiritual aspects of life.

Old Testament References

The hearth is first mentioned in the context of domestic life. In Jeremiah 36:22-23 , we read about King Jehoiakim sitting in his winter house with a fire burning in the hearth before him. This passage illustrates the hearth's role in providing warmth and comfort during the colder months. The hearth was often a simple pit or a raised platform where a fire could be maintained.

In Leviticus 6:9-13 , the instructions for the burnt offering highlight the importance of the fire on the altar, which was to be kept burning continually. While not a hearth in the domestic sense, the altar's fire served a similar purpose in the religious life of Israel, symbolizing God's perpetual presence and the ongoing need for atonement.

Symbolic Significance

The hearth also carries symbolic meaning in the Scriptures. In Isaiah 30:14 , the prophet uses the imagery of a broken pot shard taken from the hearth to describe the judgment and destruction that would come upon those who rebel against God. This metaphor underscores the hearth's role as a place of both creation and destruction, reflecting the dual nature of fire as both life-giving and consuming.

In Ezekiel 24:11 , the prophet speaks of setting the pot empty on the coals so that it may become hot and its copper may glow. This imagery of the hearth is used to convey the idea of purification and judgment, as the impurities are burned away, leaving behind what is pure and valuable.

Cultural and Religious Context

In ancient Israelite culture, the hearth was not only a practical necessity but also a focal point of family life. It was a place where meals were prepared and shared, fostering community and fellowship. The hearth's fire was often seen as a symbol of God's provision and blessing, as it enabled the preparation of food and provided warmth.

The religious significance of the hearth is further emphasized in the context of the temple. The altar, with its perpetual fire, served as a divine hearth where sacrifices were offered to God. This connection between the domestic hearth and the altar highlights the integration of daily life and worship in the Israelite community.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention hearths, the concept of fire and its symbolic meanings continue to play a significant role. In Luke 22:55 , Peter is described as sitting by a fire in the courtyard of the high priest's house, where he ultimately denies knowing Jesus. This scene underscores the hearth's role as a place of gathering and interaction, even in moments of trial and testing.

Overall, the hearth in biblical times was a vital element of both domestic and religious life, symbolizing warmth, provision, and the presence of God. Its presence in Scripture serves as a reminder of the centrality of home and worship in the life of God's people.4018a. mebashsheloth -- cooking hearths
... cooking hearths. Transliteration: mebashsheloth Short Definition: places. Word Origin
from bashal Definition cooking hearths NASB Word Usage boiling places (1). ...
/hebrew/4018a.htm - 5k

4018. mbashshlah -- cooking hearths
... mbashshlah. 4018a . cooking hearths. Transliteration: mbashshlah Phonetic Spelling:
(meb-ash-shel-aw') Short Definition: boiling-places. boiling-place ...
/hebrew/4018.htm - 5k

Lateranus, as You Say, is the God and Genius of Hearths...
... 6 Lateranus, as you say, is the god and genius of hearths? ... if hearths were made of
baked clay, or any other material whatever, will they have no genii? ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/6 lateranus as you say.htm

The War of Truth
... fight for your hearths and your homes, for your wives and for your children"fight
and repel the foe!" But in this war it is not merely for our hearths and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the war of truth.htm

The Second Part.
... [Sidenote: 6 Cruell.]. Fourthly, these fires cannot keepe themselves within their
owne hearths, these spirits cannot keepe themselves within their owne circles. ...
/.../ward/a coal from the altar to kindle the holy fire of zeale/the second part.htm

The Heart of the Gospel
... we may feel free to make excursions into interesting districts of truth which lie
far afield; but now we must stay at home, and guard the hearths and homes of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the heart of the gospel.htm

Family Prayer.
... Satan! "Our hearths are altars all; The prayers of hungry souls and poor,
Like armed angels at the door, Our unseen foes appal!". ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter xv family prayer.htm

Storming the Battlements
... is hope that your swords may yet be sheathed, that your men shall not be mown down
as grass before the scythe; that the desolation of your hearths shall now be ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/storming the battlements.htm

Blessing the Children
... The children of our hearths are as much the purchase of His blood as were the children
of long ago. Jesus knows the burden of every mother's heart. ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 56 blessing the children.htm

Of the Worship of the True God, and of Innocency, and of The
... of all kinds, think themselves religious if they have stained the temples and altars
with the blood of victims, if they have moistened the hearths with a ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap i of the worship of.htm

The Decree against us which was Engraved on Pillars.
... that supreme and mightiest Jove, who presides over your illustrious city, who preserves
your ancestral gods, your wives and children, your hearths and homes ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vii the decree against us.htm

What Say You, O Fathers of New Religions, and Powers? do You Cry ...
... you cry out, and complain that these gods are dishonoured by us, and neglected with
profane contempt, viz., Lateranus, the genius of hearths; Limentinus, who ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/11 what say you o.htm

Altar-hearths (2 Occurrences)
Altar-hearths. Altar, Altar-hearths. Altars . Multi-Version
Concordance Altar-hearths (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 23:20 ...
/a/altar-hearths.htm - 7k

Moab's (7 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel,
who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went ...
/m/moab's.htm - 8k

Benai'ah (43 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel,
who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went ...
/b/benai'ah.htm - 18k

Jehoi'ada (50 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel,
who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went ...
/j/jehoi'ada.htm - 21k

Hearths (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Hearths (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 46:23 There was
a wall around in them, around the four, and boiling places ...
/h/hearths.htm - 6k

Kerioth (4 Occurrences)
... Here was a sanctuary of Chemosh, to which Mesha says (MS, l. 13) he dragged "the
altar hearths of Davdoh." It may possibly be represented by the modern Kuraiat ...
/k/kerioth.htm - 9k

Jachin (8 Occurrences)
... The pillars were not altar pillars with hearths at their top, as supposed by WR
Smith (Religion of the Semites, 191, 468); rather they were "pillars of witness ...
/j/jachin.htm - 12k

Boaz (25 Occurrences)
... The pillars were not altar pillars with hearths at their top, as supposed by WR
Smith (Religion of the Semites, 191, 468); rather they were "pillars of witness ...
/b/boaz.htm - 19k

Boil (29 Occurrences)
... "Boiling-places," occurs in Ezekiel 46:23 as the translation of mebhashsheloth,
"hearths," "boiling-places." The American Standard Revised Version has "boiling ...
/b/boil.htm - 23k

Altars (55 Occurrences)

/a/altars.htm - 25k

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