In biblical contexts, the term "hewer" refers to a person who cuts or chops, particularly in relation to wood or stone. The role of a hewer is significant in various passages of the Bible, highlighting the labor and craftsmanship involved in construction and other tasks during biblical times.

Old Testament References

The role of hewers is prominently mentioned in the context of the construction of the Temple and other significant structures. In 1 Kings 5:15-16 , we read about the labor force that King Solomon assembled for the building of the Temple: "Solomon had seventy thousand porters and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains, not including his 3,300 foremen who supervised the workers." Here, the stonecutters, or hewers of stone, were essential for preparing the materials needed for the Temple's construction.

In Joshua 9:21-27 , the Gibeonites, who deceived Joshua and the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them, were assigned the role of hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord. This passage illustrates the use of hewers in a servile capacity, fulfilling necessary but menial tasks for the community and religious practices.

Symbolic and Spiritual Implications

The work of hewers can also be seen as symbolic of preparation and transformation. Just as hewers shape raw materials into usable forms, God is often depicted as shaping and refining His people. In Isaiah 51:1 , the prophet calls the people to remember their origins: "Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn." This metaphorical use of hewing emphasizes the divine craftsmanship involved in forming a people set apart for God's purposes.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the work of hewers was labor-intensive and required skill and strength. Hewers were crucial in the construction of buildings, fortifications, and altars, as well as in the preparation of wood for various uses. The mention of hewers in the Bible reflects the broader economic and social structures of the time, where large-scale building projects were often undertaken by kings and leaders, necessitating a substantial workforce.

Conclusion

The role of hewers in the Bible underscores the importance of labor and craftsmanship in the fulfillment of God's plans, both in the physical construction of sacred spaces and in the spiritual formation of His people. Through the work of hewers, we gain insight into the practical and symbolic dimensions of preparation and transformation in the biblical narrative.(n.) One who hews.HEWER

hu'-er (choTebh): Applies especially to a wood-worker or wood-gatherer (compare Arabic chattab, "a woodman") (Joshua 9:21, 23, 17 2 Chronicles 2:10 Jeremiah 46:22). Gathering wood, like drawing water, was a menial task. Special servants were assigned to the work (Deuteronomy 29:11). Joshua set the Gibeonites to hewing wood and drawing water as a punishment for their trickery, whereas were it not for the oath which the Israelites had sworn, the Gibeonites would probably have been killed.

See DRAWER OF WATER.

chatsbh, from the root "to cut" or "to carve," applies to hewers of stone in 1 Kings 5:15 2 Kings 12:12; 1 Chronicles 22:15 2 Chronicles 2:18.

James A. Patch

2404. chatab -- to cut or gather wood
... cut down, hewer, polish. A primitive root; to chop or carve wood -- cut down,
hew(-er), polish. 2403b, 2404. chatab. 2405 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2404.htm - 6k

It was the Fifth Anniversary of that Resolution of the Senate ...
... excellent fool.". He knew the price of all, from the hewer of wood to the
crowned king, but only he could afford a slave like that. "I ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 9 it was the.htm

Jacob's Waking Exclamation
... As you walk among the intertwisted boughs, the natural arches of God's own temple
which He Himself hath builded, without toil of hewer of stone or dauber of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/jacobs waking exclamation.htm

On the Baptism of Christ.
... For as it is a new and marvellous thing that a stone should be cut out of the rock
without a hewer or stone-cutting tools, so it is a thing beyond all wonder ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the baptism of christ.htm

The War of Truth
... If it be ever so little, if it is only to be a hewer of wood and drawer of
water, do something in this great battle for God and truth. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the war of truth.htm

The Doctrine of Arbitrary Scriptural Accommodation Considered.
... your little ones, your wives, and the stranger that is in thy
camp,"from the hewer of thy wood, to the drawer of thy water. ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon vi the doctrine of.htm

Dialogue i. --The Immutable.
... No wedlock fashioned for Him the flesh that was to receive the godhead, but He Himself
is made the hewer of His own flesh, graven as it is by the finger of God ...
/.../theodoret/the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/dialogue i the immutable.htm

Hewer (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) One who hews. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. HEWER. ...
James A. Patch. Multi-Version Concordance Hewer (2 Occurrences). ...
/h/hewer.htm - 8k

Drawer (1 Occurrence)
... the Bible stories where the setting is a wellside (Genesis 24 John 4). The service
of water drawing was associated, in early times, with that of hewer of wood ...
/d/drawer.htm - 11k

Hewers (13 Occurrences)

/h/hewers.htm - 10k

Gideon (45 Occurrences)
... gid'-e-un (gidh`on, "cutter down," "feller" or "hewer"): 1. His Family and Home:
Also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32) and Jerubbesheth (2 Samuel 11:21), youngest ...
/g/gideon.htm - 36k

Fir-trees (11 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Isaiah 14:8 Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, 'and' the cedars of Lebanon,
'saying', Since thou art laid low, no hewer is come up against us. (ASV WBS) ...
/f/fir-trees.htm - 9k

Firs (9 Occurrences)
... (WEB ASV YLT NIV). Isaiah 14:8 Even firs have rejoiced over thee, Cedars of Lebanon --
'saying': Since thou hast lain down, The hewer cometh not up against us. ...
/f/firs.htm - 9k

Token (24 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) A bit of leather having a peculiar mark designating a particular miner.
Each hewer sends one of these with each corn or tub he has hewn. ...
/t/token.htm - 16k

Mason
... of stone" (2 Samuel 5:11); (2) (3) gadhar (2 Kings 12:12), charash qur (1 Chronicles
14:1), "maker of a wall (or hedge)"; (4) chatsabh, "a hewer or digger (of ...
/m/mason.htm - 8k

Hews (4 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 29:11 your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in the
midst of thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water ...
/h/hews.htm - 7k

Hewedst (1 Occurrence)

/h/hewedst.htm - 6k

Hewer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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