Quarry
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A quarry, in biblical terms, refers to a place where stones are extracted for building purposes. The process of quarrying involves cutting or blasting stone from the earth, which is then shaped and used in construction. Quarries are significant in the Bible, both literally and symbolically, as they provide the raw materials for building structures, including the temple in Jerusalem.

Biblical References:

1. 1 Kings 5:17 · "At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of high-quality stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple." This verse highlights the importance of quarries in the construction of Solomon's Temple. The use of high-quality stone signifies the care and precision involved in building a house for the Lord, reflecting the grandeur and holiness of the temple.

2. Isaiah 51:1 · "Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn." Here, the quarry serves as a metaphor for the origins and identity of the people of Israel. It emphasizes the idea of being shaped and formed by God, reminding the Israelites of their spiritual heritage and calling.

3. Job 28:1-3 · "Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness." While not directly mentioning quarries, this passage describes the mining and extraction processes similar to quarrying. It illustrates human ingenuity and the pursuit of valuable resources, paralleling the search for wisdom and understanding.

Symbolic Significance:

In a symbolic sense, quarries represent the process of spiritual formation and refinement. Just as stones are extracted and shaped for a specific purpose, believers are seen as being shaped by God for His divine purposes. The quarrying process can be likened to the trials and tribulations that refine a person's character and faith.

Historical Context:

In ancient Israel, quarries were essential for providing the materials needed for construction. The limestone prevalent in the region was particularly suitable for building, and many ancient structures, including city walls, palaces, and temples, were constructed using stone from local quarries. The labor-intensive process of quarrying required skilled workers who could extract and shape the stones with precision.

Theological Implications:

Theologically, the imagery of a quarry underscores the concept of being chosen and prepared by God. Just as stones are selected and crafted for a specific role in a building, believers are chosen and molded by God for His purposes. This reflects the biblical theme of divine election and sanctification, where God actively participates in the lives of His people, shaping them into His image.

In summary, quarries in the Bible are not only physical locations but also carry deep spiritual and symbolic meanings. They remind believers of their origins, their formation by God, and their purpose in His divine plan.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) Same as Quarrel.

2. (a.) Quadrate; square.

3. (n.) A part of the entrails of the beast taken, given to the hounds.

4. (n.) A heap of game killed.

5. (n.) The object of the chase; the animal hunted for; game; especially, the game hunted with hawks.

6. (v. i.) To secure prey; to prey, as a vulture or harpy.

7. (n.) A place, cavern, or pit where stone is taken from the rock or ledge, or dug from the earth, for building or other purposes; a stone pit. See 5th Mine (a).

8. (v. t.) To dig or take from a quarry; as, to quarry marble.

Greek
2998. latomeo -- to hew out (stones)
... hew. From the same as the first part of laxeutos and the base of tomoteros;
to quarry -- hew. see GREEK laxeutos. see GREEK tomoteros. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2998.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
4551a. massa -- a quarry or quarrying
... a quarry or quarrying. Transliteration: massa Short Definition: quarry. Word Origin
from nasa Definition a quarry or quarrying NASB Word Usage quarry (1). ...
/hebrew/4551a.htm - 5k

4551. macca' -- a quarry or quarrying
... 4550, 4551. macca'. 4551a . a quarry or quarrying. Transliteration: macca'
Phonetic Spelling: (mas-saw') Short Definition: brought. before it was brought, ...
/hebrew/4551.htm - 5k

4718. maqqebeth -- a hole, excavation
... 4717, 4718. maqqebeth. 4719 . a hole, excavation. Transliteration: maqqebeth
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-keh'-beth) Short Definition: quarry. ...
/hebrew/4718.htm - 6k

2672. chatsab -- to hew, hew out, cleave
... 1), cut in pieces (1), dig (2), engraved (1), hew (2), hewed (2), hewers (1), hewn
(5), hewn them in pieces (1), hews (1), masons (2), quarry (2), stonecutters ...
/hebrew/2672.htm - 6k

6456. pasil -- an idol, image
... carved graven image, quarry. From pacal; an idol -- carved (graven) image, quarry.
see HEBREW pacal. 6455, 6456. pasil. 6457 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6456.htm - 6k

4274. machtseb -- a hewing
... hewedn. From chatsab; properly, a hewing; concretely, a quarry -- hewed(-n). see
HEBREW chatsab. 4273, 4274. machtseb. 4275 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4274.htm - 6k

5365. naqar -- to bore, pick, dig
... dig, pick out, pierce, put thrust out. A primitive root; to bore (penetrate, quarry) --
dig, pick out, pierce, put (thrust) out. 5364, 5365. naqar. 5366 . ...
/hebrew/5365.htm - 6k

1470. Gozan -- a city and area in Mesopotamia
... Gozan. Probably from guwz; a quarry (as a place of cutting stones); Gozan, a province
of Assyria -- Gozan. see HEBREW guwz. 1469, 1470. Gozan. 1471 . ...
/hebrew/1470.htm - 6k

1505. gezar -- to cut, determine
... cut out, soothsayer. (Aramaic) corresponding to gazar; to quarry; determine -- cut
out, soothsayer. see HEBREW gazar. 1504, 1505. gezar. 1506 . ...
/hebrew/1505.htm - 6k

953a. bor -- a pit, cistern, well
... baar Definition a pit, cistern, well NASB Word Usage cistern (14), cisterns (3),
death (1), dungeon (3), dungeon* (2), pit (35), pits (2), quarry* (1), well (5 ...
/hebrew/953a.htm - 5k

Library

Sermon for Ascension Day
... They do just as the untrained dogs in the chase, which have no perception of the
noble quarry, but run with all speed after the good dogs of nobler breed. ...
/.../xviii sermon for ascension day.htm

The Collar of Gold
... He did not pause. Before the sound of the quarry stir had been left behind he heard
a sharp report, the frightened shrieks of women and shouts of warning. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter ix the collar of.htm

The Best of All, God is with Us
... God has sent his servants into the world, to gather together for his beautiful house,
stones hewn out of the quarry of nature, to be shaped, polished, and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/the best of all god.htm

The Margin of the Nile
... On his way to the statue he came to the line of rocks where he had hidden himself
to get Athor's likeness, and looked down into the quarry opposite him. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xiv the margin of.htm

The Desire of all Nations
... Human means shall be used to bring each one to its place, to excavate each one from
its quarry; but while it is God who speaketh, he speaks like God, for he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 61 1915/the desire of all nations.htm

Christ Glorified as the Builder of his Church
... He had to do the same with the stones of the quarry; for the different stones that
were needed for the building had to be hewn out of the quarry by Hiram's ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/christ glorified as the builder.htm

At the Well
... A cloud of dust came with them and the odor of stall and of quarry sweat. ... "It was
a quarry-slave, a maiden and of gentle blood among the nobility of Israel. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxxvii at the well.htm

A Heavenly Pattern for Our Earthly Life
... the eye of God. See the great stones and costly stones laboriously brought
from the quarry to the edge of the sea! Can it be possible ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 30 1884/a heavenly pattern for our.htm

Elucidation.
... I commend the quarry to studious readers. [2158] Being fragments of three books
to Abercius Marcellus against the Montanists. Gallandi, vol. iii. ...
/.../urbanus/the extant writings of asterius urbanus/elucidation.htm

Effectual Calling
... call. If he say, Go, he goes: the deluded sinner is like the slave that
digs in the mine, hews in the quarry, or tugs at the oar. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/effectual calling.htm

Thesaurus
Quarry (5 Occurrences)
... See 5th Mine (a). 8. (vt) To dig or take from a quarry; as, to quarry
marble. Multi-Version Concordance Quarry (5 Occurrences). ...
/q/quarry.htm - 8k

Build (242 Occurrences)
... Stones are conveyed from the quarry, if at a distance from the building site, on
donkeys, thence on men's backs to the top of the wall, by rude gangways. ...
/b/build.htm - 45k

Hammer (15 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) Hebrews pattish, used by gold-beaters (Isaiah
41:7) and by quarry-men (Jeremiah 23:29). Metaphorically ...
/h/hammer.htm - 15k

Building (249 Occurrences)
... Stones are conveyed from the quarry, if at a distance from the building site, on
donkeys, thence on men's backs to the top of the wall, by rude gangways. ...
/b/building.htm - 47k

Writing (194 Occurrences)
... writing. When the hunter first brought home his quarry, this had in it most
of the essential elements of modern handwriting. Those ...
/w/writing.htm - 70k

Book (211 Occurrences)
... by him. (c) Solomon's prayer as recorded in 1 Kings 8 is another quarry
from which our author appears to have dug. This section ...
/b/book.htm - 101k

Baruch (24 Occurrences)
... by him. (c) Solomon's prayer as recorded in 1 Kings 8 is another quarry
from which our author appears to have dug. This section ...
/b/baruch.htm - 46k

Quarrieth (1 Occurrence)

/q/quarrieth.htm - 6k

Quart (1 Occurrence)

/q/quart.htm - 7k

Resources
What was Solomon's temple / the first temple? How many temples were there? | GotQuestions.org

What is an avenger of blood in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Quarry: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Quarry (5 Occurrences)

1 Kings 5:17
And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stone.
(See NIV)

1 Kings 6:7
The house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 2:2
Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
(See NAS RSV)

2 Chronicles 2:18
He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people at work.
(See NAS RSV)

Isaiah 51:1
Give ear to me, you who are searching for righteousness, who are looking for the Lord: see the rock from which you were cut out, and the hole out of which you were taken.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Quarry

Related Terms

Quarry (5 Occurrences)

Pint (1 Occurrence)

Quarts (1 Occurrence)

Leviticus (1 Occurrence)

Injure (16 Occurrences)

Measures (50 Occurrences)

Pot (46 Occurrences)

Choenix (1 Occurrence)

Shilling (8 Occurrences)

Quarter (33 Occurrences)

Measure (269 Occurrences)

Slavonic

Georgian

Gothic

Seemed (89 Occurrences)

Either (152 Occurrences)

Versions

Quarrieth
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