In biblical contexts, the term "slabs" may refer to large, flat pieces of stone or other materials used in construction, altars, or as tablets for inscriptions. While the specific term "slabs" is not frequently used in most English translations of the Bible, the concept is present in various forms throughout the Scriptures.

Construction and Architecture

Slabs of stone were commonly used in ancient construction, particularly in the building of altars, temples, and other significant structures. The use of stone slabs is evident in the construction of Solomon's Temple, where large stones were quarried and precisely cut for the temple's foundation and walls. In 1 Kings 6:7 , it is noted, "The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built."

Altars and Sacrificial Use

Stone slabs were also integral in the construction of altars, which were central to the worship practices of the Israelites. These altars were often made of uncut stones, as commanded in Exodus 20:25 : "Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with cut stones; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it." The use of natural stone slabs emphasized the purity and sanctity of the altar, aligning with God's instructions for worship.

Tablets and Inscriptions

The most significant biblical reference to stone slabs is the tablets of the Ten Commandments. These were inscribed by the finger of God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai. In Exodus 31:18 , it is recorded, "When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God." These stone slabs served as a physical representation of God's covenant with His people and were placed in the Ark of the Covenant.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance

In a spiritual sense, stone slabs can symbolize permanence, strength, and the enduring nature of God's word and commandments. The use of stone in biblical narratives often underscores the unchanging and eternal character of divine law. In Ezekiel 11:19 , God promises a transformation of the heart, saying, "And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." Here, the metaphor of a "heart of stone" contrasts with the living, responsive "heart of flesh," illustrating the transformative power of God's spirit.

Conclusion

While the term "slabs" may not be explicitly mentioned in many biblical texts, the concept is woven throughout the Scriptures in the form of construction materials, altars, and the tablets of the law. These elements highlight the importance of stone as a symbol of strength, permanence, and divine authority in the biblical narrative.

Narrow Escapes. Is Thrown from a Horse. Has Pneumonia. Nearly ...
... I never could swim successfully, but a number of those present were good swimmers,
and there were many slabs on the pond that would float several men. ...
/.../chapter x narrow escapes is.htm

A Living Book
... they were found, with their beautiful palaces, libraries full of books, and long
picture-galleries, lined from end to end with stone and marble slabs, on which ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/duff/the bible in its making/chapter i a living book.htm

The Desire of all Nations
... We hear of some of the first Spanish invaders going into the temple of Peru, and
seeing floors, roofs, and walls made of slabs of gold, and standing astonished ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 61 1915/the desire of all nations.htm

Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas.
... And he said: In wood, ploughs, and yokes, and balances, [2316] and boats, and boats'
oars, and masts, and blocks; in stone, slabs, [2317] and temples, and ...
/.../unknown/acts of the holy apostle thomas/acts of the holy apostle.htm

The Old Testament and Archeology
... The walls of the various buildings were all wainscotted with alabaster slabs, upon
which were representations of battles, sieges, triumphal processions, and ...
/.../the christian view of the old testament/chapter iv the old testament.htm

The "Little Knife" Insurrection
... If there be such a window, it is usually guarded by slabs of granite, or by
mason-work with only small openings, like the windows of a prison, so that a person ...
/.../fagg/forty years in south china/vi the little knife insurrection.htm

The Northern Mountains
... even on the steepest slopes, a mass of soil many feet in depth, ever increasing,
and ever sliding into the valleys, mingled with blocks and slabs of rock still ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

The First Bible Pictures
... Above some of them words are faintly traced on stone slabs; a man or woman's name
perhaps, oftener still the Latin words, 'In Pace'"that is, 'In Peace.'. ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter xiii the first bible.htm

Choosing the Tens
... Scaffolding, clinging to bald facades, seemed frail and cobwebby at great height,
and slabs of stone, drawn and held by cables near the summit of chutes ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter i choosing the tens.htm

Three Afternoons Off the Track
... Crash and tumble went the bandy, a springless construction with a mat roof; bang
over stones and slabs of rock, down on one side, up on the other; then both ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter ii three afternoons off.htm

Slabs (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Slabs (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 40:43 And the hooks,
a handbreadth long, were fastened within round about ...
/s/slabs.htm - 6k

Calah (2 Occurrences)
... platform lie the remains of the palace of Assur-nacir-apli, the chambers and halls
of which were paneled with sculptured and inscribed slabs, the principal ...
/c/calah.htm - 14k

Nineveh (23 Occurrences)
... Palace after palace has been discovered, with their decorations and their sculptured
slabs, revealing the life and manners of this ancient people, their arts ...
/n/nineveh.htm - 52k

Slack (19 Occurrences)

/s/slack.htm - 12k

Architecture
... 4. Solomonic Detail: At Lachish (Lachish, 23) a number of voluted low-relief slabs
were discovered which were originally built into the left reveals of the ...
/a/architecture.htm - 28k

Zarephath (4 Occurrences)
... The other group of ruins is to the South, and consists of columns, sarcophagi
and marble slabs, indicating a city of considerable importance. ...
/z/zarephath.htm - 11k

Lachish (22 Occurrences)
... 10:9). It was assaulted and probably taken by Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:14, 17;
19:8; Isaiah 36:2). An account of this siege is given on some slabs found in the ...
/l/lachish.htm - 22k

Decalogue
... These commandments were at first written on two stone slabs (31:18), which were
broken by Moses throwing them down on the ground (32:19). ...
/d/decalogue.htm - 8k

Metallurgy
... by Diodorus. The ore was first crushed to the size of lentils and then
ground to powder in a handmill made of granite slabs. This ...
/m/metallurgy.htm - 8k

Building (249 Occurrences)
... slab facing came into use. These slabs were a protection against the weather
and had no constructive value. Probably the hand of ...
/b/building.htm - 47k

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