HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1513
גַּחֶ֫לֶת
ge.chel — coal
coal, burning coal, coals of fire, hot coals
15 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY
Coal
Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term
How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.
HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6352
פֶּחָם
pe.cham — coal
coal, charcoal, ember
3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7529
רֶצֶף
re.tseph — coal
hot stone, glowing stone or coal, flame, firebolt, spark Another spelling of rits.pah (רִצְפָּה "glowing stone" H7531B)
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →GREEK · G302
ἄν
an — if
ἄν, conditional particle, which cannot usually be separately translated in English, its force depending on the constructions which contain it (see further, LS, see word; WM, §xlii; M, Pr., 165 ff.; MM, VGT, see word). 1. In apodosis, (i) with indic, imperfect or aor., expressing what would be or would have been if (εἰ with impf., aor. or plpf.) some condition were or had been fulfilled: Luk.7:39 17:6, Jhn.5:46, Gal.1:10, Mat.12:7 24:43, 1Co.2:8, Act.18:14, 1Jn.2:19, al. The protasis is sometimes understood (as also in cl.): Mat.25:27, Luk.19:23. In hypothetical sentences, expressing unreality, ἄν (as often in late writers, more rarely in cl.) is omitted: Jhn.8:39 15:24 19:11, Rom.7:7, Gal.4:15; (ii) with opt., inf., ptcp. (cl.; see LS, see word; M, Int., §275; M, Pr., 167:4). 2. In combination with conditional, relative, temporal, and final words; (i) as in cl., with subj., (a) in protasis with εἰ, in Attic contr. ἐάν, which see; (b) in conditional, relative, and temporal clauses (coalescing with ὅτε, ἐπεί, etc.; see: ὅταν, ἐπάν, etc.), ever, soever; (α) with pres., ἡνίκα, 2Co.3:15; ὃς ἄν, Rom.9:15 (LXX) 16:2, al.; ὅσοι ἄν, Luk.9:5; ὡς ἄν, Rom.15:24 (M, Pr., 167); (β) with aor., ὃς ἄν, Mat.5:21, 22, 31; ἕως ἄν, until, Mat.2:13, Mrk.6:10, al.; ὡς ἄν, as soon as (M, Pr., 167), 1Co.11:34, Php.2:23. On the frequently use of ἐάν for ἄν with the foregoing words, see: ἐάν; (ii) in late Gk., when some actual fact is spoken of, with indic.: ὅταν (which see); ὅπου ἄν, Mrk.6:56 (M, Pr., 168); καθότι ἄν, Act.2:45 4:35; ὡς ἄν, 1Co.12:2. 3. in iterative construction, with imperfect and aor. indic. (M, Pr., 167): Act.2:45 4:35, 1Co.12:2. 4. with optative, giving a potential sense to a question or wish: Act.8:31 26:29. 5. Elliptical constructions: εἰ μή τι ἄν (M, Pr., 169), 1Co.7:5; ὡς ἄν, with inf., as it were (op. cit. 167), 2Co.10:9. (AS)
151 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2846
חָתָה
cha.tah — to snatch up
(Qal) to take hold of, seize, take away, pile up, snatch up (coals)
4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G439
ἀνθρακιά
anthrakia — charcoal fire
ἀνθρακιά, -ᾶς, ἡ (ἄνθραξ), [in LXX: Sir.11:32, 4Ma.9:20 * ;] a heap of burning coals: Jhn.18:18 21:9.† (AS)
2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G440
ἄνθραξ
anthrax — charcoal
ἄνθραξ, -ακος, ὁ [in LXX chiefly for גֶּחֶל ;] coal, charcoal: . ἄ. πυρός, a burning coal, Rom.12:20.† (AS)
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →GREEK · G6737
γλαύξ
glaux — owl
the owl , so called from its glaring eyes (see. γλαυκός, and compare σκώψ); γλαῦκ᾽ Ἀθήναζε, γλαῦκk εἰς Ἀθήνας sεθυαλσl ;carry coals to Newcastle, " (Aristophanes Comicus): Athen. silver coins were called γλαῦκες, because they were stamped with an owl , (Aristophanes Comicus) (ML)
0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G7516
ἐσχάρα
eschara — a grate
1. the hearth, fire-place , (Homer); the sanctuary of suppliants, καθέζετο ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάρῃ ἐν κονίῃσιν (Odyssey by Homer):—; a pan of coals, a brasier , (Aristophanes Comicus) 2. πυρὸς ἐσχάραι the watch-fires of the camp, (Iliad by Homer) 3. an altar for burnt-offerings , (Odyssey by Homer) (ML)
0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →Historical dictionary entry
It is by no means certain that the Hebrews were acquainted with mineral coal, although it is found in Syria. Their common fuel was dried dung of animals and wood charcoal. Two different words are found in Hebrew to denote coal, both occurring in Prov. 26:21, “As coal [Heb. peham; i.e., “black coal”] is to burning coal [Heb. gehalim].” The latter of these words is used in Job 41:21; Prov. 6:28; Isa. 44:19. The words “live coal” in Isa. 6:6 are more correctly “glowing stone.” In Lam. 4:8 the expression “blacker than a coal” is literally rendered in the margin of the Revised Version “darker than blackness.” “Coals of fire” (2 Sam. 22:9, 13; Ps. 18:8, 12, 13, etc.) is an expression used metaphorically for lightnings proceeding from God. A false tongue is compared to “coals of juniper” (Ps. 120:4; James 3:6). “Heaping coals of fire on the head” symbolizes overcoming evil with good. The words of Paul (Rom. 12:20) are equivalent to saying, “By charity and kindness thou shalt soften down his enmity as surely as heaping coals on the fire fuses the metal in the crucible.”
Scripture references
Proverbs 26:21Job 41:21Proverbs 6:28Isaiah 44:19Isaiah 6:6Lamentations 4:82 Samuel 22:92 Samuel 22:13Psalms 18:8Psalms 18:12Psalms 18:13Psalms 120:4James 3:6Romans 12:20Psalms 140:10
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.