King James Bible Dictionary

The "bow of steel" in (A.V.) 2 Samuel 22:35; Job 20:24; Psalms 18:34 is in the Revised Version "bow of brass" (Heb. kesheth-nehushah). In Jeremiah 15:12 the same word is used, and is also rendered in the Revised Version "brass." But more correctly it is copper (q.v.), as brass in the ordinary sense of the word (an alloy of copper and zinc) was not known to the ancients.

Sometimes called Brass

Bows of
2 Samuel 22:35; Job 20:24; Psalms 18:34

Strength of
Jeremiah 15:12

In all cases were the word "steel" occurs in the Authorized Version the true rendering of the Hebrew is "copper." Whether the ancient Hebrews were acquainted with steel is not perfectly certain. It has been inferred from a passage in (Jeremiah 15:12) that the "iron from the north" there spoken of denoted a superior kind of metal, hardened in an unusual manner, like the steel obtained from the Chalybes of the Pontus, the iron smiths of the ancient world. The hardening of iron for cutting instruments was practiced in Pontus, Lydia and Laconia. There is, however, a word in hebrew, paldah , which occurs only in (Nahum 2:3) (4) and is there rendered "torches," but which most probably denotes steel or hardened iron, and refers to the flashing scythes of the Assyrian chariots. Steel appears to have been known to the Egyptians. The steel weapons in the tomb of Rameses III., says Wilkinson, are painted blue, the bronze red.

STEEL, noun [G.]

1. Iron combined with a small portion of carbon; iron refined and hardened, used in making instruments, and particularly useful as the material of edged tools. It is called in chemistry, carburet of iron; but this is more usually the denomination of plumbago.

2. Figuratively, weapons; particularly, offensive weapons, swords, spears and the like.

Brave Macbeth with his brandishd steel

-- While doubting thus he stood, receivd the steel bathd in this brothers blood.

3. Medicines composed of steel as steel fillings.

After relaxing, steel strengthens the solids.

4. Extreme hardness; as heads or hearts of steel

STEEL, adjective Made of steel; as a steel plate or buckle.

STEEL, verb transitive

1. To overlay, point or edge with steel; as, to steel the point of a sword; to steel a razor; to steel an ax.

2. To make hard or extremely hard.

O God of battles, steel my soldiers hearts.

Lies well steeld with weighty arguments.

3. To make hard; to make insensible or obdurate; as, to steel the heart against pity; to steel the mind or heart against reproof or admonition.

STEELED, participle passive Pointed or edged with steel; hardened; made insensible.

STEELINESS, noun [from steely. ] Great hardness.

STEELING, participle present tense Pointing or edging with steel; hardening; making insensible or unfeeling.

STEELY, adjective

1. Made of steel; consisting of steel.

Broachd with the steely point of Cliffords lance.

Around his shop the steely sparkles flew.

2. Hard; firm.

That she would unarm her noble heart of that steely resistance against the sweet blows of love.

STEELYARD, noun [steel and yard.] The Roman balance; an instrument for weighing bodies, consisting of a rod or bar marked with notches, designating the number of pounds and ounces, and a weight which is movable along this bar, and which is made to balance the weight of the body by being removed at a proper distance from the fulcrum. The principle of the steelyard is that of the lever; where an equilibrium is produced, when the products of the weights on opposite sides into their respective distances from the fulcrum, are equal to one another. Hence a less weight is made to indicate a greater, by being removed to a greater distance from the fulcrum.