ACVMalachi 3
2 But who can abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap.
I always assumed a fullar is a person, but I just noticed it's also a verb. :mblush:
Fullar in that verse means: Continuous intensive cleaning by stamping/threading.
Sounds similar to threshing wheat.
That's it. Just something I noticed.
946 כָבַס (kābas) wash, be washed, perform the work of a fuller. (ASV and RSV similar.)
This root occurs fifty-one times, all in verbal forms. Of these, all but nine appear in the Pentateuch, thirty-one in Lev alone, and twenty-one in Lev 13–15. It also appears in Arabic ("to knead, stamp") and Akkadian ("tread down"). In Hebrew it means "to full," that is "to make stuffs clean and soft by treading, kneading and beating them in cold water" (KB, p. 422). Thus it is always used of clothing, "to launder" and never of "washing" the body, where raḥaṣ (rāḥaṣ which see) is used or of "rinsing" which is denoted by shāṭap.
In all but one case (II Sam 19:24), washing is associated with ceremonial cleanness. Both the priests and the people were to be in clean clothes when they appeared before God (Ex 19:10, 14; Num 8:7; 19:7). Involvement in the rituals which dealt specifically with atonement and death resulted in ceremonial uncleanness and necessitated washing the clothes (Lev 16:26, 28; Num 19:7, 8, 10, 19, 21).
The bulk of the references have to do with washing of clothes which have become contaminated in one way or another (28 times). Particularly important contaminants would be leprosy and related maladies for, aside from the hygienic factor, these were evidently types of sin. This imagery is picked up in Ps 51 (2 [H 4], 7 [H 9]) and Jer 2:22 and 4:14. That David depicts his sin as a contagious leprosy in need of cleansing is further validated by his petition that God use hyssop, the instrument employed in cleansing a leper (Lev 14:6–7). Jeremiah 2:22 and 4:14 are significant because while speaking of the impossibility of washing out the stain, they proclaim the necessity of such cleansing. The answer to this dilemma is found in Mal 3:2 in the one who would appear as refiner's fire and fuller's soap to deal with the sins of his people.
Piel
a) Piel usually expresses an "intensive" or "intentional" action.
Qal Piel
He broke he broke to pieces, he smashed
He sent he sent away, he expelled
b) Sometimes the Piel introduces a new meaning to the Qal form.
He counted he recounted, he told
He completed he paid, he compensated
He learned he taught
c) Piel expresses a "repeated" or "extended" action.
He jumped he skipped, he hopped
d) Some intransitive verbs in Qal become transitive in Piel.
to be strong to strengthen, to fortify
to become great to make great.
Participle
1) The participle represents an action or condition in its unbroken
continuity, and corresponds to the English verb, "to be" with the
present participle. It may be used of present, past or future time.
1a) present time
what are you doing
1b) past time
"he was still speaking" when another came
1c) future time
we are destroying-e.g. are about to destroy.
Same verse same stoty. Refiner is also a verb.
A refiner is a person that refiners gold and silver for making high quality vessels.
Just like the soap it's about a continious intensive action.
1972צָרַף (ṣārap) smelt, refine, test. (ASV and RSV sometimes identical, others varied; both also "goldsmith," "refine," "try"; ASV also "founder," "purge"; Rsv also "silversmith," "cast," "smelt," "prove true.")
Derivatives
1972aצֹרְפִי (ṣōrĕpı̂) goldsmiths (Neh 3:31, only).
1972bמַצְרֵף (maṣrēp) crucible (Prov 13:3; 27:21).
ṣārap is primarily used for gold and silversmiths and for the process of refining metals before they were worked into fine vessels (Prov 25:4). One of the great demands for the smith's skill was for the making of molten images (Jud 17:4). An idol could be gold plated and fitted with silver chains which were cast for it (Isa 40:19). The smith who practices his skill in making idols, however, will be put to shame by his work, for these images are nothing but a delusion (Jer 10:14; 51:17).
Various aspects of the refining process are vividly used for judgment on and purification from sin; e.g. a blazing furnace, bellows, lead, dross, refuse silver (e.g. Isa 1:25; Jer 6:27–30; Ezk 22:18–22). God seeks to remove from his people all wickedness and sin so that they can endure his holy presence. Man has the responsibility of purifying himself so that he can be refined; i.e. he must respond obediently to God's word in order to experience cleansing (Dan 12:10). Further, when his people are wayward and violate the covenant, God seeks to bring them back by refining them (Jer 9:7 [H 6]). God tries them in the furnace of affliction (Isa 48:10). Although they have to endure difficult circumstances, as long as their faith in him remains firm, they will eventually experience deliverance (Ps 66:6–12). Between the promise and its fulfillment, the word itself tests and refines the one who has heard it (Ps 105:19). However, sometimes the people become so obstinate that no matter how intense the refining fire becomes, it is in vain (Jer 6:27–30). Then God must come against his people in judgment. But in the midst of this judgment, God is still preparing a people for himself. Those who undergo the judgment as a refining shall turn to God and enter into covenant with him once again (Zech 13:9). According to Mal, God shall refine the Levites as gold and silver; then they will offer the sacrifices correctly and these sacrifices will be accepted (Mal 3:2ff.). The climax of God's refining process will result in the establishment of a city over which he has complete rule; that city shall be called "the city of righteousness, the faithful city" (Isa 1:25f.).
The upright man endures Yahweh's faithful testing without despising it. He confidently affirms that the trial has discovered nothing amiss (Ps 17:3). In fact, when he seeks God's protection, he even prays that God will test or refine his innermost thoughts and attitudes so that his petition may indeed be worthy of being answered (Ps 26:2).
God's word also is tried; or according to the RSV "the promise of Yahweh proves true" (Ps 18:30 [H 31]). That is, what God says is authentic; since it has been refined, it is completely reliable. Psalm 12:6 [H 7] compares Yahweh's speech to "silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times" (RSV). Therefore those who serve Yahweh love his word (Ps 119:140) and take refuge in him as their shield (Prov 30:5).
Bibliography: Bowes, D. R., "Metals and Metallurgy," in ZPEB, IV, pp. 206–12. Forbes, R. J., Studies in Ancient Technology, vol. 8, Brill, 1964. Garber, P. L., "Refining," in IDB, IV, p. 23f. Singer, Charles; Holmyard, E. J. and Hall, A. R., A History of Technology, vol. l, Oxford: Clarendon, 1965.
J.E.H.
i see the repeating pattern throughout the scriptures, "Come let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet I will wash them white as snow".
the broken and contrite heart gets cleansed (Psalm 51....Ps 32....1Jn 1)
The stubborn heart gets the fullers soap and the refiners fire. "Come unto me..." "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" "I am He that tries the reins and the hearts...." "Today if you hear His voice....."
Wonderful.
Yes! It's like Cardinal said in another post, we all go to the cross (to have our selfish will killed)... some of us go willingly, some of us go kicking and screaming. :)
Mar 9:49 ¶ For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
Quote from: lomarah on August 03, 2011, 07:16:39 PM
Yes! It's like Cardinal said in another post, we all go to the cross (to have our selfish will killed)... some of us go willingly, some of us go kicking and screaming. :)
Big amen to that! The conditions for repentance WILL be set - either now for some, or later for all.
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess JESUS IS LORD!