King James Bible Dictionary

Tubal-Cain is the first-mentioned worker in iron (Genesis 4:22). The Egyptians wrought it at Sinai before the Exodus. David prepared it in great abundance for the temple (1 Chronicles 22:3- 29:7). The merchants of Dan and Javan brought it to the market of Tyre (Ezekiel 27:19). Various instruments are mentioned as made of iron (Deuteronomy 27:5; 19:5; Joshua 17:16, 18; 1 Samuel 17:7; 2 Samuel 12:31; 2 Kings 6:5, 6; 1 Chronicles 22:3; Isaiah 10:34).

Figuratively, a yoke of iron (Deuteronomy 28:48) denotes hard service; a rod of iron (Psalms 2:9), a stern government; a pillar of iron (Jeremiah 1:18), a strong support; a furnace of iron (Deuteronomy 4:20), severe labour; a bar of iron (Job 40:18), strength; fetters of iron (Psalms 107:10), affliction; giving silver for iron (Isaiah 60:17), prosperity.

1. A metal

First recorded use of
Genesis 4:22

Ore of
Deuteronomy 8:9; Job 28:2

Melted
Ezekiel 22:20

Used in the temple
1 Chronicles 22:3; 1 Chronicles 29:2; 1 Chronicles 29:7

Articles made of:

Ax
2 Kings 6:6; 2 Chronicles 18:10; Ecclesiastes 10:10; Isaiah 10:34

Bedstead
Deuteronomy 3:11

Breastplate
Revelation 9:9

Chariot
Joshua 17:16; Joshua 17:18; Judges 1:19; Judges 4:3

Fetters
Psalms 105:18; Psalms 107:10; Psalms 107:16; Psalms 149:8

File
Proverbs 27:17

Furnace
Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jeremiah 11:4

Gate
Acts 12:10

Harrow
2 Samuel 12:31

Horn
1 Kings 22:11; 2 Chronicles 18:10; Micah 4:13

Idols
Daniel 2:33; Daniel 5:4; Daniel 5:23

Pans
Ezekiel 4:3; Ezekiel 27:19

Pen
Job 19:24; Jeremiah 17:1

Pillars
Jeremiah 1:18

Rods for scourging
Psalms 2:9; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 19:15

Threshing instruments
Amos 1:3

Tools
1 Kings 6:7

Vessels
Joshua 6:24

Weapons
Numbers 35:16; 1 Samuel 17:7; Job 20:24; Job 41:7

Yokes
Deuteronomy 28:48; Jeremiah 28:13-14

Stones of
Deuteronomy 8:9; Job 28:2; Isaiah 60:17
Steel

Figurative
2 Samuel 23:7; Jeremiah 15:12; 1 Timothy 4:2

2. A city of Naphtali
Joshua 19:38

1. (pious), one of the cities of Naphtali, (Joshua 19:38) hitherto totally unknown.
2. is mentioned with brass as the earliest of known metals. (Genesis 4:22) The natural wealth in iron of the soil of Canaan is indicated by describing it as a land whose stones are iron." (8:9) (Recent explorations have shown that iron ore is abundant in the northern part of Palestine.

ED.) The book of Job contains passages which indicate that iron was a metal well known. Sheet-iron was used for cooking utensils. (Ezekiel 4:3) cf. Leviticus 7:9 That it was plentiful in the time of David appears from (1 Chronicles 22:3) The market of Tyre was supplied with bright or polished iron by the merchants of by Dan and Javan. (Ezekiel 27:19) The Chalybes of the Pontus were celebrated as workers in iron in very ancient times. The product of their labor is supposed to be alluded to in (Jeremiah 16:12) as being of superior quality. Specimens of Assyrian iron-work overlaid with bronze were discovered by Mr. Layard, and are now in the British Museum. Iron weapons of various kinds were found at Nimroud, but fell to pieces on exposure to the air.
3. In "Baal-hazor which is by Ephraim" was Absalom's sheepfarm, at which took place the murder of Amnon, one of the earliest precursors of the great revolt. (2 Samuel 13:23) There is no clue to its situation.
4. a city "in the district near the wilderness" to which our Lord retired with his disciples when threatened with violence by the priests. (John 11:54)

IRON, noun i'urn, or i'rn. [Latin ferrum, for herrum. The radical elements of this word are not easily ascertained.]

1. A metal, the hardest, most common and most useful of all the metals; of a livid whitish color inclined to gray, internally composed, to appearance, of small facets, and susceptible of a fine polish. It is so hard and elastic as to be capable of destroying the aggregation of any other metal. Next to tin, it is the lightest of all metallic substances, and next to gold, the most tenacious. It may be hammered into plates, but not into leaves. Its ductility is more considerable. It has the property of magnetism; it is attracted by the lodestone, and will acquire its properties. It is found rarely in native masses, but in ores, mineralized by different substances, it abounds in every part of the earth. Its medicinal qualities are valuable.

2. An instrument or utensil made of iron; as a flat-iron, a smoothing-iron.

Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? Job 41:27.

3. Figuratively, strength; power; as a rod of iron Daniel 2:33.

4. Irons, plural fetters; chains; manacles; handcuffs. Psalms 105:18.

I'RON, adjective Made of iron; consisting of iron; as an iron gate; an iron bar; iron dust.

1. Resembling iron in color; as an iron gray color.

2. Harsh; rude; severe; miserable; as the iron age of the world.

IRON years of wars and dangers.

Jove crush'd the nations with an iron rod.

3. Binding fast; not to be broken; as the iron sleep of death.

4. Hard of understanding; dull; as an iron witted fool.

5. Firm; robust; as an iron constitution.

I'RON, verb transitive To smooth with an instrument of iron

1. To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.

2. To furnish or arm with iron

I'RON-CLAY, noun A substance intermediate between basalt and wacky, of a reddish brown color, and occurring massive or vesicular.

I'RONED, participle passive Smoothed with an iron; shackled; armed with iron.

I'RONFLINT, noun Ferruginous quartz; a subspecies of quartz, opake or translucent at the edges, with a fracture more or less conchoidal, shining and nearly vitreous. It is sometimes in very minute and perfect six-sided prisms, terminated at both extremities by six-sides pyramids. It occurs also in masses, and in small grains. Its varieties are red, yellow, and greenish.

I'RONHE'ARTED, adjective Hardhearted; unfeeling; cruel.

IRON'ICAL, adjective Expressing one thing and meaning another. An ironical expression is often accompanied with a manner of utterance which indicates that the speaker intends to be understood in a sense directly contrary to that which the words convey.

IRON'ICALLY, adverb By way of irony; by the use of irony. A commendation may be ironically severe.

I'RONIST, noun One who deals in irony.

I'RONMOLD, noun A spot on cloth made by applying rusty iron to the cloth when wet.

I'RONMONGER, noun A dealer in iron wares or hardware.

I'RONSICK, adjective In seamen's language, a ship is said to be ironsick when her bolts and nails are so much corroded or eaten with rust that she has become leaky.

I'RONSTONE, noun An ore of iron.

I'RONWOOD, noun The popular name of a genus of trees called Sideroxylon, of several species; so called from their hardness.

I'RONWORK, noun A general name of the parts or pieces of a building which consist of iron; any thing made of iron.

I'RONWORKS, noun plural The works or establishment where pig-iron is wrought into bars, etc.

I'RONWORT, noun A genus of plants called Sideritis, of several species.

Instances of:

Michal to David
2 Samuel 6:20

Elijah to the priests of Baal
1 Kings 18:27

Job to his accusers
Job 12:2

Ezekiel to the prince of Tyre
Ezekiel 28:3-5

Micaiah
1 Kings 22:15

Amos to the Samaritans
Amos 4:4

Jesus to Pharisees
Mark 2:17

Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus
Matthew 22:16

Roman soldiers to Jesus
Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17-19; Luke 23:11; John 19:2-3

Pilate, calling Jesus King
Mark 15:19; John 19:15

Superscription of Pilate over Jesus
Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19

Agrippa to Paul
Acts 26:28
Sarcasm; Satire

I'RONY, adjective [from iron.] Made or consisting of iron; partaking of iron; as irony chains; irony particles.

1. Resembling iron; hard.

I'RONY, [Latin ironia; Gr. a dissembler in speech.]

A mode of speech expressing a sense contrary to that which the speaker intends to convey; as, Nero was a very virtuous prince; Pope Hildebrand was remarkable for his meekness and humility. when irony is uttered, the dissimulation is generally apparent from the manner of speaking, as by a smile or an arch look, or perhaps by an affected gravity of countenance. irony in writing may also be detected by the manner of expression.