Coal

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.”

The first and most frequent use of the word rendered coal is a live ember, burning fuel. (Proverbs 26:21) In (2 Samuel 22:9,13) “coals of fire” are put metaphorically for the lightnings proceeding from God. (Psalms 18:8,12,13; 140:10) In (Proverbs 26:21) fuel not yet lighted is clearly signified. The fuel meant in the above passage is probably charcoal, and not coal in our sense of the word.

COAL . There is no evidence that the Hebrews were acquainted with coal. They used charcoal for their fires. The Hebrew words which are translated "coal" etymologically refer to heat in general, usually to fuel of wood, and in 1 Kgs 19:6 and Isa 6:6 to hot stones. In the N.T. the Greek words, Rom 12:20 and John 18:18; John 21:9, refer likewise to charcoal.

COAL . There is no evidence that the Hebrews were acquainted with coal. They used charcoal for their fires. The Hebrew words which are translated "coal" etymologically refer to heat in general, usually to fuel of wood, and in

1 Kgs 19:6 and Isa 6:6 to hot stones. In the N.T. the Greek words, Rom 12:20 and John 18:18; John 21:9, refer likewise to charcoal.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A thoroughly charred, and extinguished or still ignited, fragment from wood or other combustible substance; charcoal.

2. A black, or brownish black, solid, combustible substance, dug from beds or veins in the earth to be used for fuel, and consisting, like charcoal, mainly of carbon, but more compact, and often affording, when heated, a large amount of volatile matter.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

1. To burn to charcoal; to char. [R.] Charcoal of roots, coaled into great pieces. Bacon.

2. To mark or delineate with charcoal. Camden.

3. To supply with coal; as, to coal a steamer.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

To take in coal; as, the steaer coaled at Southampton.