The term, when encountered in biblical texts, typically describes something that has been cut or shaped with a tool, most often an axe or similar implement. It frequently relates to stone or wood that has been processed for construction or other practical purposes. For example, the Bible speaks of stones that are quarried and then shaped for building projects. Likewise, timber may be felled and then worked to create beams or other wooden structures.
The significance of this process lies in its contribution to both physical structures and symbolic representation within the biblical narrative. The creation of durable buildings and objects allowed for the establishment of communities, the construction of temples and altars for worship, and the creation of tools essential for daily life. Furthermore, the act of shaping raw materials can be interpreted as humanity’s role in exercising dominion over creation, transforming it for specific purposes according to divine will. The construction of the Ark of the Covenant or the Temple in Jerusalem, involving precisely shaped materials, exemplifies this.
