Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Darrell and Christopher,

> The NIV version also makes it more clearer when taken allegorically: 
> can man prevail against God's mandates (northern or 'heavenly' iron) 
> and His judgement (the bronze)?

HH: What textual warrant is there for identifying God's mandates with 
northern iron and His judgments with bronze?

HH: Keil said the following: "The attribute "from the north" points 
manifestly to the iron sway of the Chaldean empire (Ros., Ew., Maur., 
and many others); and the meaning of the verse can only be this: As 
little as a man can break iron, will the Jewish people be able to 
break the hostile power of the north (13:20). Taken thus, the 
pictorial style of the verse contains a suggestion that the 
adversaries of the prophet will, by the crushing power of the 
Chaldeans, be reduced to the condition of turning themselves in 
supplication to the prophet."

                                Yours,
                                Harold Holmyard