Brick

How Nave’s arranged it

• Used in building: BabelGenesis 11:3
• Cities in EgyptExodus 1:11Exodus 1:14
• HousesIsaiah 9:10
• AltarsIsaiah 65:3
• Made by IsraelitesExodus 5:7–192 Samuel 12:31Jeremiah 43:9Nahum 3:14

The passages, in Bible order (9)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 9 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 11:3

   And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 11:32 voices

   “But as they mold clay into bricks, which are usually made with equal square sides, hence also taking their name, it shows the composition and ornamentation of secular eloquence, through which the proud city of the devil, either in deceptive philosophy or heretical craftiness, seems …

   “Let us make brick - It appears they were obliged to make use of brick, as there was an utter scarcity of stones in that district; and on the same account they were obliged to use slime, that is, bitumen, (Vulg). ασφαλτος, (Septuagint) for mortar: so it appears they had neither common stone nor lime-stone; hence they had brick for stone, and asphaltus or bitumen instead of mortar.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 11:3→

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2. Exodus 1:11

   So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 1:112 voices

   “Therefore they did set taskmasters over them, to afflict them with their burdens,....

   “Taskmasters - The Egyptian “Chiefs of tributes.” They were men of rank, superintendents of the public works, such as are often represented on Egyptian monuments, and carefully distinguished from the subordinate overseers. The Israelites were employed in forced labor, probably in detachments, but they were not reduced to slavery, properly speaking, nor treated as captives of war. Amosis had special need of such laborers, as proved by the inscriptions. Treasure cities - “Magazines,” depots of ammunition and provisions 1Ki 9:19; 2Ch 8:4; 2Ch 32:

   Everything gathered on Exodus 1:11→

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3. Exodus 1:14

   and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 1:142 voices

   “I have already lived through many paschs, which was the fruit of a long life. But now I desire a purer pasch: to depart from this Egypt, the heavy and dark Egypt of this life, and to be freed from the clay and bricks that held us in bondage and to pass over to the land of promise.

   “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage,....

   Everything gathered on Exodus 1:14→

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4. Exodus 5:7–19

   “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 5:7–192 voices

   “Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick,.... Whether this was given and used to mix with the clay, as is done in some places (h), that the bricks made thereof might be firmer and stronger, or to burn them with in the furnaces, or to cover them from the heat of the sun, that they might not dry too soon and crack, is not easy to determine; though it is said that the unburnt bricks of Egypt formerly were, and still are made of clay mixed with straw.

   “Some of the most ancient buildings in Egypt were constructed of bricks not burned, but dried in the sun; they were made of clay, or more commonly of mud, mixed with straw chopped into small pieces. An immense quantity of straw must have been wanted for the works on which the Israelites were engaged, and their labors must have been more than doubled by this requisition.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 5:7–19→

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5. 2 Samuel 12:31

   David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

   ›Commentary on 2 Samuel 12:312 voices

   “And he brought forth the people that were therein,....

   “For the saw as an implement of torture compare Heb 11:37. Harrows of iron - Or rather thrashing-machines (Isa 28:27; Isa 41:15, etc.). Axes - The word so rendered occurs only here and in 1Ch 20:3. It evidently means some cutting instrument.

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6. Isaiah 9:10

   “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

   ›Commentary on Isaiah 9:102 voices

   “Chapter IX - (Verses 8 onwards) The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth.

   “The bricks are fallen down,....

   Everything gathered on Isaiah 9:10→

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7. Isaiah 65:3

   to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,

   ›Commentary on Isaiah 65:32 voices

   “(Verse 3.) The people who provoke me to anger are always before my face: they sacrifice in the gardens, and offer incense upon bricks (Exodus XX, 4). LXX: This people who provoke me are always before my eyes, they always sacrifice in the gardens, and offer incense upon bricks to non-gods. ** The Lord says: You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath. And they provoked me with strange gods, and with abominations they provoked me to anger.

   “A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face,.... They committed their sins openly, without any fear of the divine Being, and in defiance of him, not at all awed by his omniscience and omnipresence; they committed them in the open streets, and even in the temple, the place of the divine residence; and these they did constantly, which provoked him to anger and wrath against them; particularly the following sins: that sacrificeth in gardens; to idols, as the Targum, placed there, as they were under every green tree; or in groves, where idols were worshipped.

   Everything gathered on Isaiah 65:3→

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8. Jeremiah 43:9

   “In the sight of the Jews, pick up some large stones and bury them in the clay of the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes.

   ›Commentary on Jeremiah 43:92 voices

   “Brickkiln - Possibly, a pavement of brick. Jeremiah was to take a few large stones, such, nevertheless, as he could carry in his hand, and build with them, in the propylaea before the royal palace, something that would serve to represent the dais upon which the seat of kings was usually placed. By hiding them in the clay is meant plastering them over with mortar.

   “Take great stones in thine hand,....

   Everything gathered on Jeremiah 43:9→

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9. Nahum 3:14

   Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln!

   ›Commentary on Nahum 3:142 voices

   “(Verse 13 onwards) Behold, your people, women in your midst: the gates of your land will be opened wide to your enemies: fire will devour your bars. Draw water for the siege: build your fortifications, go into the mud, and trample: force the brick. There the fire will consume you; you will perish by the sword, you will be devoured like the chigoe: gather therefore like the chigoe: multiply like the locust. You have made more deals than there are stars in the sky: the chigoe has spread out and flown away.

   “Draw thee waters for the siege - The Tigris ran near to Nineveh, and here they are exhorted to lay in plenty of fresh water, lest the siege should last long, and lest the enemy should cut off this supply. Go into clay, and tread the mortar - This refers to the manner of forming bricks anciently in those countries; they digged up the clay, kneaded it properly by treading, mixed it with straw or coarse grass, moulded the bricks, and dried them in the sun.

   Everything gathered on Nahum 3:14→

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