### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **kibshân**, represented by `{{H3536}}`, refers to a **furnace**, specifically a smelting furnace for reducing metals. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. While its literal meaning is an apparatus for intense heat, it is used biblically to illustrate overwhelming events associated with divine power and judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H3536}}` is consistently linked to imagery of immense smoke and divine action. It is used to describe the awesome manifestation of God's presence on Mount Sinai, where the smoke ascended "as the smoke of a **furnace**" when the LORD descended in fire [[Exodus 19:18]]. The term also depicts the aftermath of divine judgment, as the smoke from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah went up "as the smoke of a **furnace**" [[Genesis 19:28]]. In a direct act of judgment, the LORD commands Moses to take ashes from the **furnace** to initiate the plague of boils in Egypt ([[Exodus 9:8]], [[Exodus 9:10]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand upon the themes of fire, smoke, and judgment associated with the furnace:
* `{{H784}}` **ʼêsh** (fire): The essential element of a furnace, this word is used when the LORD descends upon Mount Sinai in **fire**, causing the smoke likened to a furnace [[Exodus 19:18]].
* `{{H6227}}` **ʻâshân** (smoke): This word is used for the **smoke** ascending from Mount Sinai, which is explicitly compared to the smoke of a furnace [[Exodus 19:18]].
* `{{H7008}}` **qîyṭôwr** (smoke, vapour): This term describes the **smoke** from the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is likened to the smoke of a furnace [[Genesis 19:28]].
* `{{H6368}}` **pîyach** (ashes): These are the **ashes** taken from the furnace to be sprinkled by Moses, becoming the agent of the plague of boils upon man and beast [[Exodus 9:10]].
* `{{H6225}}` **ʻâshan** (to smoke): This verb describes how Mount Sinai was "altogether on a **smoke**" during the divine encounter [[Exodus 19:18]] and is also used figuratively for God's anger.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3536}}` is significant, serving as a powerful symbol in divine encounters.
* **The Awesome Presence of God:** The comparison of the smoke on Mount Sinai to that of a furnace highlights the terrifying and overwhelming power of God's manifested presence, causing the entire mountain to quake [[Exodus 19:18]].
* **An Agent of Divine Judgment:** The furnace is not merely a metaphor but a direct source for implementing God's judgment. The ashes from the **furnace** become the very instrument of the plague of boils against Pharaoh and Egypt [[Exodus 9:8]].
* **A Sign of Utter Destruction:** The image of the smoke of the land rising like a **furnace** after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as an enduring symbol of the totality of God's wrath against wickedness [[Genesis 19:28]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3536}}` is more than a simple word for a furnace. It is a potent biblical image used to convey the intensity of God's presence and the finality of His judgment. It illustrates how a common industrial object can be elevated to represent profound theological truths, from the awesome power displayed at Sinai to the complete destruction of the cities of the plain.
TRV