Carpentry
Summary
The craft of working with wood, practiced throughout Scripture from Noah's construction of the ark to Jesus's occupation in Nazareth.
☩Early Biblical Carpentry
The first great work of carpentry recorded in Scripture was Noah's construction of the ark, a vessel approximately 450 feet long, built of gopher wood and sealed with pitch inside and out. This massive project required sophisticated woodworking skills. Later, the construction of the tabernacle required skilled craftsmen, with Bezaleel specially gifted by God's Spirit for the work.
☩Temple Construction
David assembled craftsmen and materials for the temple, and Solomon employed Hiram of Tyre, a skilled worker in bronze, and many carpenters and masons. The temple's cedar woodwork was elaborately carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. Tyrian workers were renowned for their skill in timber work.
☩Jesus the Carpenter
Jesus grew up in the home of Joseph the carpenter in Nazareth and evidently learned the trade, for the people asked, 'Is not this the carpenter?' His humble occupation demonstrates that honest labor in a manual trade is honorable. The carpentry work of Palestine in His day would have included making plows, yokes, furniture, and building construction.
Related Verses11 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Carpentry," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).