HEBREW WORD STUDY – DROSS – BADAL   בדל  Beth Daleth Lamed

Isaiah 1:25: “I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all they tin.”

I recently watched a silent movie on You Tube that showed an old Model T Ford from the twenties driving along a rough dirt road. It is a wonder these cars ever stayed together and didn’t fall apart on its first run.  When compared to other luxury cars of the day, such as the Duesenberg,  I can understand why they referred to the Ford’s Model T as a hunk of tin.  When you think of something made of tin you think of something that is not durable and flimsy.  Is that what we are to think when we read the word tin in Isaiah 1:25?   The word used for tin in the Hebrew is badilik from the root word badal which means to cause a separation, to depart or make a division, hence you have a word which eventually evolved to mean tin as tin is a very unreliable metal of little value.  Anything put together with tin is likely to fall apart or separate.   However, in ancient times tin was looked upon quite differently than today. Although Archeologist have found evidence of coins made of tin and tin being used to pay tribute to conquering kings, tin’s real value was to be combined with copper to make bronze.  However, when iron is made some dross or impurities are removed which happens to be tin. Thus, Isaiah might be referring to tin as wicked and profane people. More than likely it brings to mind something undesirable and of little value. Something which is to be separated from other metals to make the other metals pure.  Most translations render badal as simply impurities.  

God says that he will turn out his hand. This is an idiomatic express which could mean one of two things.  He would turn out his hand  to inflict punishment or to offer help and protection.  It would  seem in this case that God is turning his hand to possibly inflict some form of punishment. Yet, this would be for the purpose of removing the dross to leave the pure metal shining metal.  The word turn shuv also has the idea of turning in the sense of restoration or renewing. The word itself has a paragogic Hei and thus it has the idea of a complete and total restoration, like being born again.   Despite the fact that God’s hand may be used in this case to bring about something that we may feel is unpleasant, that is the removal of the dross we see in the Hebrew shuv that this turning of his hand is meant for restoration  for renewing us from a something a little value to something beautiful and pure like being born again.

Curiously the writer says esterop kavar which is rendered as purely purge away.   Literally this means to refine in purity (esterop) in an abundance (kavar).   Again the writer is showing that this transformation that God performs in the refining process is a complete transformation.  

In this process he will take away all our tin or that which is unreliable and of little value which separates us from God. The word for take away is sur which is in a Hiphal form with a paragogic Hei and thus it would mean that he will bring about events that will remove every trace of that which tends to separate us from God.

No matter what happens, no matter what type of refining process we are going through ultimately God is removing everything in us that would separate us from Him.  He is removing all our tin. 

At the turn of the century when automobiles were invented only the rich could afford them. Each were custom made by hand using the finest material such as the Duesenberg which had quality that is rarely matched even today.  But few could afford it. Henry Ford came along and developed a cheap car which the average working man could afford.  However, it became known as the Tin Lizzie because it was so cheap and not nearly the quality of the Dusenberg which held up even on rough terrain which is reserved only for off road vehicles today.  This renewing of God is like changing us from a hunk of tin or a Model T Ford into a Duesenberg so when the evil one starts chasing us we will not fall apart even when he chases us into rough terrain. 

Oh sure, you can settle for being a cheap Model T and avoid those refining fires. However, when the enemy comes after you, you will be wishing you had gone through the esterop kavar or the process of having all that tin, which separates you from God, removed. Sure God can get around in an old Model T.  But for my money, I will take those refining fires if it will transform me from a Model T into a Duesenberg for God to ride around in.  Painful, yes, ah, but to be transformed into a Duesenberg for God to enjoy, that is pure sweetness. 

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