An impure quartz rock, usually gray, brown, or black, abundant in Palestine. It fractures on conchoidal lines and holds an extremely sharp edge, either smooth or serrated. It was used for a variety of tools, such as awls, axes, knives, picks, scrapers, sickles, and weapons (arrowheads and spear points). Knives used for circumcision were made of flint (
Exod 4:25;
Josh 5:2;
Josh 5:3). Flint serves as a metaphor for sharp-cutting destructive power (
Isa 5:28) and stubborn faithfulness (
Isa 50:7) and is a dubious source of water (
Ps 114:8;
Deut 8:15). It can be manipulated by humans (
Job 28:9), but is a most unlikely source of any nourishment (
Deut 32:13).
Exod 4:25
25But Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, and said, “Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”
Josh 5:2
2At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time.”
Josh 5:3
3So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth.
Isa 5:28
28their arrows are sharp,
all their bows bent,
their horses' hoofs seem like flint,
and their wheels like the whirlwind.
Isa 50:7
7The Lord GOD helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
Ps 114:8
8who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
Deut 8:15
15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock,
Job 28:9
9“They put their hand to the flinty rock,
and overturn mountains by the roots.
Deut 32:13
13He set him atop the heights of the land,
and fed him with produce of the field;
he nursed him with honey from the crags,
with oil from flinty rock;
