THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And the Lord spoke to me, saying, "Son of man, the house of Israel has become like dross to me. All of you who are akin to copper, tin, iron, and lead have turned into the ashes of silver." Thus declares the Lord God: "Since you all have become like ashes, behold, I will assemble you in the heart of Jerusalem, just as silver, brass, tin, and lead are brought together in the crucible. I will ignite a fire there to melt you. I will gather you in my anger and fury, and I will soften you in the flames of my wrath. You shall be melted amidst it, just as silver is refined in the crucible, and you shall recognize that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath upon you."
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The Hebrew term for 'dross' has various interpretations in old translations; sig is translated as 'outgas' by Simmachus. Aquila's first version uses terms for grape pomace like στέμφυλον and γίγαρτον, while in his second translation, and in the Septuagint, it is rendered as 'mingling.' The term sordes et rurgamentum signifies the impure residue from the purification of metals, indicating that fire is employed as a metaphor for imminent captivity or the threatened destruction of the city. The aim is that, through the metaphor of melting, only pure silver may emerge, which has been tainted by the mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead. The latter three metals consist of molten substances that can be separated by fire, while iron can be softened and shaped according to the will of the master using an anvil and hammer.
Thus, just as impure silver is placed into the crucible to cleanse it from impurities and foreign matter, says He, "I will gather you in the midst of Jerusalem and encircle you with the siege of Babylon, igniting a fire for melting." The severe heat of the flames will reflect the devastation caused by famine and pestilence: when I ignite you with my fury, I will also bring you peace, and the sorrow resulting from your forsaking me will be addressed by my discipline.
This process serves a purpose: that when my wrath is administered to you, the consequence of your punishment will lead you to know me, as I am the Lord, the ultimate judge and rewarder. This idea of being the melting One is echoed in various scriptures, particularly in Malachi and Isaiah. Malachi states: "Behold, the Lord comes as a refiner's fire," while Isaiah conveys: "The Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion with the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning."
The Psalms also reflect this intention when they say: "Test me, O Lord, and prove me," and add, "You shall kindle my innermost being" (Psalms 26:2). What applies to Jerusalem can also be related to the state of souls that God initially created pure: they are like gold in intelligence and wisdom, and silver in speech and eloquence, expressing thoughts perceived by the mind. We read in Scripture that "the words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace" (Psalms 12:6). Similarly, gold and silver are highlighted in the sixty-seventh Psalm, which mentions the dove's wings being silver and the her treasures gleaming like gold (Psalm 67:14). All honor belongs to the daughter of the King who dwells within (Psalm 45:13), the one who exclaims in the Song of Songs, "The King has brought me into His chambers" (Song of Songs 1:3).
He who has found solace between the two Covenants receives the silvered wings of the dove and radiates with the brilliance of gold in the treasury of the heart. In this manner, I believe it is seen that for sinners deserving God’s wrath, there will be skies of brass, a land of iron, particularly in Egypt, from which the Lord will call Israel like an iron furnace. Zechariah also writes that wickedness dwells on a weight of lead (Zechariah 5). Similarly, in the song of Exodus, it is said, "They sank like lead in the mighty waters" (Exodus 15:10). Overwhelmed by the heavy burden of sins, they could express that "a heavy burden has been laid upon me" (Psalm 38:4).
Just as counterfeit brass resembles gold, tin imitates silver, often fooling the untrained observer. Frequently, the impurity of heretical wickedness intermingled with gold and silver is purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit and the Lord’s judgment, leaving behind only pure gold and silver. The prophet states: "I gave them silver and gold, but they made Baal from it" (Hosea 2:8). We also find a similar sentiment in, "I have gone forth with silver and gold, and there is no pain in their tribes" (Psalm 104:37). The ultimate purpose of all chastening will be that you come to know that He is the Lord. Further discussions on tin and its meanings are found in Zechariah (Zechariah 4), as previously outlined in its context.