Firebrand

Firebrand is an English term used in the Authorized Version to render several distinct Hebrew words describing burning or charred sticks. In Isaiah 7:4 and Zechariah 3:2, the word ('ud) refers to a smoldering, charred brand — the image in Zechariah 3:2 being particularly striking: Joshua the high priest is described as "a burning stick snatched from the fire," a metaphor for miraculous deliverance from destruction.

In Judges 15:4, the Hebrew word (lappid, a torch or flame) describes the burning brands that Samson tied to foxes' tails to destroy the Philistines' grain fields — an act of revenge that escalated into broader warfare. In Proverbs 26:18, a reckless man who deceives his neighbor is compared to "a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death" (Proverbs 26:18) — a portrait of destructive irresponsibility. The image of Amos 4:11, where Israel is compared to "a burning stick plucked from the burning," echoes Zechariah's language of barely-escaped catastrophe.