Dung

Share

Easton's Bible Dictionary - Dung

Dung [S]

  • Used as manure ( Luke 13:8 ); collected outside the city walls ( Nehemiah 2:13 ). Of sacrifices, burned outside the camp ( Exodus 29:14 ; Leviticus 4:11 ; 8:17 ; Numbers 19:5 ). To be "cast out as dung," a figurative expression ( 1 Kings 14:10 ; 2 Kings 9:37 ; Jeremiah 8:2 ; Psalms 18:42 ), meaning to be rejected as unprofitable.

  • Used as fuel, a substitute for firewood, which was with difficulty procured in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt ( Ezekiel 4:12-15 ), where cows' and camels' dung is used to the present day for this purpose.

    These dictionary topics are from
    M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
    published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
    [S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
    Bibliography Information

    Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for Dung". "Easton's Bible Dictionary". .

    • Smith's Bible Dictionary - Dung

    Dung. [E]

    The uses of dung were two-fold --as manure and as fuel. The manure consisted either of straw steeped in liquid manure, ( Isaiah 25:10 ) or the sweepings, ( Isaiah 5:25 ) of the streets and roads, which were carefully removed from about the houses, and collected in heaps outside the walls of the towns at fixed spots --hence the dung-gate at Jerusalem --and thence removed in due course to the fields. The difficulty of procuring fuel in Syria, Arabia and Egypt has made dung in all ages valuable as a substitute. It was probably used for heating ovens and for baking cakes, ( Ezra 4:12 Ezra 4:15 ) the equable heat which it produced adapting it pecularily for the latter operation. Cows and camels dung is still used for a similar purpose by the Bedouins. [E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary

    Bibliography Information

    Smith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'Dung'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901.