Description and usage
The anvil was a heavy piece of metal that served as a base for hammering and shaping other pieces of metal.
Translation
The meaning of the Hebrew phrase holem pa‘am in ISA 41:7 is uncertain, so translations vary. The basic meaning seems to be connected to striking blows with a hammer. This has given rise to several interpretations: GNT “the one who nails it together,” NCV “the one who shapes the metal,” and NRSV “the one who strikes the anvil” (similarly NIV). CEV has “other workers” and adds a footnote explaining that the text is difficult.
Where there is no equivalent for “anvil,” in SIR 38:28 translators may say “It is the same with the iron worker at his work.”
Tongs: See Tongs.