Description
An engraving was a picture or words made by scratching lines in a hard surface such as stone, metal, or gems. A carving was a figure usually made out of wood, using a knife or another sharp implement.
Translation
In some languages it may be necessary to choose a verb for “engrave” according to the surface that is being used.
The Hebrew word charosheth is used in EXO 31:5 and EXO 35:33 to describe both engraving and carving.
The specific action described in SIR 38:27 is “engrave seals” (NJB; compare the even more precise RSV rendering “cut the signets of seals”; see also the discussion at Seal, signet ring, ring). The point of the passage is the diligence and precision with which the engraver works. Where there is no exact equivalent of signets or seals, it is possible to refer to some other craftsman’s work that requires precision and can be done in great variety.