Description and usage
The stylus was a short, sharp piece of iron.
It was held in the hand and the point was used to engrave marks, usually writing or drawing, on stone or metal.
Translation
It is not clear if JOB 19:24 speaks of an engraving tool made of iron or of an iron surface on which the engraving took place. For the first half of this verse, HOTTP suggests “on tablets of iron and lead” or “with a stylus and lead [meaning melted lead placed into the spaces of the inscription].”
The Hebrew phrase cheret ’enosh in ISA 8:1 has been the subject of much debate. Some translations choose to preserve the implement used (KJV “man’s pen”; NIV “ordinary pen”; NJB “ordinary stylus”), while others prefer a rendering that focuses on the words being written (RSV “common characters”; CEV “big clear letters”; NLT “clearly write”).