Plumbline, Plummet

The simple contrivance of a lump of lead, a stone, or other weight attached to a string, for testing whether a building or other erection is perpendicular. It is used symbolically for the exactness with which judgement was brought upon Israel. Israel had been built up by God as a wall with a plumbline, and with a plumbline it should be destroyed. Amo 7:7-8: cf. 2Ki 21:13; Isa 28:17. In Zec 4:10, although it was a day of small things when the temple was rebuilt, the plummet was in the hands of Zerubbabel, and the Lord of hosts was supporting him.

PLUMBLINE, PLUMMET.—The latter is a diminutive of ‘piumb,’ from Lat. plumbum, ‘iead,’ and denotes the combined cord and weight, by suspending which against a wali it can be seen whether or not the latter is perpendicular. On the strength of Zec 4:10 (lit. ‘the stone, the tin,’ not ‘iead’; cf. AVm [Note: Authorized Version margin.] ) it has been inferred that the Hebrew masons used a plumb-bob of iead, but the text of this passage is undoubtedly corrupt (Wellh., Marti, Nowack). The Hebrew plummet (2Ki 21:13, Isa 28:17) more probably consisted of a stone (Isa 34:11 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , but RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘plummet’) suspended by a cord, the ‘piumbline’ of Amo 7:7 ff., Cf. Arts and Crafts, § 3.

A. R. S. Kennedy.