Rust

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: Βρῶσις (Strong'S #1035 — Noun Feminine — brosis — bro'-sis )

"an eating" (akin to bibrosko, "to eat"), is used metaphorically to denote "rust" in  Matthew 6:19,20 . See Eat , B, No. 1, Food, Meat, Morsel

A — 2: Ἰός (Strong'S #2447 — Noun Masculine — ios — ee-os' )

"poison," denotes "rust" in  James 5:3 . See Poison.

B — 1: Κατιόω (Strong'S #2728 — Verb — katioo — kat-ee-o'-o )

an intensive form of ioo, "to poison" (akin to A, No. 2), strengthened by kata, "down," "to rust over," and in the Passive Voice, "to become rusted over," occurs in  James 5:3 , RV, "are rusted" (AV, "are cankered"). Cp. gangraina, "a gangrene,"  2—Timothy 2:17 , RV.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) Foul matter arising from degeneration; as, rust on salted meat.

(2): ( n.) The reddish yellow coating formed on iron when exposed to moist air, consisting of ferric oxide or hydroxide; hence, by extension, any metallic film of corrosion.

(3): ( n.) A minute mold or fungus forming reddish or rusty spots on the leaves and stems of cereal and other grasses (Trichobasis Rubigo-vera), now usually believed to be a form or condition of the corn mildew (Puccinia graminis). As rust, it has solitary reddish spores; as corn mildew, the spores are double and blackish.

(4): ( n.) That which resembles rust in appearance or effects.

(5): ( n.) A composition used in making a rust joint. See Rust joint, below.

(6): ( n.) Corrosive or injurious accretion or influence.

(7): ( v. i.) To degenerate in idleness; to become dull or impaired by inaction.

(8): ( v. t.) To cause to contract rust; to corrode with rust; to affect with rust of any kind.

(9): ( v. i.) To contract rust; to be or become oxidized.

(10): ( v. i.) To be affected with the parasitic fungus called rust; also, to acquire a rusty appearance, as plants.

(11): ( v. t.) To impair by time and inactivity.

King James Dictionary

RUST, n. Gr. probably from its color, and allied to ruddy, red, as L. rubigo is from rubeo. See Ruddy.

1. The oxyd of a metal a substance composed of oxygen combined with a metal, and forming a rough coat on its surface. All metals except gold are liable to rust. 2. Loss of power by inactivity, as metals lose their brightness and smoothness when not used. 3. Any foul matter contracted as rust on corn or salted meat. 4. Foul extraneous matter as sacred truths cleared from the rust of human mixtures. 5. A disease in grain, a kind of dust which gathers on the stalks and leaves.

RUST,

1. To contract rust to be oxydized and contract a roughness on the surface.

Our armors now may rust.

2. To degenerate in idleness to become dull by inaction.

Must I rust in Egypt?

3. To gather dust or extraneous matter.

RUST,

1. To cause to contract rust.

Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.

2. To impair by time and inactivity.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

RUST ( βρῶσις [fr. βιβρώσκω, Lat. voro , ‘to eat.’ Properly the act of eating, and so ‘corrosion’],  Matthew 6:19 f.; also used for ‘food,’  John 4:32;  John 6:27;  John 6:55).—The corroding influence liable to tarnish treasures or precious metals, which in Eastern countries were often stored in the ground ( Matthew 13:44) or on inhabited premises ( Luke 15:8).

C. H. Prichard.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

 James 5:3. "The rust ( Ios ) of your riches shall be a witness against you" in the judgment, that your riches were of no profit, lying unemployed, and so contracting rust.  Matthew 6:19-20, "rust" ( Brosis ), "corrosion."

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Ezekiel 24:6 24:12-13 Matthew 6:19-20 James 5:1-6 James 5:2-3

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( Βρῶσις , Ἰός ) occurs as the translation of two different Greek words in  Matthew 6:19-20 and  James 5:3. In the former passage the word Βρῶσις , which is joined with Σής , "moth," has by some been understood to denote the larva of some moth injurious to corn, as the Tinea Granella (see Stainton, Insecta Britan. 3, 30). The Hebrew עָשׁ ( Isaiah 1:9) is rendered Βρῶσις by Aquila (comp. also Epist.  Jeremiah 5:12, Ἀπὸ Ἰου Καὶ Βρωμάτων , " From rust and moths;" A.V. Bar. 6, 12). Scultetus ( Exerc. Evang. 2, 35; Crit. Sac. Vol. 6) believes that the words Σὴς Καὶ Βρῶσις are a hendiadys for Σὴς Βρώσκων . The word can scarcely be taken to signify "rust," for which there is another term, Ἰός , which is used by James to express rather the "tarnish" which overspreads silver than "rust," by which name we now understand "oxide of iron." Βρῶσις is no doubt intended to have reference, in a general sense, to any corrupting and destroying substance that may attack treasures of any kind which have long been suffered to remain undisturbed. The allusion of James is to the corroding nature of Ἰός on metals. Scultetus correctly observes, "Erugine deformantur quidem, sed non corrumpuntur nummi;" but though this is strictly speaking, true, the ancients, just as ourselves in common parlance, spoke of the corroding nature of "rust" (comp. Hammond, Annotat. in  Matthew 6:19). — Smith. Moreover, various writers agree that the gold and silver coins of antiquity were much more liable to corrosion than those of the present, being much more extensively adulterated with alloys.

The word translated "scum" ( חֶלְאָה , Chelah ) in  Ezekiel 24:6;  Ezekiel 24:11-12 means the rust or corrosion of the pot of brass (or rather copper) which typified Jerusalem Copper is more liable to corrosion than the other metals, each of which has its own dissolvent; but copper is acted upon by all those dissolvents, and the corrosion of the copper pot symbolizes the aptitude of Jerusalem to corruptions, which, being shown by Ezekiel to be removed only by the agency of fire, was a type of the awful punishments and fiery purgation awaiting Jerusalem.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

rust ( חלאה , ḥel'āh  ; βρῶσις , brṓsis ): Strictly speaking rust is the red oxide of iron formed by the corrosion of that metal, but by extension it has come to mean corrosion produced on any metal. Ḥel'āh is translated "rust" in   Ezekiel 24:11 ,  Ezekiel 24:12 . This rendering is probably based on  Ezekiel 24:11 . Copper caldrons are still used in Bible lands. Such vessels must be constantly watched when on the fire to guard against the possibility of their becoming dry. If this should happen the contents, whatever they may be, and the vessel itself will be injured. The copper of the caldron oxidizes and scales off in black or brownish scales, or rust. ἰός , iós , was used in Greek to denote the corroding of metals. In  James 5:3 occurs, "Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust ... shall eat your flesh as fire." The writers must have had in mind the actions of chemicals upon these metals which formed some such compound as the caustic silver nitrate.

Brōsis , literally, "eating," which occurs in   Matthew 6:19 ,  Matthew 6:20 , may refer to the diseases which attack such vegetation as wheat, grapes, cucumbers, etc. In no country is the saying "where moth and rust consume" ( Matthew 6:19 ) more true than in Syria. Any metal subject to corrosion seems to rust faster in that country than anywhere else. There are also many rusting fungi which the people have not learned to destroy and which do much damage to the crops. See also Scum .