Bible Dictionary
PILE
A pile is a heap of wood arranged for burning, especially a great pyre associated with judgment and destruction.
Definition
A pile is a heap, especially a heap of wood arranged for burning. In the biblical passages it means a great pyre prepared for intense fire and destruction.
Biblical Usage
Isaiah speaks of a pile of much wood burning fiercely, and Ezekiel commands that the pile be made great, the wood heaped up, and the fire made hot. The imagery is associated with divine judgment.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>pil (medhurah, from dur, "heap up"): Isa 30:33, "The pile thereof is fire and much wood"; Eze 24:9,10, "I also will make the pile great. Heap on the wood, make the fire hot." Isa 30:33 may be paraphrased, `the pyre thereof is of much wood, burning fiercely.'</p><p>See TOPHETH.</p>