Iron Sharpeneth Iron, Proverbs 27:17 Anvil and Swords

What is painted

A heavy anvil sits on a tree stump at the center of the image, with a hammer laid across its top. Two straight swords cross in front of the stump, hilts up and points buried in the dirt. To one side hang a pair of blacksmith's tongs; to the other, a wooden bucket of coal. Short ochre rays burst out behind the anvil as if from the heat of the forge.

Everything is drawn in the manner of a linocut, with dense black shapes, rough carved texture and a single ochre accent on a warm cream ground. The proverb sits below in bold capitals: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”. PROVERBS 27:17 is set small underneath.

What the proverb means

Chapter 27 belongs to the part of Proverbs that opens at chapter 25 with a note: these are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. Many of the sayings around this one are about friendship, including “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” a few verses earlier, in verse 6.

The picture is practical. A blade is sharpened by rubbing it against another piece of iron, and both come away with an edge. “Countenance” means the face, and by extension the whole bearing of a person. The proverb says a friend does the same thing to us: through honest words, disagreement and shared work, he brings out a sharper, clearer version of who we are.

The swords in the image make the point visible. Iron can hurt or it can be made useful, and the difference is whether it has been worked on.

For men's groups, mentors and fathers

This is a natural choice for a men's Bible study room, a pastor's office, a garage, a workshop or a den. It suits a father and son, two brothers, a groomsman, a coach, a mentor, or the friend who told you the truth when you needed it.

Many buyers give it for Father's Day, a confirmation or an ordination. As Christian wall art it looks sharp next to its companion anchor print from Hebrews, in the same carved style. This Christian poster is printed to order in the US on thick archival matte paper and ships unframed, with free shipping within the US.