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 Zechariah 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 ( 2 Kings 21:13 , Isaiah 28:17 ) more probably consisted of a stone ( Isaiah 34:11 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , but RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘plummet’) suspended by a cord, the ‘piumbline’ of Amos 7:7 ff., Cf. Arts and Crafts, § 3 .
A. R. S. Kennedy.