📖 Biblical Definition
Alexander the coppersmith did Paul much harm and strongly opposed his words. Paul warned Timothy to beware of him, committing his judgment to the Lord: "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words" (2 Timothy 4:14-15). Whether this Alexander is the same as the Alexander whom Paul had earlier "delivered unto Satan" along with Hymenaeus (1 Timothy 1:20), or the Alexander pushed forward by the Jews at Ephesus during the Demetrius riot (Acts 19:33), is debated. Either way, Paul’s pastoral instinct is clear: name false teachers explicitly so younger ministers can avoid them, and entrust their final judgment to the Lord rather than seeking personal revenge.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
ALEXANDER (the coppersmith) — a craftsman of Ephesus who opposed the apostolic word and harmed the apostle.
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Webster 1828 does not enter the proper name. Three Alexanders appear in the Pauline corpus and Acts; tradition often unifies them but Scripture is not insistent. What is clear is that the coppersmith of 2 Timothy 4 was an opponent of the gospel, a danger to Timothy, and a man whose name became shorthand for the artisan-class hostility to apostolic preaching.
📖 Key Scripture
2 Timothy 4:14 — "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works."
2 Timothy 4:15 — "You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words."
1 Timothy 1:20 — "Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme."
Acts 19:33 — "And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Persecution often comes from a tradesman with a grievance, not a king with a sword.
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Paul does not warn Timothy against Caesar; he warns him against a coppersmith. The fiercest opposition to the gospel often comes from the local artisan whose income or reputation is threatened — the silversmiths of Ephesus, the coppersmith of Alexander's shop. Persecution wears an apron more often than a crown.
The corruption is the assumption that the danger is always at the top. Alexander shows that a single embittered tradesman can do much harm. The remedy is alertness, not anxiety; Paul commits the man to the Lord and tells Timothy to beware. The Lord will repay; the believer keeps walking.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
From Greek Alexandros (G223) + chalkeus (G5471, coppersmith); paired with anthistēmi (resist).
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G223 — Alexandros — Alexander; a common name; here, the coppersmith
G5471 — chalkeus — coppersmith, brazier
G436 — anthistēmi — to resist, withstand — what he did to Paul's words
Usage
"Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm (2 Timothy 4:14)."
"You also must beware of him (2 Timothy 4:15)."
"Sometimes the wolf is wearing a leather apron."