The word ud refers to a burning stick, a charred piece of wood pulled from a fire — a firebrand. It appears in Amos 4:11 and Zechariah 3:2, where it is used as a powerful metaphor for those rescued from destruction.
The image of a ud (firebrand) plucked from the fire is one of the most vivid salvation metaphors in all of Scripture. In Zechariah 3:2, Joshua the high priest is called "a burning stick snatched from the fire" — one who has narrowly escaped judgment and been restored to priestly ministry. This image captures the essence of grace: God reaching into the flames to rescue what seemed already consumed. It foreshadows the gospel, where sinners are rescued from divine judgment not by their own merit but by the sovereign mercy of God.