Exodus 39:12 — Word Study
WLCוְהַטּ֖וּר הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י לֶ֥שֶׁם שְׁב֖וֹ וְאַחְלָֽמָה׃
BSAthe thirdshᵉlîyshîy row [had]ṭûwr a jacinthleshem [a precious gem, possibly ligure] an agateshᵉbûw [a sparkling gemstone] and an amethystʼachlâmâh [a purple stone]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְהַטּ֖וּר | and the row | Conjunction, particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י | third | Particle |
| לֶ֥שֶׁם | [was] a jacinth | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| שְׁב֖וֹ | an agate | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְאַחְלָֽמָה׃ | and an amethyst | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; |
| KJV | And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. |
| ASV | and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; |
| YLT | and the third row an opal, an agate, and an amethyst; |
| WEB | and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; |
| BBE | In the third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; |
Where they part company is שְׁבוֹ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the row, followed by specific descriptions of each gemstone, creating a clear structure.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 39:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The High Priest's Garmentsgenerated
Exodus 39:12 is part of a larger description of the high priest's garments, specifically focusing on the breastplate that held twelve stones, each representing one of the tribes of Israel. This passage emphasizes the importance of these stones in representing the people of Israel before God, as well as their beauty and value.
Cross References
The Key Word — שְׁבוֹ, she.Vogenerated
The word שְׁבוֹ (she.Vo) refers to a precious gemstone, likely an agate. It is mentioned in the context of the high priest's breastplate, which symbolizes the beauty and value of the tribes of Israel. The parsing indicates it is a feminine singular noun, which aligns with its use in describing one of the three stones in the third row.
The lexical background shows that שְׁבוֹ is derived from an unused root related to the idea of sparkle, suggesting its shiny appearance. This aligns with its role as a gemstone, contributing to the overall splendor of the high priest's attire.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by a noun phrase: הַטּ֖וּר (the row), which is followed by a numeral phrase indicating its position: הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י (the third). This structure emphasizes the specific arrangement of the stones within the breastplate.
The row is then described with a series of noun phrases detailing the gemstones: לֶ֥שֶׁם (a jacinth), שְׁב֖וֹ (an agate), and וְאַחְלָֽמָה (and an amethyst), showing the importance of each stone in this sacred context.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שְׁבוֹ as ἀχάτης (agate), which indicates a direct correspondence in identifying the gemstone while utilizing the Greek terminology familiar to its audience. This choice reflects the translators' effort to convey the meaning of the Hebrew term in a way that resonates with Greek-speaking readers.
The translation shows a consistent understanding of the gemstones' significance in the context of the high priest's attire, emphasizing their beauty and representation of the tribes.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 39:12 describes the third row of the high priest's breastplate, which contained three gemstones: a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. Each of these stones represented one of the tribes of Israel and symbolized their beauty and value in the sight of God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The stones represent the twelve tribes of Israel, signifying their importance and God's covenant with them.
Each gemstone was chosen for its beauty and value, symbolizing the worth of the tribes before God.
The arrangement reflects order and structure, emphasizing the high priest's role in mediating between God and the people.
The stones serve as a reminder of the high priest's responsibility to represent the people of Israel before God, carrying their names on his breastplate.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the gemstones in the high priest's breastplate teach us about our own value in God's eyes?
- How can we reflect the beauty and worth of God's people in our lives today?
- In what ways can we honor the significance of our spiritual heritage, similar to how the high priest represented the tribes of Israel?
- How does understanding the symbolism of these stones enhance our appreciation of the high priest's role?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 39:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 39 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXXXIX. THE MAKING OF THE HOLY .(1-31) This section corresponds to Exodus 28:5-40, but does not follow exactly the same order. Exodus 39:2-7 correspond to Exodus 39:5-12 of Exodus 28; Exodus 39:8-21 to Exodus 39:13-28; Exodus 39:22-26 to Exodus 39:31-35; but after this a dislocation occurs. Exodus 39:27-29 correspond to Exodus 39:39-42 of Exodus 28, and Exodus 39:30-31 to Exodus 39:36-38. It is not clear why any change was made. The order observed in Exodus 28 seems preferable.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 39 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10–13. The names of several of the stones are uncertain: see on Exodus 28:17-20.
Read Cambridge on Exodus 39 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE HOLY OF THE PRIESTS, Exodus 39:1-31 See notes on Exodus 28. ALL BROUGHT TO MOSES AND , Exodus 39:32-43.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 39 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
the third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Tyndale line
And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
And the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.
And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Also in the thirde rowe, a Turkeis, an Achate, and an Hematite:
Strictly literal
and the third row, an opal, an agate, and an amethyst;
and the third row an opal, an agate, and an amethyst;
and the third row an opal, an agate, and an amethyst;
And the third row, an opal, a turquoise, and an amethyst.
The third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.
From the Latin
In the third, a ligurius, an agate, and an amethyst.
Simplified
In the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst.
In the third, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word, confirming the integrity of the text. The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, show no surviving words for this verse, with five words supplied entirely by an editor, indicating a gap in the manuscript.
וְהַטּ֖וּר הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י לֶ֥שֶׁם שְׁב֖וֹ וְאַחְלָֽמָה׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
והטור השׁלישׁי לשׁם שׁבו ואחלמה
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[והטור] [השלישי] [לשם] [שבו] [ואחלמה]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 39:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
טוּר (tuhr) refers to a 'row' or 'course,' specifically in contexts like building stones in the temple or jewels on the high priest's breast-piece, as noted in Exodus 28:17. It is derived from an unused root meaning to arrange in a regular manner.
טוּר n.m. Ex 28:17 row
row, course of building-stones, in temple and in Solomon’s house
row of jewels, on high priest’s breast-piece
base
H2905 טוּר n.m. Ex 28:17 row . row, course of building-stones, in temple and in Solomon’s house
. row of jewels, on high priest’s breast-piece
2905 tuwr toor
from an unused root meaning to range in a regular manner; a
row; hence, a wall:--row.
טוּר (tur) — row.
1) row
1a) row, course (of building)
1b) row (of jewels)
Conj | Art | N-ms — Conjunction · particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Td/Ncmsa
שְׁלִישִׁי (shliyshiy) means 'third' and is used as an ordinal number. It can refer to a third part, time, or rank, and can also denote a third-story cell. The entries indicate its feminine form as שְׁלִישִׁית and note its relation to the number three.
שְׁלִישִׁי m. שְׁלִישִׁית f. adj.num.ord. 108 third
base
H7992 שְׁלִישִׁי, שְׁלִישִׁית third
7992 shliyshiy shel-ee-shee'
ordinal from 7969; third; feminine a third (part); by
extension, a third (day, year or time); specifically, a
third-story cell):--third (part, rank, time), three (years
old).
see HEBREW for 07969
שְׁלִישִׁי (she.li.shi) — third.
1) third, one third, third part, third time
1a) ordinal number
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Aomsa
thurd (shelishi; tritos): Isa 19:24, "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria," etc., brings out very distinctly the universal and missionary character of Isaiah's prophecies and of Israel's destiny (compare Eze 16:63; and see G. A. Smith, Isaiah, II, 275, 278; Watkinson, Th. Blind Spot 21 ff).
For "third hour," "third month," "third year," see CALENDAR; DAY; TIME.
לֶ֫שֶׁם (leshem) refers to a precious stone, likely the jacinth or ligure, mentioned in the context of the high priest's breastplate in Exodus 28:19 and 39:12. The word is derived from an uncertain root and its exact meaning remains debated among scholars.
לֶ֫שֶׁם m.[m.] a precious stone in h. p.’s breast-plate Ex 28:19 39:12 (√ and mng. dub.; 𝔊 λιγύριον, Joseph. iii. 7, 6 λίγυρος, 𝔙 ligurius)
base
H3958 לֶ֫שֶׁם m.[m.] a precious stone in h. p.’s breast-plate Ex 28:19 39:12 (√ and mng. dub.; 𝔊 λιγύριον, Joseph. iii. 7, 6 λίγυρος, 𝔙 ligurius)
3958 leshem leh'-shem
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a gem, perhaps the
jacinth:--ligure.
לֶ֫שֶׁם (le.shem) — jacinth.
1) a precious stone
1a) a precious stone in the high priest's breast-plate
1a1) probably jacinth or ligure
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
ja'-sinth.
See HYACINTH; STONES, PRECIOUS.
Jacinth
Properly a flower of a reddish blue or deep purple (hyacinth), and hence a precious stone of that colour (Rev. 21:20). It has been supposed to designate the same stone as the ligure (Heb. leshem) mentioned in Ex. 28:19 as the first stone of the third row in the high priest’s breast-plate. In Rev. 9:17 the word is simply descriptive of colour.
a precious stone, forming one of the foundations of the walls of the new Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:20) Called hyacinth in the Revised Version. This is simply a different English rendering of the same Greek original. It is probably identical with the lighure of (Exodus 28:19) The Jacinth or hyacinth is a red variety of zircon, which is found in square prisms of a white, gray, red, reddish-brown, yellow or pale-green color. The expression in (Revelation 9:17) "of jacinth," is descriptive simply of a dark-purple color.
Or HYACINTH, a gem of a yellowish red or hyacinth color, nearly related to zircon and to the amethyst. It loses its color by being heated, and resembles the diamond, Re 9:17 21:20.
.
שְׁבוֹ (sh'vo) refers to a precious stone, likely an agate, as noted in Exodus 28:19 and 39:12. The word is derived from an unused root related to the idea of flame or sparkle, suggesting its shiny appearance. Both Brown-Driver-Briggs and the Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon agree on its meaning and context.
שְׁבוֹ n.[f.] a precious stone (relation to above √ dub.; = As. šubû; 𝔊 𝔙 agate);—Ex 28:19 = 39:12 (+ לֶשֶׁם, אַחְלָ֑מָה).
done
H7618 שְׁבוֹ n.[f.] a precious stone (relation to above √ dub.; = As. šubû; 𝔊 𝔙 agate);—Ex 28:19 = 39:12 (+ לֶשֶׁם, אַחְלָ֑מָה).
7618 shbuw sheb-oo'
from an unused root (probably identical with that of 7617
through the idea of subdivision into flashes or streamers
(compare 7632) meaning to flame; a gem (from its sparkle),
probably the agate:--agate.
see HEBREW for 07632
שְׁבוֹ (she.vu) — agate.
1) a precious stone (in the high priest's breastplate)
1a) probably an agate
N-ms — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
See STONES, PRECIOUS.
Agate
(Heb. shebo), a precious stone in the breast-plate of the high priest (Ex. 28:19; 39:12), the second in the third row. This may be the agate properly so called, a semi-transparent crystallized quartz, probably brought from Sheba, whence its name. In Isa. 54:12 and Ezek. 27:16, this word is the rendering of the Hebrew cadcod, which means “ruddy,” and denotes a variety of minutely crystalline silica more or less in bands of different tints.
This word is from the Greek name of a stone found in the river Achates in Sicily.
a beautifully-veined semi-transparent precious stone, a variety of quartz. Its colors are delicately arranged in stripes or bands or blended in clouds. It is mentioned four times in the text of the Authorized Version, viz., in (Exodus 28:19; 39:12; Isaiah 54:12; Ezekiel 27:16) In the two former passages; where it is represented by the Hebrew word shebo it is spoken of as forming the second stone in the third row of the high priest’s breastplate; in each of the two latter places the original word is cadced , by which, no doubt, is intended a different stone. [RUBY] Our English agate derives its name from the Achates, on the banks of which it was first found.
A precious stone said to take its name from the river Achates in Sicily, where it abounded. Agates, which are several kinds, are likewise procured in India, in various parts of Europe, and at the Cape of Good Hope. They are semi-transparent, and often are beautifully veined and clouded, and present in miniature the picture of many natural objects. The agate was the second stone in the third row of the high priest’s breastplate, Ex 28:19; 39:12.
The Hebrew word אַחְלָ֑מָה (*achlamah*) is identified as a noun, likely referring to the amethyst, a type of gem. Its etymology is uncertain, but it may relate to the word for 'dream' and is mentioned as a stone in the high priest's breastplate. There is some debate about its exact identification, with suggestions including corundum or jasper.
אַחְלָ֑מָה n.f. perh. amethyst (etym. dub.)
base
H306 אַחְלָ֑מָה n.f. perh. amethyst (etym. dub.)
306 'achlamah akh-law'-maw
perhaps from 2492 (and thus dream-stone); a gem, probably the
amethyst:--amethyst.
see HEBREW for 02492
אַחְלָ֑מָה (ach.la.mah) — amethyst.
amethyst, a gem in the third row on the ephod, breastplate of judgment worn by the high priest. Transliteration of the Septuagint word. Identification is not certain but is a purple stone perhaps a corundum or red or brown jasper.
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Ncfsa
am'-e-thist. See STONES, PRECIOUS.
Amethyst
One of the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:19; 39:12), and in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:20). The ancients thought that this stone had the power of dispelling drunkenness in all who wore or touched it, and hence its Greek name formed from a_, “privative,” and _methuo, “to get drunk.” Its Jewish name, ahlamah’, was derived by the rabbins from the Hebrew word halam, “to dream,” from its supposed power of causing the wearer to dream.
It is a pale-blue crystallized quartz, varying to a dark purple blue. It is found in Persia and India, also in different parts of Europe.
(Heb. achlamah) a subspecies of quartz of a bluish-violet color. Mention is made of this precious stone, which formed the third in the third row of the high priestly breastplate, in (Exodus 28:19; 39:12) It occurs also in (Revelation 21:20)
A precious stone of a violet blue color, verging towards a bluish or reddish white. It is seldom uniform in color, and is generally cloudy and spotted with zigzag stripes. The most beautiful specimens come from Ceylon, the East Indies, Siberia, and Saxony. It is very highly prized, Ex 28:19; Re 21:20.