Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 28:18
And the second row [shall be] an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
18. an emerald ] Heb. nphek, , carbunculus [a red stone, called and carbunculus because in the sun-light it flashes like a burning ‘coal,’ Theophr. de Lap. 18]: Eze 27:16; Eze 28:13. As is generally agreed, the red garnet, a species of carbuncle.
a sapphire ] Heb. sappir, , sapphirus: Exo 24:10, Eze 1:26; Eze 10:1; Eze 28:13, Job 28:6; Job 28:16, Son 5:14, Isa 54:11, Lam 4:7, Rev 21:19. Not, however, our ‘sapphire,’ which was ‘almost unknown before Roman imperial times,’ but the opaque blue lapis lazuli (so Rev 21:19 RVm.), as is shewn by the description of the Greek and Roman ‘sapphire’ by Theophrastus and Pliny as sprinkled with gold dust ( , ‘inest ei et aureus pulvis’), with allusion to the particles of iron pyrites, easily mistaken by their colour and lustre for gold, frequently found in the lapis lazuli (cf. Sapphire in DB. and EB.; and Job 28:6 ‘And it hath dust of gold ’).
a diamond ] Heb. yahlm, , jaspis: Eze 28:13. , jaspis, seem so naturally to correspond to Heb. ysh e pheh in v. 20, that many suppose an accidental transposition to have taken place in either the Heb. or the Greek text: if this be granted, yahl m will be represented by here and Eze 28:13, and by in Exo 39:13. What the yashl m was, is, however, uncertain. ‘Diamond’ has nothing to recommend it: there is no evidence that this stone was known to the ancients. RVm. sardonyx (cf. Rev 21:20), a stratified stone, consisting of layers of red and white (hence the name, the ‘sard’ being red, and the ‘onyx’ whitish), and in ancient times often with a layer of dark brown as well; well adapted for engraving, on account of the variety produced by the different strata ( EB. Sardonyx). For the symbolism attached to the three colours, see the quaint verses quoted in DB. s.v. Onyx.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. The first of these stones is by both the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan rendered an “emerald”, as by us; and which is described by Pliny k as of a green colour, exceeding delightful and pleasant, and to which he gives the third place among precious stones; though by many the stone here called Nophec is thought to be the carbuncle, and is so rendered by the Septuagint; the carbuncle of the ancients is no other than what we call the, “ruby”; and which Braunius l thinks is here meant, and so Abarbinel, which is just making an exchange of the last stone of the first row for this; and De Dieu observes, that if any chooses to render the preceding stone an emerald, as Braunius does, he must render this a carbuncle or ruby; and if he renders that a carbuncle, then he must this for an emerald. The next stone is “the sapphire”, of which one would think there could be no doubt, it is the very Hebrew word itself that is here used; which Ruaeus m says is of a sky colour, and sparkles with golden spots or specks, with which agrees Job 28:6. The third stone of this row is the “diamond” or adamant; and that this stone is meant seems clear from its name Jahalom, which comes from a word which signifies to break; and from hence a hammer has its name, because this stone pierces, cuts, and breaks other stones, but cannot be broken itself. On these three stones were engraved, according to the Jerusalem Targum, the names of the three tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; but more truly, according to the Targum of Jonathan, the names of the tribes of Judah, Dan and Naphtali, and so Jarchi; for the names here, as on the onyx stones, were according to the order of their birth.
k Ut supra, (Nat. Hist. l. 37.) c. 5. l Ut supra, (De Vestitu Sacerd. Heb. l. 2.) c. 11. sect. 2, 7. p. 661, 667. m De Gemmis, l. 2. c. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
emerald: Nophech, an emerald, the same with the ancient smaragdus; one of the most beautiful of all the gems, and of a bright green colour, without any mixture. Exo 39:11, Eze 27:16
sapphire: Exo 24:10, Job 28:6, Job 28:16, Son 5:14, Eze 1:26, Eze 10:1, Rev 4:3
diamond: Jer 17:1, Eze 28:13