Bible Dictionary
Jewel
A jewel is an ornament made of gold, silver, or precious stones, such as a ring, bracelet, anklet, or nose-ring. Scripture frequently mentions such ornaments as signs of wealth, beauty, or honor.
Definition
A jewel is an ornament of gold, silver, or precious stones, including an armlet, bracelet, anklet, nose-ring, or similar adornment.
Biblical Usage
Scripture frequently mentions jewels and related ornaments in descriptions of dress, wealth, beauty, and honor. In some passages translated “jewel,” the underlying term is rendered “ring,” “earring,” “vessel,” or “peculiar treasure.”
Historical Background
The supplied material notes that Oriental dress readily included such adornments and that several Hebrew terms are translated according to the particular ornament or context.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
[Stones, Precious, PRECIOUS]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ju'-el, joo'-el: An ornament of gold, silver or of precious stones in the form of armlet, bracelet, anklet, nose-ring, etc. Oriental dress yields itself freely to such adornment, to which there are many allusions in Scripture. a frequent term in Hebrew is keli ("utensil," "vessel"), coupled with mention of "gold" or "silver" or both (Ge 24:53; Ex 3:22; 11:2; 12:35; 35:22; 1Sa 6:8,15, etc.; the Revised Version (British and American) in 2Ch 32:27 translations "vessels"). In So 1:10, where the King James Version has "rows (of jewels)," the Revised Version (British and American) has "plaits (of hair)"; in So 7:1, the word is from a root chalah, meaning "to adorn." In 3 instances in the King James Version "jewel" represents the Hebrew nezem (Pr 11:22; Isa 3:21; Eze 16:12); the American Standard Revised Version changes Pr 11:22 to "ring" Septuagint here = "earring"), and both the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version have "ring" in Eze 16:12. The familiar phrase in Mal 3:17, "in that day when I make up my jewels," becomes in the English Revised Version, "in the day that I do make, even a peculiar treasure" (margin "or, wherein I do make a peculiar treasure"), and in the American Standard Revised Version, "even mine own possession, in the day that I make" (margin "or, do this").</p><p>See, further, ORNAMENT; DRESS; STONES, PRECIOUS.</p><p>James Orr</p>