Lexical Summary
tur: row, rows
Original Word:טוּר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tuwr
Pronunciation:toor
Phonetic Spelling:(toor)
KJV: row
NASB:row, rows
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to range in a regular manner]
1. a row
2. (hence) a wall
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
row
From an unused root meaning to range in a regular manner; a row; hence, a wall -- row.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona row
NASB Translationrow (14), rows (12).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Exodus 28:17 — absolute
Exodus 28:17 9t.; construct
id.Exodus 28:17 3t.; plural
Exodus 28:17 7t.;
1 Kings 7:20; construct
Exodus 39:10 2t.; —
row, course of building-stones, in temple and in Solomon's house1 Kings 6:36;1 Kings 7:12; forming enclosures in corner of courtEzekiel 46:23a; of beamsEzekiel 6:36;Ezekiel 7:12, see alsoEzekiel 7:4 (Th Klo, see , ); of pillarsEzekiel 7:2,3.
row of jewels, on high priest's breast-pieceExodus 28:17 (3 t. in verse);Exodus 28:18,19,20;Exodus 39:10 (3 t. in verse);Exodus 39:11,12,13 (all P); of pomegranates on capitals of pillars in temple1 Kings 7:20,42; 2Chronicles 4:13, so also probably1 Kings 7:18, see Th Klo, after ; of knops round the molten sea1 Kings 7:24, compare 2Chronicles 4:3 (oxen , erroneous for1 Kings 7:24).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning in Contextטוּר most commonly points to an ordered row, tier, or layer—whether of gems, bread, masonry, or ornamental jewelry. Wherever it appears, the term underscores deliberate arrangement, symmetry, and stability, themes that consistently reinforce the divine insistence on order both in worship and in daily life.
Priestly Garments: Rows of Precious Stones (Exodus 28:17; 39:10)
The high priest’s breastpiece carried “four rows of stones” (Exodus 28:17). Each stone bore the name of an Israelite tribe, visually portraying the unity of the covenant people as they were borne on the priest’s heart before the LORD. The regular arrangement of jewels reflects the heavenly pattern shown to Moses, reminding ministers today that intercession for God’s people is to be carried out with precision, reverence, and beauty.
Sanctuary Provision: Rows of the Bread of the Presence (Leviticus 24:5-9)
Twelve loaves were “arranged…in two rows, six per row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD” (Leviticus 24:6). The ordered presentation testified to continual fellowship with God. Just as the loaves were replaced every Sabbath, so the church is called to sustain an unbroken ministry of worship, ensuring that spiritual nourishment remains fresh and properly ordered for the congregation.
Temple Architecture: Rows of Stones and Cedar (1 Kings 6:36; 7:12; cf.2 Chronicles 4:9)
Solomon “built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stones and one row of cedar beams” (1 Kings 6:36). The use of alternating rows produced structural strength and visual harmony, embodying the principle that God’s dwelling is both strong and splendid. Modern builders of ministries should likewise unite durability with beauty, never sacrificing doctrinal solidity for mere external appeal.
Domestic and Decorative Usage (Song of Solomon 1:10; 7:1)
In poetic imagery the bride’s neck is adorned “with strings of jewels” (Song of Solomon 1:10, lit. rows). The love poem borrows temple language—rows of gems—suggesting that marital affection ought to mirror the holiness and order of the sanctuary. Marriage and family life, therefore, are arenas for displaying the same careful arrangement and purity that characterize worship.
City and Military Contexts (Nehemiah 3:; 4:;Ezekiel 46:23)
Although less prominent, the term can describe orderly rows of bricks or hearths in defensive structures and communal kitchens (Ezekiel 46:23). The prophet envisions a future temple complex whose cooking areas are carefully tiered, implying that even mundane service to God requires organization. In Nehemiah’s wall-building narrative the principle reappears: each family repaired a specific section “next to” another, row by row, illustrating corporate responsibility and accountability.
Symbolic and Theological Insights
1. Order as a Divine Attribute: From creation’s six orderly days to the New Jerusalem’s measured foundations, Scripture presents God as a God of order. טוּר reinforces this attribute in tangible forms—stones, bread, beams—so that worshipers see and feel divine order.
2. Unity in Diversity: Twelve distinct stones, two rows of loaves, multiple tiers of architecture—all different, yet all harmonized. The term quietly preaches that variety within God’s people is not chaotic but beautifully arranged under His design.
3. Anticipation of the Heavenly City: Revelation speaks of a wall “decorated with every kind of precious stone” (Revelation 21:19). The earthly rows on the priestly breastpiece foreshadow those heavenly rows, assuring believers that present worship anticipates future glory.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Liturgical Planning: Worship leaders should emulate the ordered rows of bread, structuring services that are both thoughtful and God-centered.
• Discipleship Structure: As stones were aligned for strength, disciples are to be “built together for a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:22). Curriculum and mentoring ought to reflect intentional progression rather than randomness.
• Marriage Counseling: Song of Solomon teaches that beauty emerges where husband and wife cultivate disciplined devotion, arranging their lives according to biblical priorities.
• Building Projects: Churches engaged in construction can glean from Solomon’s pattern—quality materials arrayed in coherent tiers—as a witness to the surrounding community of God’s excellence.
Summary
טוּר depicts carefully ordered rows that serve priestly, architectural, poetic, and communal purposes. Whether on the breastpiece, the table of showbread, the temple walls, or a bride’s necklace, each row proclaims that God’s work is never haphazard. His people, therefore, are called to mirror that same order in worship, service, relationships, and witness, confident that such alignment resonates with the very character of the Lord who “is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Forms and Transliterations
הַטּ֖וּר הַטּֽוּר׃ הטור הטור׃ וְהַטּ֖וּר וְהַטּוּר֙ וְט֖וּר וְט֨וּר והטור וטור ט֗וּר ט֣וּרֵי טֻרִ֣ים טוּרִ֑ים טוּרִ֣ים טוּרִ֤ים טוּרִ֨ים טוּרִים֙ טוּרֵ֣י טוּרֵי֙ טור טורי טורים טרים haṭ·ṭūr hatTur haṭṭūr ṭū·rê ṭu·rîm ṭū·rîm Tur ṭūr ṭūrê Turei tuRim ṭurîm ṭūrîm vehatTur veTur wə·haṭ·ṭūr wə·ṭūr wəhaṭṭūr wəṭūr
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