Lexical Summary
sappir: Sapphire
Original Word:סַפִּיר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:cappiyr
Pronunciation:sah-peer'
Phonetic Spelling:(sap-peer')
KJV: sapphire
NASB:sapphire, sapphires, lapis lazuli
Word Origin:[fromH5608 (סָפַר - tell)]
1. a gem (perhaps used for scratching other substances), probably the sapphire
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sapphire
Fromcaphar; a gem (perhaps used for scratching other substances), probably the sapphire -- sapphire.
see HEBREWcaphar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof foreign origin
Definitiona sapphire
NASB Translationlapis lazuli (2), lapis lazuli* (1), sapphire (5), sapphires (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, perhaps also (compare Di
Exodus 24:10 Now
Archaeology i. 131) (Late Hebrew
id., and ; ;
; loan-word from Sanskrit
canipriya according to Lag
Ges. Abh. 72 Lewy
Fremdw. 56 compare Greek ); — absolute
Exodus 24:10 8t.; plural
Isaiah 54:11;
Songs 5:14; — with other jewels as ornaments of prince
Ezekiel 28:13; in high priest's breastplate
Exodus 28:18;
Exodus 39:11; found in mines
Job 28:6, costly
Job 28:16 compare
Isaiah 54:11; taking high polish
Lamentations 4:7 (in figurative);
Songs 5:14ivory covered with sapphires (in figurative);
lapis lazuli, according to Hi BU Du and others in
Job 28:6 ( being understood of sparkling crystals of iron pyrites in this), but see Di;
lapis lazuli may be intended in
Exodus 24:10 (J)
pavement of sapphire (in theoph.), compare
Ezekiel 1:26;
Ezekiel 10:1.
Topical Lexicon
Hebrew Termסַפִּיר (sappir) – a precious blue stone, usually identified with sapphire or lapis lazuli.
Physical and Cultural Background
In the ancient Near East the deep-blue gemstone evoked the color of a flawless sky and the canopy of the heavens. Whether mined in Afghanistan, Egypt’s Eastern Desert, or imported through Phoenician trade, the stone symbolized purity, transcendence, and regal authority. Because its hue was associated with the firmament, it naturally lent itself to theological imagery describing the throne or presence of God.
Occurrences and Thematic Clusters
1. Manifestations of God’s Glory
•Exodus 24:10 – At Sinai the elders “saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a pavement like a sapphire stone, as clear as the sky itself”. The gemstone here functions as a visual bridge between earth and heaven, anchoring the covenant revelation in tangible glory.
•Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1 – Ezekiel’s throne visions echo Sinai; “a throne … in appearance like sapphire” reinforces the continuity of divine kingship from Sinai to exile.
2. Covenant Worship and Priesthood
•Exodus 28:18; 39:11 – The second stone on the high-priestly breastpiece is sapphire, positioned over the heart as the priest bears Israel’s names before the LORD. Its placement in the second row suggests ordered beauty and intercession. By reflecting heaven’s color near the priest’s heart, the stone models the mediatory role of bringing the people into heavenly favor.
3. Wisdom’s Incomparable Worth
•Job 28:6, 16 – The mining poem contrasts earth’s hidden treasures with the elusiveness of wisdom: “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire” (28:16). The argument climaxes with “the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom” (28:28), teaching that even creation’s most prized jewel is surpassed by reverent obedience.
4. Poetic and Prophetic Imagery of Beauty
•Song of Solomon 5:14 – The beloved’s body is “an ivory masterpiece adorned with sapphires,” coupling purity (ivory) with heavenly depth (sapphire) to depict marital delight.
•Lamentations 4:7 – Once-noble princes are compared to sapphires before judgment strips their splendor, highlighting sin’s defacement of God-given dignity.
•Isaiah 54:11 – In Zion’s promised restoration, the LORD pledges, “I will lay your foundations with sapphires,” grounding future hope in unshakeable, heaven-hued permanence.
5. Edenic and Royal Associations
•Ezekiel 28:13 – The lament over the king of Tyre recalls Edenic perfection with sapphires among the nine stones that adorned him, portraying the tragedy of pride and the loss of God-given beauty.
Theological Significance
Heavenly Presence
From Sinai to Ezekiel, sapphire imagery consistently frames the locus of divine self-revelation. The stone’s transparency “as the sky itself” (Exodus 24:10) affirms that God’s governance is pure, elevated, and yet graciously disclosed.
Priestly Mediation
Set upon the high priest’s breastpiece, the sapphire underscores that intercession rests on heaven’s stability. The priest does not approach on the basis of earthly status but upon heavenly authorization.
Judgment and Restoration
Lamentations 4:7 contrasts former brilliance with post-siege degradation, whileIsaiah 54:11 promises a rebuilt Jerusalem founded on sapphires. The gemstone thus frames both the severity of covenant curses and the certainty of redemptive restoration.
Wisdom and Value
Job’s discourse employs sapphire as a superlative measure of earthly wealth, only to declare God-fearing obedience as of infinitely greater worth. True wisdom is found not in possessing heavenly-looking stones but in submitting to the heavenly Lord.
Christological Echoes
New Testament descriptions of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19) include sapphire among its foundation stones, culminating the Old Testament trajectory. The city’s brilliance embodies the completed work of the great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who secures permanent access to God’s sapphire-like throne (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Ministry Applications
• Worship: Teach worshipers to behold God’s holiness and accessibility, using the sapphire pavement of Sinai as a reminder that covenant communion is both transcendent and intimate.
• Intercession: Encourage prayer leaders to visualize the high priest’s breastpiece, letting the sapphire call them to carry God’s people before the throne with heaven-sourced confidence.
• Discipleship: Use Job’s valuation to challenge materialism, showing that the costliest gems pale before the fear of the Lord.
• Counseling: In times of affliction (Isaiah 54), hold out the sapphire foundations of divine promise, assuring believers that God rebuilds lives on enduring, heavenly realities.
Summary
סַפִּיר threads through Scripture as a symbol of heaven’s purity, covenant fidelity, and incomparable worth. Whether beneath God’s feet at Sinai, gleaming on the high priest’s heart, or crowning the foundations of a restored Zion, the sapphire points to the unchanging Majesty who calls His people into holy, hopeful fellowship.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּסַּפִּירִֽים׃ בספירים׃ הַסַּפִּ֔יר הספיר וְסַפִּֽיר׃ וספיר׃ סַפִּ֔יר סַפִּ֖יר סַפִּ֣יר סַפִּ֥יר סַפִּירִֽים׃ ספיר ספירים׃ bas·sap·pî·rîm bassappiRim bassappîrîm has·sap·pîr hassapPir hassappîr sap·pî·rîm sap·pîr sapPir sappîr sappiRim sappîrîm vesapPir wə·sap·pîr wəsappîr
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