SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:19
Y los fundamentos del muro de la Ciudad estaban adornados de toda piedra preciosa. El primer fundamento era jaspe; el segundo, zafiro; el tercero, calcedonia; el cuarto, esmeralda;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:19
Verse 19. The foundations of the wall] Does not this mean the foundations or thresholds of the gates? The gates represented the twelve tribes, ver. 12; and these foundations or thresholds, the twelve apostles, ver. 14. There was no entrance into the city but through those gates, and none through the gates but over these thresholds. The whole of the Mosaic dispensation was the preparation of the Gospel system: without it the Gospel would have no original; without the Gospel, it would have no reference nor proper object. Every part of the Gospel necessarily supposes the law and the prophets. They are the gates, it is the threshold; without the Gospel no person could enter through those gates. The doctrine of Christ crucified, preached by the apostles, gives a solid foundation to stand on; and we have an entrance into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb. x. 19, &c. And in reference to this we are said to be built on the FOUNDATION of the APOSTLES and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, Eph. ii. 20.
The first foundation was jasper] A stone very hard, some species of which are of a sea-green colour; but it is generally a bright reddish brown.
The second, sapphire] This is a stone of a fine blue colour, next in hardness to the diamond.
The third, a chalcedony] A genus of the semipellucid gems, of which there are four species:- 1. A bluish white; this is the most common sort.
2. The dull milky veined; this is of little worth.
3. The brownish black; the least beautiful of all.
4. The yellow and red; the most beautiful, as it is the most valuable of all.
Hitherto this has been found only in the East Indies.
The fourth, an emerald] This is of a bright green colour without any mixture, and is one of the most beautiful of all the gems, The true oriental emerald as very scarce, and said to be found only in the kingdom of Cambay.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. And the foundations of the wall of the city , etc.] Which were twelve; (see Revelation 21:14) were garnished with all manner of precious stones: (see Isaiah 54:11,12) not that there were all manner of precious stones in every foundation, but in them all there were, and each foundation had its stone peculiar to it, as follows; and which are not applicable to the persons of the apostles, who were not the foundations, but on them their names only were written: and besides, the order of them, as given in the Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles, is not certain, and always the same, to which these several stories may be adjusted; though they are doubtless comparable to them for their preciousness in the sight of God, and Christ, and all the saints; and for the brightness and purity of their doctrine and lives; and for their zeal in the cause of Christ; and for their solidity, and invincible courage and constancy: much less are these precious stones applicable to a set of ministers in the latter day, who are to be useful in the conversion of the Jews in the several parts of the world, where these stones are found, as Brightman thinks, but to Jesus Christ, the one and only foundation: and without entering into the particular virtues and excellencies of these stones, in general, they set forth the worth and preciousness of Christ, who is the pearl of great price; the pleasure and delight had in viewing his excellencies and perfections; his brightness, purity, and glory, and his firmness and durableness, as a foundation. There may be some allusion to the twelve stones in the breastplate of the high priest, on which the names of the tribes of Israel were written f467 . The first foundation was jasper ; it was laid with a jasper stone, of which (see Revelation 4:3). On this stone, in the breastplate, Benjamin's name was written. The second, sapphire ; its colour is azure, or sky blue; it is transparent, and exceeding hard. Schroder says there are very good ones found in the borders of Bohemia and Silesia; but those which are brought from Pegu are most valuable: on this stone Issachar's name was engraven. The third, a chalcedony ; it is of a misty grey colour, clouded with blue, yellow, or purple; the best is that which has a pale cast of blue; it is very much like the common agate; and the Hebrew word dkdk , cadcod, is rendered agate in ( Isaiah 54:12) though it is thought to answer to the carbuncle in the breastplate, on which was written the name of Levi. And Pliny speaks of carbuncles, called charcedonies, which R. Leo Mutinensis says had their name in memory of the city of Carthagena.
There is a precious stone mentioned in the Targum of Jonathan, called ydwkdk , cadcodin, which answers to the diamond in the breastplate, on which Zabulon's name was written; and in the Jerusalem Targum it is called andkdk , cadcedana, and answers to the emerald, which had Judah's name on it, and seems to be put for chalcodin and chalcedana, which agrees with the name of this stone. The fourth, an emerald ; of which (see Revelation 4:3). The best of this sort are the eastern ones. Schroder says they are found in Cyprus, Britain, and other places, but not so good as the rest. On this stone Judah's name was written.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-21 - God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they soun the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometime they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heave as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its lustre; glorious in relation to Christ; which shows that the happiness of heaven consists in intercourse with God, and in conformit to him. The change of emblems from a bride to a city, shows that we ar only to take general ideas from this description. The wall is for security. Heaven is a safe state; those who are there, are separate and secured from all evils and enemies. This city is vast; here is roo for all the people of God. The foundation of the wall; the promise an power of God, and the purchase of Christ, are the strong foundations of the safety and happiness of the church. These foundations are set fort by twelve sorts of precious stones, denoting the variety and excellenc of the doctrines of the gospel, or of the graces of the Holy Spirit, or the personal excellences of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven has gates there is a free admission to all that are sanctified; they shall no find themselves shut out. These gates were all of pearls. Christ is the Pearl of great price, and he is our Way to God. The street of the cit was pure gold, like transparent glass. The saints in heaven tread gol under foot. The saints are there at rest, yet it is not a state of sleep and idleness; they have communion, not only with God, but with one another. All these glories but faintly represent heaven.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 οι 3588 θεμελιοι 2310 του 3588 τειχους 5038 της 3588 πολεως 4172 παντι 3956 λιθω 3037 τιμιω 5093 κεκοσμημενοι 2885 5772 ο 3588 θεμελιος 2310 ο 3588 πρωτος 4413 ιασπις 2393 ο 3588 δευτερος 1208 σαπφειρος 4552 ο 3588 τριτος 5154 χαλκηδων 5472 ο 3588 τεταρτος 5067 σμαραγδος 4665
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. All manner of precious stones. Compare Isaiah 54;11, 12; 1 Chronicles xxix. 2.
Sapphire (sapfeirov). Compare Isa. liv. 11; Ezek. i. 26. Probably lapis lazuli. Our sapphire is supposed to be represented by the jacinth in ver. 20. Pliny describes the sapfeirov as opaque and sprinkled with specks of gold, and states that it came from Media (i.e. Persia and Bokhara) whence the supply is brought to this day. King ("Precious Stones and Gems," cited by Lee), says: "Before the true precious stones were introduced from India, the lapis lazuli held the highest place in the estimation of the primitive nations of Asia and Greece; in fact it was almost the only stone known to them having beauty of color to recommend it."
Chalcedony (calkhdwn). From Chalcedon, where the stone was found in the neighboring copper mines. It was probably an inferior species of emerald, as crystal of carbonate of copper, which is still popularly called "the copper emerald." Pliny describes it as small and brittle, changing its color when moved about, like the green feathers in the necks of peacocks and pigeons.
Emerald. See on ch. iv. 3.
