SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:20
el quinto, sardnica; el sexto, sardnice; el sptimo, crislito; el octavo, berilo; el noveno, topacio; el dcimo, crisopraso; el undcimo, jacinto; el duodcimo, amatista.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:20
Verse 20. The fifth, sardonyx] The onyx is an accidental variety of the agate kind; it is of a dark horny colour, in which is a plate of a bluish white, and sometimes of red. When on one or both sides of the white there happens to lie also a plate of a reddish colour, the jewellers call the stone a sardonyx. The sixth, sardius] The sardius, sardel, or sardine stone, is a precious stone of a blood-red colour.
The seventh, chrysolite] The gold stone. It is of a dusky green with a cast of yellow. It is a species of the topaz.
The eighth, beryl] This is a pellucid gem of a bluish green colour.
The ninth, a topaz] A pale dead green, with a mixture of yellow. It is considered by the mineralogists as a variety of the sapphire.
The tenth, a chrysoprasus] A variety of the chrysolite, called by some the yellowish green and cloudy topaz. It differs from the chrysolite only in having a bluish hue.
The eleventh, a jacinth] A precious stone of a dead red colour, with a mixture of yellow. It is the same as the hyacenet or cinnamon stone.
The twelfth, an amethyst.] A gem generally of a purple or violet colour, composed of a strong blue and deep red.
These stones are nearly the same with those on the breastplate of the high priest, Exod. xxviii. 17, &c., and probably were intended to express the meaning of the Hebrew words there used. See the notes on the above passages, where these gems are particularly explained.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. The fifth, sardonyx , etc.] Which is partly of the sardian, and partly of the onyx stone, which resembles a man's nail, from whence it has its name; it is reddish, bordering on white; it may be thought to answer to the onyx in the breastplate, on which was written the name of Joseph. The sixth, sardius ; the same with the sardine stone, ( Revelation 4:3) of a blood colour, and what is commonly called a cornelian: it is found in Sardinia, from whence it has its name, and in Bohemia and Silesia, though those of Babylon are the best. This was Reuben's stone. The seventh, chrysolite ; a stone of a dusky green colour, with a cast of yellow; by its name it should have the colour of gold. Schroder says it is found in Bohemia, and that it is the same the moderns call the topaz. Some think it answers to tarshish in the breastplate, rendered beryl, on which was the name of Asher. The eighth, beryl ; a stone of a pale green colour, thought to be the diamond of the ancients: it may answer to the ligure in the breastplate, which the Targum on ( Song of Solomon 5:14) calls birla, and had the name of Dan on it. The ninth, a topaz ; a stone very hard and transparent, of a beautiful yellow, or gold colour: the topaz of Ethiopia was counted the best, ( Job 28:19).
Some say it is so called from the island Topazus; on this stone Simeon's name was engraven. The tenth, a chrysoprasus ; a stone of a green colour, inclining to that of gold, from whence it has its name; for this is the agate in the breastplate, which was Napthali's stone. The eleventh, a jacinth ; or hyacinth: a stone of a purple, or violet colour, from whence it has its name; though what the moderns so call is of a deep reddish yellow, pretty near a flame colour. Zabulon's stone was the diamond. The twelfth, an amethyst ; a stone of a violet colour, bordering on purple: it has been thought a preservative from drunkenness, from whence it seems to have its name. On this stone was written the name of Gad. Agreeably to this account of John's, the Jews speak of the tabernacle above being built on twelve precious stones; and sometimes they say f472 , that the holy blessed God will found Jerusalem with ten kind of precious stones, and which they mention, and several of which are the same with these.
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
ο 3588 πεμπτος 3991 σαρδονυξ 4557 ο 3588 εκτος 1623 σαρδιος 4556 ο 3588 εβδομος 1442 χρυσολιθος 5555 ο 3588 ογδοος 3590 βηρυλλος 969 ο 3588 {1: ενατος 1766 } {2: εννατος 1766 } τοπαζιον 5116 ο 3588 δεκατος 1182 χρυσοπρασος 5556 ο 3588 ενδεκατος 1734 υακινθος 5192 ο 3588 δωδεκατος 1428 αμεθυστος 271
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. Sardonyx (sardonux). The most beautiful and rarest variety of onyx. Pliny defines it as originally signifying a white mark in a sard, like the human nail (onux) placed upon flesh, and both of them transparent. Onyx is called from the resemblance of its white and yellow veins to the shades in the human finger-nail. The early Greeks make no distinction between the onyx and the sardonyx.
Sardius. See on ch. iv. 3.
Chrysolite (crusoliqov). From crusov gold and liqov stone. Lit., gold-stone. Identified by some with our topaz, by others with amber.
Pliny describes it as "translucent with golden luster."
Beryl (bhrullov). Pliny says that it resembled the greenness of the pure sea. It has been supposed to be of the same or similar nature with the emerald.
Topaz (topazion). Compare Job xxviii. 19. The name was derived from an island in the Red Sea where the gem was first discovered. The stone is our peridot. The Roman lapidaries distinguished the two varieties, the chrysopteron, our chrysolite, and the prasoides, our peridot. The former is much harder, and the yellow color predominates over the green. The modern topaz was entirely unknown to the ancients.
Chrysoprasus. Rev., chrysoprase. From crusov gold and prason a leek; the color being a translucent, golden green, like that of a leek. According to Pliny it was a variety of the beryl.
Jacinth (uakinqov). See on ch. ix. 17.
Amethyst (amequstov). From aj not and mequw to be drunken in wine, the stone being supposed to avert intoxication. Pliny distinguishes it from the jacinth, in that, in the latter, the violet hue of the amethyst is diluted. The stone is the amethystine quartz, or rock-crystal, colored purple by manganese of iron.
