Topic
Chain
22 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1897 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Genesis 41:42Easton · Smith
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
- Judges 8:21Easton · Smith
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
- Judges 8:26Easton · Smith
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.
- Judges 16:21Easton · Smith
¶ But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
- 2 Samuel 3:34Easton · Smith
Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
- 2 Kings 25:7Easton · Smith
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
- Proverbs 1:9Easton · Smith
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
- Jeremiah 39:7Easton · Smith
Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
- Ezekiel 16:11Easton · Smith
I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
- Acts 12:6Easton · Smith
And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
- Exodus 39:17Easton
And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
- Exodus 39:21Easton
And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Show 10 more
- Song of Songs 1:10 Easton
- Isaiah 3:16 Smith
- Isaiah 3:18 Smith
- Daniel 5:7 Smith
- Judith 10:4 Smith
- Acts 12:7 Smith
- Acts 21:33 Smith
- Acts 28:20 Easton
- Ephesians 6:20 Easton
- 2 Timothy 1:16 Easton
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 17 references
(1.) A part of the insignia of office. A chain of gold was placed about Joseph’s neck (Gen. 41:42); and one was promised to Daniel (5:7). It is used as a symbol of sovereignty (Ezek. 16:11). The breast-plate of the high-priest was fastened to the ephod by golden chains (Ex. 39:17, 21).
(2.) It was used as an ornament (Prov. 1:9; Cant. 1:10). The Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with chains (Judg. 8:21, 26).
(3.) Chains were also used as fetters wherewith prisoners were bound (Judg. 16:21; 2 Sam. 3:34; 2 Kings 25:7; Jer. 39:7). Paul was in this manner bound to a Roman soldier (Acts 28:20; Eph. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:16). Sometimes, for the sake of greater security, the prisoner was attached by two chains to two soldiers, as in the case of Peter (Acts 12:6).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 16 references
- As badges of office;
- For ornament;
- For confining prisoners.
- the gold chain placed about Joseph’s neck, (Genesis 41:42) and that promised to Daniel, (Daniel 5:7) are instances of the first use. In (Ezekiel 16:11) the chain is mentioned as the symbol of sovereignty.
- Chains for ornamental purposes were worn by men as well as women. (Proverbs 1:9) Judith 10:4. The Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with chains. (Judges 8:21,26) Step-chains were attached to the ankle-rings. (Isaiah 3:16,18)
- The means adopted for confining prisoners among the Jews were fetters similar to our handcuffs. (Judges 16:21; 2 Samuel 3:34; 2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 39:7) Among the Romans the prisoner was handcuffed to his guard, and occasionally to two guards. (Acts 12:6,7; 21:33)
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.