Topic
Crystal
7 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 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 They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently.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.
- Ezekiel 1:22Easton · Smith · ISBE · Nave A precious stone
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
- Revelation 4:6Easton · Smith · ISBE · Nave A precious stone
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
- Job 28:17Smith · ISBE · Nave A precious stone
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
- Revelation 21:11Easton · ISBE · Nave A precious stone
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
- Revelation 22:1Easton · ISBE · Nave A precious stone
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
- Job 28:18ISBE
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
- Revelation 21:1Smith
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 4 references
(Ezek. 1:22, with the epithet “terrible,” as dazzling the spectators with its brightness). The word occurs in Rev. 4:6; 21:11; 22:1. It is a stone of the flint order, the most refined kind of quartz. The Greek word here used means also literally “ice.” The ancients regarded the crystal as only pure water congealed into extreme hardness by great length of time.
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 4 references
- Zecucith occurs only in (Job 28:17) where "glass" probably is intended.
- kerach occurs in numerous passages in the Old Testament to denote "ice," "frost," etc.; but once only (Ezekiel 1:22) as is generally understood, to signify "crystal." The ancients supposed rock-crystal to be merely ice congealed by intense cold. The similarity of appearance between ice and crystal caused no doubt the identity of the terms to express these substances. The Greek word occurs in (Revelation 4:6; 21:1) It may mean either "ice" or "crystal."
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 6 references
kris'-tal: In English Versions of the Bible the word is probably intended to signify rock-crystal, crystallized quartz. This the Greeks called krustallos, "ice," believing it to have been formed from water by intense cold. Thus in Re 4:6; 21:11; 22:1, either "crystal" (EV) or "ice" (Greek, krustallos) suits the context. The word rendered "crystal" in Eze 1:22 (qerach) is ambiguous in precisely the same way (the Revised Version, margin "ice"). In Job 28:17 the context favors the King James Version "crystal," rather than the Revised Version (British and American) "glass" (zekhukhith). Finally, in Job 28:18 the Revised Version (British and American) reads "crystal" for the King James Version "pearls" (Hebrew gabhish; the weight of evidence favors the Revised Version (British and American) in spite of the parallelism suggested by the King James Version).
See also STONES, PRECIOUS. F. K. Farr
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.