Topic
Ivory
22 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 They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently.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.
- 1 Kings 10:18Easton · Smith · ISBE · Nave Other articles made of — Thrones
¶ Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.
- 1 Kings 10:22Easton · Smith · ISBE · Nave Exported from Tarshish
For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
- 1 Kings 22:39Smith · ISBE · Nave Ahab's palace made of
Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
- 2 Chronicles 9:17Smith · ISBE · Nave Other articles made of — Thrones
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
- Ezekiel 27:6Easton · ISBE · Nave Chittim
Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Chittim.
- Ezekiel 27:15Smith · ISBE · Nave General scriptures concerning
The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.
- Amos 6:4Smith · ISBE · Nave Other articles made of — Beds
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
- Revelation 18:12Easton · ISBE · Nave Other articles made of — Vessels
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
- 2 Chronicles 9:21ISBE · Nave Exported from Tarshish
For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
- Psalms 45:8ISBE · Nave Other houses made of
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
- Song of Songs 5:14ISBE · Nave General scriptures concerning
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
- Song of Songs 7:4ISBE · Nave General scriptures concerning
Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
Show 10 more
- Isaiah 21:13 Easton · Smith
- Amos 3:15 ISBE · Nave Other houses made of
- 1 Samuel 2:13 ISBE
- 1 Samuel 14:4 ISBE
- 1 Samuel 14:5 ISBE
- Job 39:28 ISBE
- Job 40:15 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 1:17 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 6:28–47 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 8:6 ISBE
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 6 references
(Heb. pl. shenhabbim, the “tusks of elephants”) was early used in decorations by the Egyptians, and a great trade in it was carried on by the Assyrians (Ezek. 27:6; Rev. 18:12). It was used by the Phoenicians to ornament the box-wood rowing-benches of their galleys, and Hiram’s skilled workmen made Solomon’s throne of ivory (1 Kings 10:18). It was brought by the caravans of Dedan (Isa. 21:13), and from the East Indies by the navy of Tarshish (1 Kings 10:22). Many specimens of ancient Egyptian and Assyrian ivory-work have been preserved. The word habbim is derived from the Sanscrit ibhas, meaning “elephant,” preceded by the Hebrew article (ha); and hence it is argued that Ophir, from which it and the other articles mentioned in 1 Kings 10:22 were brought, was in India.
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 7 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 34 references
i'-vo-ri (1) shen, "tooth" (translated "ivory," 1Ki 10:18; 22:39; 2Ch 9:17; Ps 45:8; So 5:14; 7:4; Eze 27:6,15; Am 3:15; 6:4);
(2) shenhabbim; Septuagint odontes elephdntinoi, "elephants' teeth" (1Ki 10:22; 2Ch 9:21);
(3) elephantinos, "of ivory" (Re 18:12)):
Shen occurs often, meaning "tooth" of man or beast. In the passages cited it is translated in English Versions of the Bible "ivory" (of "crag," 1Sa 14:4,5; "cliff," Job 39:28 twice; "flesh-hook of three teeth," 1Sa 2:13). Shenhabbim is thought to be a contracted form of shen ha-'ibbim, i.e. ha, the article, and 'ibbim, plural of 'ibbah or 'ibba'; compare Egyptian ab, ebu, "elephant," and compare Latin ebur, "ivory" (see Liddell and Scott, under the word elephas). On the other hand, it may be a question whether -bim is not a singular form connected with the Arabic fil, "elephant." If the word for "elephant" is not contained in shenhabbim, it occurs nowhere in the Hebrew Bible.
Ivory was probably obtained, as now, mainly from the African elephant. It was rare and expensive. It is mentioned in connection with the magnificence of Solomon (1Ki 10:18,22), being brought by the ships of Tarshish (2Ch 9:17,21). An "ivory house" of Ahab is mentioned in 1Ki 22:39. It is mentioned among the luxuries of Israel in the denunciations of Amos (3:15; 6:4). It occurs in the figurative language of Ps 45:8; So 5:14; 7:4. It is used for ornamentation of the ships of the Tyrians (Eze 27:6), who obtain it with ebony through the men of Dedan (27:15). It is among the merchandise of Babylon (Re 18:12).
We do not learn of the use of elephants in war until a few centuries before the Christian era. In 1 Macc 8:6, there is a reference to the defeat of Antiochus the Great, "having an hundred and twenty elephants," by Scipio Africanus in 190 BC. 1 Macc 1:17 speaks of the invasion of Egypt by Antiochus Epiphanes with an army in which there were elephants. 1 Macc 6:28-47 has a detailed account of a battle between Antiochus Eupator and Judas Maccabeus at Bethsura (Beth-zur). There were 32 elephants. Upon the "beasts" theria) there were "strong towers of wood"; "There were also upon every one two and thirty strong men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian that ruled him."
In Job 40:15, the King James Version margin has for "behemoth," "the elephant, as some think."
Alfred Ely Day
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.