"a transparent stone, crystal; also, glass, Rev. 21:18, 21*"
Definition and meaning
a transparent stone, crystal; also, glass, Rev. 21:18, 21*
In the original Greek the word is written: ὕαλος
Historical context
Domitian required people across the empire to address him as Dominus et Deus — Lord and God. Christians who refused to burn incense before the emperor's image faced economic exclusion and imprisonment. The book was written in apocalyptic imagery that believers would recognize but Roman authorities would not — a letter of resistance written to people being crushed by the most powerful empire on earth.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of hyalos (G5194) across the King James Bible.
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
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Common questions
Strong's G5194 (hyalos) is a Greek word that means: a transparent stone, crystal; also, glass, Rev. 21:18, 21* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word hyalos (G5194) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5194 is hyalos, a Greek word defined as: a transparent stone, crystal; also, glass, Rev. 21:18, 21*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
hyalos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.