"a sapphire, a precious stone of a blue color in various shades, next in hardness and value to the diamond, Rev. 21:19"
Definition and meaning
a sapphire, a precious stone of a blue color in various shades, next in hardness and value to the diamond, Rev. 21:19
In the original Greek the word is written: σάπφιρος
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 sapphiros (G4552) across the King James Bible.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
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Common questions
Strong's G4552 (sapphiros) is a Greek word that means: a sapphire, a precious stone of a blue color in various shades, next in hardness and value to the diamond, Rev. 21:19 It appears 1 times in the King James Bible.
The word sapphiros (G4552) appears 1 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4552 is sapphiros, a Greek word defined as: a sapphire, a precious stone of a blue color in various shades, next in hardness and value to the diamond, Rev. 21:19. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
sapphiros is a Greek word found in the New Testament.