Limitless Word
in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
Exodus 28:18 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
  • KJV And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
  • NKJV the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
  • NASB and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
  • NLT The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The second row held a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald, three more gemstones for three more tribes. Each tribe was uniquely and preciously represented.

Overview

This continues the four rows of stones, each bearing a tribal name like a signet. The variety and beauty of the gems reflect both the unity and distinctness of God's people. As with all the stones, they testify that every tribe was carried before God upon the priest's heart.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • Job 28:6Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.
  • Jer 17:1“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
  • Exod 39:11the second row had a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
  • Rev 4:3The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.
  • Ezek 28:13You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation.
  • Song 5:14His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel bedecked with sapphires.
  • Exod 24:10and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
  • Ezek 10:1And I looked and saw above the expanse, above the heads of the cherubim, the likeness of a throne of sapphire.
  • Ezek 27:16Aram was your customer because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your wares.
  • Ezek 1:26Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
  • Job 28:16It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 28:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.

How Exodus 28:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.