Greek word · G5192

ὑάκινθος

hyakinthos

hyacinth

First the hyacinth flower and its deep blue-violet color. Then a gem of that color, possibly what we call sapphire. (The ancient σάπφιρος, by contrast, was probably lapis lazuli, the blue stone with gold flecks; see Pliny 37.120.)

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὑακίνθος, -ου, ό

[in LXX chiefly for תְּכֵלֶת ;]

hyacinth;

(a) in cl., a flower, prob. the dark blue iris;

(b) in late writers, a precious stone of the same colour, perhaps the sapphire: Revelation 21:20 (Phil., FlJ, al.).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Revelation 21:20

Range of meaning

First the hyacinth flower and its deep blue-violet color. Then a gem of that color, possibly what we call sapphire. (The ancient σάπφιρος, by contrast, was probably lapis lazuli, the blue stone with gold flecks; see Pliny 37.120.)

Against the English

KJV, BSB, WEB and YLT say 'jacinth.' In modern gem trade, jacinth or hyacinth means a reddish-orange zircon, the wrong end of the color spectrum.

How it drifted

From the medieval period the name 'jacinth/hyacinth' was transferred to reddish zircon and similar stones. The original blue-violet sense was lost from the English word.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament regularly uses ὑάκινθος/ὑακίνθινος for tekhelet, the blue-violet dyed yarn of the tabernacle curtains and the high priest's robe and ephod (e.g. Exod 25:4; 26:1; 28:31). Rev 9:17: horsemen's breastplates 'hyacinthine' (dark blue). Pliny 37.125-126.

Similar words

Where it appears

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 21:20 ὑάκινθος, jacinth,

    the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

    Here: In antiquity, a blue-to-violet stone named for the color of the hyacinth flower, possibly what we call sapphire. Its color word is the same one the Greek Old Testament uses for the blue-violet yarn of the tabernacle and the priestly robes. It is not the orange-red zircon now sold as 'jacinth.'

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.