Hebrew word · H2885
טַבַּ֫עַת
tabe'ot
ring
'Ring', especially a signet ring. From the root ṭ-b-ʿ, 'to sink in, press down', because it is pressed into clay or wax. Also used for the rings on the Tabernacle furniture through which poles were passed.
Appears 49 times in 38 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) ring, signet, signet ring
1a) signet ring (as symbol of authority)
1b) ring (as ornament)
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
'Ring', especially a signet ring. From the root ṭ-b-ʿ, 'to sink in, press down', because it is pressed into clay or wax. Also used for the rings on the Tabernacle furniture through which poles were passed.
- Against the English
BSB/NIV 'signet ring' is clearest. KJV/WEB 'ring' sounds like jewellery and loses the sense of official authority.
- How it drifted
To a modern reader a ring is decoration or a marriage token. Here it worked like an official stamp and signature in one.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Pharaoh gives Joseph his ring (Gen 41:42), and the Esther story deliberately echoes the Joseph story. In Esther the ring passes from king to Haman (3:10) and later to Mordecai (8:2). Persian-period seals and their impressions survive in large numbers.
From the study of Genesis 41:42
- Range of meaning
A ring. The basic and earliest-attested sense is a seal-ring or signet, a ring with an engraved face pressed into clay or wax to authenticate a document or seal a container. Later the word also covers ordinary rings: the gold rings of the ark and tabernacle through which poles were passed (Exod 25:12 and often), and ornamental rings (Exod 35:22; Num 31:50; Isa 3:21).
- Against the English
KJV and YLT have 'ring' and 'seal-ring'. BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV and NASB rightly say 'signet ring'. 'Ring' alone loses the legal function of the object.
- How it drifted
In English, 'ring' now means jewellery: wedding, engagement or decorative rings. Signets went out of everyday use, so the KJV's 'his ring' reads to many people as a personal gift and not as handing over the royal seal.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Often connected to the verb ṭābaʿ, 'to sink, be impressed', which fits a ring that is pressed into a surface. Many scholars, following Lambdin (JAOS 1953), think the noun comes from or was influenced by Egyptian ḏbʿ.t, 'seal'. The clearest biblical parallels are Esther 3:10, 12 and 8:2, 8, 10. There the Persian king gives his ṭabbaʿat to Haman and later to Mordecai, and anything 'sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked'. Egyptian officials held the title 'seal-bearer of the king' (ḫtmw-bjtj), and royal scarab and signet rings survive in large numbers.
Where it appears
Genesis · 1
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Genesis 41:42 טַבַּעְתּוֹ֙ signet-ring his
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
Here: 'His seal-ring': Pharaoh's own seal, the ring that was pressed into clay or wax to give a document royal authority. This is not jewellery. It is the king's signature in physical form.
Exodus · 40
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Exodus 25:12 טַבְּעֹ֣ת טַבָּעֹ֗ת טַבָּעֹ֔ת rings of, rings
Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other.
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Exodus 25:14 בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת in the rings
Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, in order to carry it.
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Exodus 25:15 בְּטַבְּעֹת֙ in [the] rings of
The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed.
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Exodus 25:26 טַבְּעֹ֣ת הַטַּבָּעֹ֔ת rings of, the rings
Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners at its four legs.
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Exodus 25:27 הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת the rings
The rings are to be close to the rim, to serve as holders for the poles used to carry the table.
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Exodus 26:24 הַטַּבַּ֖עַת the ring
coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. These will serve as the two corners.
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Exodus 26:29 טַבְּעֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ rings their
Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
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Exodus 27:4 טַבְּעֹ֣ת rings of
Construct for it a grate of bronze mesh, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the mesh.
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Exodus 27:7 בַּטַּבָּעֹ֑ת in the rings
The poles are to be inserted into the rings so that the poles are on two sides of the altar when it is carried.
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Exodus 28:23 טַבְּע֣וֹת הַטַּבָּע֔וֹת rings of, the rings
You are also to make two gold rings and fasten them to the two corners of the breastpiece.
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Exodus 28:24 הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת the rings
Then fasten the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece,
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Exodus 28:26 טַבְּע֣וֹת rings of
Make two more gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
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Exodus 28:27 טַבְּע֣וֹת rings of
Make two additional gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front, near its seam just above its woven waistband.
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Exodus 28:28 מִֽטַּבְּעֹתָ֞יו טַבְּעֹ֤ת from rings its, [the] rings of
The rings of the breastpiece shall be tied to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece is above the waistband of the ephod and does not swing out from the ephod.
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Exodus 30:4 טַבְּעֹ֨ת rings of
And make two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.
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Exodus 35:22 וְטַבַּ֤עַת and finger ring[s]
So all who had willing hearts, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings, rings and necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry. And they all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.
Here: 'And signet ring.' It comes from a root meaning 'press in, impress', so it was originally a seal ring used to stamp one's mark. The same word is used for the gold rings on the ark and the other furnishings.
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Exodus 36:29 הַטַּבַּ֖עַת the ring
coupled together from bottom to top and fitted into a single ring. He made both corners in this way.
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Exodus 36:34 טַבְּעֹתָם֙ rings their
And he overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. He also overlaid the crossbars with gold.
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Exodus 37:3 טַבְּעֹ֣ת טַבָּעֹ֗ת טַבָּע֔וֹת rings of, rings
And he cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other.
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Exodus 37:5 בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת in the rings
He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.
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Exodus 37:13 טַבְּעֹ֣ת הַטַּבָּעֹ֔ת rings of, the rings
He cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners at its four legs.
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Exodus 37:14 הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת the rings
The rings were placed close to the rim, to serve as holders for the poles used to carry the table.
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Exodus 37:27 טַבְּעֹ֨ת rings of
He made two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.
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Exodus 38:5 טַבָּעֹ֛ת rings
At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles.
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Exodus 38:7 בַּטַּבָּעֹ֗ת in the rings
Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it. He made the altar with boards so that it was hollow.
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Exodus 39:16 טַבְּעֹ֣ת הַטַּבָּעֹ֔ת rings of, the rings
They also made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and fastened the two rings to the two corners of the breastpiece.
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Exodus 39:17 הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת the rings
Then they fastened the two gold chains to the two gold rings at the corners of the breastpiece,
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Exodus 39:19 טַבְּעֹ֣ת rings of
They made two more gold rings and attached them to the other two corners of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
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Exodus 39:20 טַבְּעֹ֣ת rings of
They made two additional gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its front, near the seam just above its woven waistband.
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Exodus 39:21 מִטַּבְּעֹתָיו֩ טַבְּעֹ֨ת from rings its, [the] rings of
Then they tied the rings of the breastpiece to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the waistband of the ephod and would not swing out from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Here: 'From/by its rings': the two lower gold rings on the inside bottom corners of the breastpiece (28:26; 39:19). The preposition 'from' marks the starting point of the tie.
Numbers · 1
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Numbers 31:50 טַבַּ֖עַת a signet-ring
So we have brought to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”
Esther · 6
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Esther 3:10 טַבַּעְתּ֖וֹ signet-ring his
So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
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Esther 3:12 בְּטַבַּ֥עַת with [the] signet-ring of
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
Here: The engraved ring the king had just taken off and given to Haman (3:10). Whoever held it could act as the king.
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Esther 8:2 טַבַּעְתּ֗וֹ signet-ring his
The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.
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Esther 8:8 בְּטַבַּ֣עַת בְּטַבַּ֥עַת with [the] signet-ring of
Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”
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Esther 8:10 בְּטַבַּ֣עַת with [the] signet-ring of
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
Isaiah · 1
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Isaiah 3:21 הַטַּבָּע֖וֹת the signet-rings
their signet rings and nose rings;
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.