5192. huakinthos

Lexical Summary

huakinthos: Hyacinth

Original Word: ὑάκινθος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: huakinthos
Pronunciation: hoo-AH-kin-thos
Phonetic Spelling: (hoo-ak'-in-thos)
KJV: jacinth
NASB: jacinth
Word Origin: [of uncertain derivation]

1. the "hyacinth" or "jacinth", i.e. some gem of a deep blue color, probably the zirkon

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

jacinth, a deep blue colored gem

Of uncertain derivation; the "hyacinth" or "jacinth", i.e. Some gem of a deep blue color, probably the zirkon -- jacinth.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
hyacinth
NASB Translation
jacinth (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5192: ὑάκινθος

ὑάκινθος, ὑακίνθου, ὁ, hyacinth, the name of a flower (Homer and other poets; Theophrastus), also of a precious stone of the same color, i. e. dark-blue verging toward black (A. V. jacinth (so R. V. with marginal reading sapphire); cf. B. D., under the word ; Riehm, under the word Edelsteine 9) (Philo, Joseph, Galen, Heliodorus, others; Pliny, h. n. 37, 9, 41): Revelation 21:20.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 5192 (hyakinthos) designates the gem traditionally rendered “jacinth” or “hyacinth.” Its single New Testament appearance is Revelation 21:20, where it adorns one of the foundations of the New Jerusalem. Though the term also supplied the root for an adjective used of color (Revelation 9:17), 5192 itself always points to a precious stone, not merely a hue.

Biblical Occurrence

Revelation 21:20 lists “jacinth” as the eleventh foundation stone of the eternal city. “The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone… the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst”. By locating the gem in the very structure of the city whose architect is God, Scripture links hyakinthos to the permanence, beauty, and holiness of the renewed creation.

Historical and Gemological Background

1. Ancient Identification
• Writers such as Pliny the Elder differentiated the hyakinthos from the modern hyacinth flower, describing instead a translucent stone shading from violet-blue to deep reddish-brown.
• Many scholars equate the biblical jacinth with the blue variety of zircon, yet alternatives such as a dark sapphire or amethyst-like quartz are also proposed.
• In Greco-Roman commerce, hyakinthos ranked among prized stones imported from India and Arabia, reflecting both rarity and high value.

2. Place in Ancient Jewelry
• Because of its rich color, the gem frequently embellished signet rings and imperial regalia.
• The stone’s hardness (around 7.5 on the Mohs scale if zircon) lent durability—apt symbolism for the everlasting city where it is set.

Color Imagery and Symbolism in Scripture

Even where 5192 is not used, hyacinth-colored imagery appears: Revelation 9:17 describes breastplates “fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow.” Such hues evoke royalty, judgment, and divine glory. In the Old Testament, comparable blue-purple tones colored the tabernacle curtains (Exodus 26:1) and priestly garments (Exodus 28:31). Thus, hyakinthos carries forward a visual theology that links heaven’s majesty with priestly mediation and royal authority.

Role in the Foundations of the New Jerusalem

1. Architectural Placement
• Revelation presents twelve foundations, each named after an apostle (Revelation 21:14) and bedecked with a distinctive stone (21:19-20). Jacinth, set among them, testifies that apostolic witness is both beautiful and enduring.

2. Correspondence to Covenant People
• Many writers observe parallels between the twelve stones of Revelation and the twelve stones of the high priest’s breastpiece (Exodus 28:17-20). Although exact equivalence of names is debated, the shared motif highlights continuity between Old and New Covenant people of God.
• Jacinth’s place may recall Gad’s stone (leshem) in Exodus 28, underscoring that every tribe—and by extension every apostle—finds a secure, glorious place in God’s final dwelling with His people.

Connections with Other Biblical Imagery

• Fire and Judgment

The adjacent appearance of hyacinth-colored breastplates in Revelation 9:17 occurs amid trumpet judgments, suggesting that the color can signify divine wrath as well as splendor.
• Heavenly Splendor

Ezekiel’s vision of sapphire-like pavement beneath the Lord’s throne (Ezekiel 1:26) and Isaiah’s promise of sapphire foundations (Isaiah 54:11) foreshadow the hyakinthos foundation, weaving a thread of blue-violet grandeur through prophetic and apocalyptic revelation.

Ministry and Devotional Applications

1. Assurance of Permanence

The inclusion of jacinth among the city’s foundations invites believers to rest in the unshakable stability of God’s promises. What He builds endures.
2. Call to Reflect Divine Beauty

As living stones (1 Peter 2:5), Christians are called to manifest a beauty that mirrors the splendor of the heavenly city—purity, holiness, and costly devotion.
3. Motivation for Evangelism

Each foundation stone bears an apostolic name, reminding the church that the gospel remains the means by which people are built into God’s eternal dwelling. The magnificence of hyakinthos stirs passion to make Christ known so that many more may share in the city’s glory.

Hyakinthos thus functions as more than a gem; it is a divinely chosen emblem of the glory, permanence, and priestly-royal calling that characterize the redeemed community now and forever.

Forms and Transliterations

υακίνθη υάκινθον υακινθος υάκινθος ὑάκινθος υακίνθου υακίνθω hyakinthos hyákinthos uakinthos

Englishman's Concordance

Revelation 21:20 N-NMS
GRK: ὁ ἑνδέκατος ὑάκινθος ὁ δωδέκατος
NAS: the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth,
KJV: the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth,
INT: the eleventh jacinth the twelfth

Strong's Greek 5192
1 Occurrence

ὑάκινθος — 1 Occ.