Lexical Summary yashepheh: Jasper Original Word: יֱשְׁפֵה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance jasper From an unused root meaning to polish; a gem supposed to be jasper (from the resemblance in name) -- jasper. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition jasper NASB Translation jasper (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs יָָֽשְׁפֶה noun [masculine] jasper (loan-word from Persian  so Arabic  Lane2978, also (and on forms  ,  ) Frey; perhaps Assyrian ašpû DlHA 36, HWB147) — תַּרְשִׁישׁ וְשֹׁהַם וְיָָֽשְׁפֵ֑ה Exodus 28:20; Exodus 39:13 (both P) beryl and onyx and jasper (see Di); וְיָָֽשְׁפֶ֔ה (+id.) Ezekiel 28:13 (see Sm). יִשְׁמָּה see below שׁפה; יִשְׁמָּן see below שׁפן Topical Lexicon Biblical occurrencesExodus 28:20; Exodus 39:13; Ezekiel 28:13 Geological and cultural background Ancient jasper was an opaque variety of quartz displaying mottled hues of red, brown, green, or a combination of these colors. Well-known quarries existed in the regions east of the Jordan and in Egypt’s eastern desert; trade routes carried the stone through Canaan long before the Exodus. Because jasper could be polished to a glass-like sheen, it was highly prized in royal treasuries across the ancient Near East for signet rings, cylinder seals, and inlaid furniture. Its durability made it a fitting emblem of permanence and covenant reliability. Symbolism in the priestly breastpiece The LORD directed Moses to place jasper in the fourth row of the high priest’s breastpiece of judgment. “And in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in gold filigree settings” (Exodus 28:20). 1. Covenant memory. Twelve stones bore “the names of the sons of Israel” (Exodus 28:21). Ancient Jewish tradition often links the final stone, jasper, with Benjamin, the youngest son, completing the covenant family circle. Prophetic imagery in Ezekiel Ezekiel’s lament over the proud king of Tyre recalls Edenic splendor: “Every kind of precious stone adorned you… beryl, onyx, and jasper” (Ezekiel 28:13). Here jasper functions in three intertwined ways: • Royal opulence. Tyre’s commercial empire amassed treasures equaling Solomon’s. Jasper contributes to a catalog meant to overwhelm the reader with the king’s luxury. Typological echoes in the New Testament Although Greek ἴασπις is formally distinct, Revelation intentionally recalls the Hebrew imagery. John beholds “the One seated… like jasper and carnelian in appearance” (Revelation 4:3) and describes the New Jerusalem whose “wall was built of jasper” and whose “first foundation was jasper” (Revelation 21:18–19). The stone’s place at the beginning and the end of the foundations reverses its last-place position on the breastpiece, signaling consummation: what once described the youngest tribe now crowns the eternal city. Thus, jasper becomes a bookend of redemption history—from Israel’s earliest priesthood to creation’s final sanctuary. Ministry implications 1. Worship rooted in holiness. The breastpiece stone teaches that worship is not a matter of external beauty alone; it must be grounded in the unchangeable righteousness symbolized by jasper. Summary Jasper appears sparingly in the Old Testament, yet its strategic placement—on the high priest’s heart and in a royal diadem—imbues it with lasting theological weight. Hard, brilliant, and valued, it testifies to the steadfast glory of God, the completeness of His covenant people, and the certainty of His righteous rule from Eden to the New Jerusalem. Forms and Transliterations וְיָ֣שְׁפֵ֔ה וְיָשְׁפֵ֑ה וישפה veyashePeh wə·yā·šə·p̄êh wəyāšəp̄êhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 28:20 HEB: תַּרְשִׁ֥ישׁ וְשֹׁ֖הַם וְיָשְׁפֵ֑ה מְשֻׁבָּצִ֥ים זָהָ֛ב NAS: and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set KJV: and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set INT: A beryl and an onyx jasper shall be set gold Exodus 39:13 Ezekiel 28:13 3 Occurrences |
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