Onyx

Occurrences in Scripture

Onyx first appears in Genesis 2:12. The Pishon, the first of the rivers flowing out of Eden, encircles the land of Havilah, which is described as having pure gold, bdellium, and onyx.

In Exodus, onyx appears several times as a material for the tabernacle and the priestly garments.

• List of offerings: In Exodus 25:7 and 35:9, onyx is listed among the stones to be set in the ephod (an outer garment of two panels, front and back, worn by the high priest) and the breastplate (a panel of gems worn on the chest). In Exodus 35:27, the rulers bring these stones.
• Shoulder pieces of the ephod: In Exodus 28:9–12, the names of the sons of Israel are engraved on two onyx stones, six names on each, "according to their birth." The engraving was done in the manner of engraving a signet. These stones were fastened on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod so that Aaron would bear the names on his shoulders before the LORD for a memorial. Their actual making is described in Exodus 39:6–7.
• Breastplate: In Exodus 28:20 and 39:13, onyx appears as one of the stones in the fourth row of the breastplate.

In the Hebrew text, the same word shoham also occurs in 1 Chronicles 29:2, Job 28:16, and Ezekiel 28:13. Korean translations, however, do not render it with the same name in every verse.

Terminology and Background

It is uncertain which modern gemstone shoham corresponds to. The King James Version translates it as "onyx." The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) renders it with different words in Genesis and Exodus. Onyx is a stone of the agate family marked by parallel bands. The Korean term homano is commonly explained as a Sino-Korean word meaning banded agate. Scholars also raise the possibility that it was a different stone, such as carnelian or beryl.

Broader Biblical Significance

Onyx and gold appear together both in the land of Havilah near Eden and in the tabernacle. For this reason, some interpreters cite this connection as one basis for reading the tabernacle as a space that depicts the restoration of Eden. The onyx stones on the ephod illustrate the office of the high priest, who stands before God as the representative of the whole people. Christian interpreters often read this in connection with the intercession of Jesus Christ, the great high priest described in Hebrews 4:14–16.

The list of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 also enumerates precious stones and is often compared with the stones of the breastplate. However, the "sardonyx" in that list translates a different word in the original language.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

The pairing of the twelve stones of the breastplate with the twelve tribes derives from the order of arrangement specified in the text. However, the text does not directly support interpretations that assign a particular tribal character or spiritual virtue to each stone; such readings are later interpretive additions. In addition, because the text says only "according to their birth" regarding the names engraved on the two onyx stones, Jewish tradition and commentators differ in explaining their exact arrangement.