Topaz

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(τοπάζιον)

Topaz is the ninth foundation-stone of the New Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:20). The topaz of modern mineralogy was almost unknown to the ancients, and the stone denoted by τοπάζιον was probably that variety of olivine which is now termed chrysolite or peridot. It was found in the τοπάζιος νῆσος of the Red Sea. Pliny ( Historia Naturalis (Pliny) xxxvii. 8) speaks of it as held in very high estimation, ‘e virenti genere,’ and Strabo (XVI. iv. 6) says:

‘The topaz is a translucent stone, sparkling with a golden lustre. It is not easy to distinguish in the daytime, because it is outshone, but at night it is visible to those who collect it. Placing a vessel over the spot as a mark, they dig [the stones] up by day. A body of men is appointed and maintained by the kings of Egypt to guard the place where they are found, and to superintend the collection of them.’

This ancient topaz was soft and easily engraved: ‘eadem sola nobilium limam sentit’ (Pliny, loc. cit. ). The modern topaz, on the contrary, is nearly as hard as a diamond.

James Strahan.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Τοπάζιον (Strong'S #5116 — Noun Neuter — topazion — top-ad'-zee-on )

is mentioned in  Revelation 21:20 , as the ninth of the foundation stones of the wall of the heavenly Jerusalem; the stone is of a yellow color (though there are topazes of other colors) and is almost as hard as the diamond. It has the power of double refraction, and when heated or rubbed becomes electric. In the Sept.,  Exodus 28:17;  39:10;  Job 28:19;  Psalm 119:127 , "(gold and) topaz;"  Ezekiel 28:13 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

From Pitdah (Hebrew) by transposition. One of the Hyaline Corundum stones, bright yellow. Second in the first row of the high-priest's breast-plate ( Exodus 28:17;  Exodus 39:10), ninth foundation stone of the wall of New Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:20). Job ( Job 28:19) represents it as from Ethiopia,; so Strabo (xvi. 770), Diodorus (iii. 39), and Pliny (xxxvii. 32). The king of Tyre wore it; among the nine of the 12 jewels of the high priest's breast-plate; as type of antichrist who shall usurp Christ's king priesthood ( Ezekiel 28:13). Septuagint, Vulgate, and Josephus identify the Greek topaz with the Hebrew Pitdah ; and Smith's Bible Dictionary identifies the topaz as our chrysolite and the ancient chrysolite as our topaz. Pliny (H. N. 37, section 8) speaks of "the green tints of the topaz," meaning our chrysolite.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Topaz. Topaz is one of the gems used in the high priest's breastplate,  Exodus 28:17;  Exodus 39:10;  Ezekiel 28:13, one of the foundations, also, of the New Jerusalem, in St. John's description of the city.  Revelation 21:20. The topaz of the ancient Greeks and Romans is generally allowed to be our chrysolite, while their chrysolite is our topaz. Chrysolite is a silicate of magnesia and iron; it is so soon as to lose its polish, unless carefully used. It varies in color from a pale-green to a bottle-green. It is supposed that its name was derived from Topazos , an island in the Red Sea, where these stones were procured.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The Hebrew word is pitdah, and has been supposed to be derived from an island in the Red Sea called Topazos. This would account for the ancient versions calling it 'topaz,' but the gem is supposed to agree with our chrysolite.  Job 28:19 speaks of 'the topaz of Ethiopia.' It was one of the jewels in the breastplate,   Exodus 28:17;  Exodus 39:10; and is included in the prophetical description of the symbolical 'king of Tyrus.'  Ezekiel 28:13 . In the N.T. τοπάζιον points to the same stone.  Revelation 21:20 . It is a silicate of magnesia and iron, and being comparatively soft has to be worn with care.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

פטדה ,  Exodus 28:17;  Exodus 39:10;  Job 28:19;  Ezekiel 28:13; τοπαζιον ,  Revelation 21:20; a precious stone of a pale dead green, with a mixture of yellow; and sometimes of fine yellow, like gold. It is very hard, and takes a fine polish. We have the authority of the Septuagint and Josephus for ascertaining this stone. The oriental topazes are most esteemed. Those of Ethiopia were celebrated for their wonderful lustre,  Job 28:19 .

King James Dictionary

TO'PAZ, n. Gr. A mineral, said to be so called from Topazos, a small isle in the Arabic gulf, where the Romans obtained a stone which they called by this name, but which is the chrysolite of the moderns. The topaz is of a yellowish color. It sometimes occurs in masses, but more generally crystallized in rectangular octahedrons. Topaz is valued as a gem or precious stone, and is used in jewelry. It consists of silex, fluoric acid and alumin, in the following proportions alumin 57 parts, silex 34, and fluoric acid 7 or 8.

Of topaz there are three subspecies, common topaz, shorlite and physalite.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Topaz.  Ezekiel 28:13;  Revelation 21:20. The modern chrysolite, a rather soft and transparent or translucent gem, usually of a pale green. The true topaz is ordinarily pellucid and of a yellowish tint, but sometimes of a brown, blue, or green hue, or even colorless. A single gem of this kind has been sold (it is said) for upwards of $1,000,000. The finest specimens are found in the East Indies.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) Either one of two species of large, brilliantly colored humming birds of the Topaza, of South America and the West Indies.

(2): ( n.) A mineral occurring in rhombic prisms, generally yellowish and pellucid, also colorless, and of greenesh, bluish, or brownish shades. It sometimes occurs massive and opaque. It is a fluosilicate of alumina, and is used as a gem.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A precious stone of wine-yellow color, with occasional pale tinges of green or red. It was one of the twelve gems in the high priest's breastplate,  Exodus 28:17;  39:10 , and was a highly prized product of Cush, or Southern Arabia,  Job 28:19;  Ezekiel 28:13 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Ezekiel 28:13 Revelation 21:20 Job 28:19 Exodus 28:17

Holman Bible Dictionary

Minerals And Metals

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

TOPAZ . See Jewels and Precious Stones.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( פַּטְדָּה ,Pitdah', apparently of non-Heb. etymology; Sept. Τοπάζιον ; Vulg. Topazius ) , a gem which was the second stone in the first row of the high- priest's breastplate ( Exodus 28:17;  Exodus 39:10). It was one of the jewels that adorned the apparel of the king of Tyre ( Ezekiel 28:13); it was the bright stone that garnished the ninth foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:20). In  Job 28:19, where wisdom is contrasted with precious articles, it is said that "the Pitdah of Ethiopia shall not equal it." It is, according to most ancient versions, the topaz ( Τοπάζιον ; Josephuls, Τόπαζος ), which most of the ancient Greek writers describe as being of a golden yellow color (Strabo, 16:770; Diod. Sic. 3, 39); while Pliny ( Hist. Nat. 37 :32) states that its color is green. The topaz of the ancient Greeks and Romans is generally thought to be our chrysolite, while their chrysolite is our topaz. Chrysolite, which is also known by the name of olivine and peridot, is a silicate of magnesia and iron, it is so soft as to lose its polish unless worn with care (Mitchell and Tennant, Minecralogy And Crystallography ; p. 512). (See Chrysolite).

"Bellermann, however ( Die Urim Und Thummim, p. 39), contends that the topaz and the chrysolite of the ancients are identical with the stones denoted by these terms at the present day. The topaz is a precious stone having a strong glass luster. Its prevailing color is wine-yellow of every degree of shade. The dark shade of this color passes over into carnation red, and sometimes, although rarely, into lilac; the pale shade of the wine-yellow passes into grayish, and from yellowish-white into greenish-white and pale green, tincal, and celadon- green. It may thus be difficult to determine whether the Pitdah in the high- priest's breastplate was the yellow topaz; but that it was a topaz there is little reason to doubt. In the passage cited from Job the Pitdah is connected with, Cush; and as the name Cush includes Southern Arabia and the Arabian Gulf, the intimation coincides with the statement of Pliny and others, that the topazes known to them came from the Topaz Island in the Red Sea (Hist. Nat. 37:8; comp. 11:29), whence it was probably brought by the Phoenicians (comp.  Ezekiel 28:13). (See Ethiopia). Pliny adds, in explanation of ‘ the name, that the island where these precious stones were procured was surrounded by fogs, and was, in consequence, often sought for by navigators; and that hence it received its name, the term "topazin" signifying, in the Troglodyte tongue, "to seek" (?).

It may be remarked that Bohlen seeks the origin of the Hebrew word' in the Sanskrit language, in which pita means "yellowish," "pale;" and, as Gesenius remarks, the Greek Τοπάζιο Ν itself might seem to come from the Hebrew Tif'5 by transposition into טפדה ( Thesaur. p. 1101). See Braunius, De Vestitu, p. 508; Hofmann, Mineral. 1, 337; Pareau, Comment On Job. p. 333; Ritter, Erdkunde, 2, 675. (See Gem).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

A precious stone; one of those which were in the breastplate of the high-priest , and the origin of which is referred to Cush . It has been identified with the gem to which the moderns have applied that name. This is a precious stone, having a strong glass luster. Its prevailing color is wine-yellow of every degree of shade. The dark shade of this color passes over into carnation red, and sometimes, although rarely, into lilac; the pale shade of the wine-yellow passes into grayish; and from yellowish-white into greenish-white and pale green, tincal and celadon-green. It may thus be difficult to determine whether the stone in question was the yellow topaz; but that it was a topaz there is little reason to doubt.

It is clear that the stone was highly prized by the Hebrews. Job declares that wisdom was more precious than the topaz of Cush and as the name Cush includes Southern Arabia and the Arabian Gulf, the intimation coincides with the statement of Pliny and others, that the topazes known to them came from the Topaz Island in the Red Sea, whence they was probably brought by the Phoenicians. In , the topaz is named among the precious stones with which the King of Tyre was decked.