{
  "id": "dict_004137",
  "term": "Onyx",
  "slug": "onyx",
  "letter": "O",
  "entry_type": "biblical_material_object",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Onyx is a precious stone mentioned in Scripture, especially in descriptions of the high priest’s garments and other sacred settings.",
  "simple_one_line": "A precious stone named in biblical descriptions of worship, beauty, and value.",
  "tooltip_text": "A valuable stone mentioned in Old Testament passages about Eden, the priestly ephod, and other sacred contexts.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "ephod",
    "breastpiece",
    "high priest",
    "precious stones",
    "tabernacle",
    "Eden"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "acacia wood",
    "sapphire",
    "emerald",
    "gold",
    "priestly garments"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Onyx is a precious stone named several times in the Old Testament. In biblical settings, it is associated with beauty, worth, and consecrated service, especially in priestly and tabernacle imagery.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A valuable stone mentioned in the Bible, especially in priestly and worship contexts.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in Old Testament lists of precious stones",
    "Linked with the high priest’s ephod and memorial stones",
    "Also named in descriptions of Eden and other costly materials",
    "The exact ancient mineral identification is sometimes discussed, but the biblical emphasis is its value"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Onyx is a valuable stone named in several Old Testament passages, including references to Eden, the high priest’s ephod, and other materials associated with sacred craftsmanship. Its biblical significance lies in its use as a symbol of beauty, worth, and honor in settings related to worship and covenant service.",
  "description_academic_full": "Onyx is a precious stone referenced in Scripture in connection with significant biblical settings, especially the high priest’s garments and other descriptions of sacred beauty and value. In Exodus, onyx stones were set on the ephod as memorial stones for the tribes of Israel, emphasizing their role in Israel’s worship and the priestly representation of the people before the Lord. The stone is also mentioned in passages describing Eden and in lists of costly materials associated with holy craftsmanship. While scholars sometimes discuss the precise mineral identification behind the ancient term, the main biblical point is clear: onyx is presented as a valuable and fitting material in contexts that reflect beauty, dignity, and consecrated service.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Onyx appears in Old Testament passages that highlight sacred craftsmanship and priestly ministry. Its recurring association with the ephod and sanctuary materials places it within the world of tabernacle worship, where beauty and holiness were closely connected.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Near East, precious stones were valued for their rarity, beauty, and use in elite or religious settings. Biblical references to onyx fit this wider cultural pattern, though Scripture uses the stone primarily to illustrate honor, splendor, and consecration rather than to provide a mineralogical description.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Jewish interpreters and later tradition recognized precious stones as significant in priestly symbolism, especially in relation to the high priest’s garments. Onyx in Scripture belongs to that broader world of sacred adornment and covenant remembrance.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Exodus 28:9-12, 20",
    "Exodus 35:9, 27",
    "Exodus 39:6, 13"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Genesis 2:12",
    "1 Chronicles 29:2",
    "Job 28:16",
    "Ezekiel 28:13"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew term usually rendered “onyx” is debated in precise identification, but it clearly refers to a precious stone or gemstone in the biblical context.",
  "theological_significance": "Onyx contributes to biblical imagery of beauty used in God’s service. In priestly settings, it underscores remembrance, representation, and the honoring of the Lord through consecrated materials.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a created and valuable material, onyx illustrates how physical beauty and rarity can be ordered toward worship rather than self-display. Scripture frequently uses such materials to point to dignity, order, and the holiness of God’s appointed service.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "The exact modern mineral equivalent of the ancient term is not certain, so interpretations should avoid overconfidence on gem identification. The biblical emphasis is on the stone’s value and its role in sacred contexts, not on speculative symbolism.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters agree that onyx denotes a precious stone in Scripture. Differences mainly concern its precise modern identification and the best translation of the ancient term.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Onyx is a biblical material term, not a doctrine. Any symbolic applications should remain secondary to the text’s plain emphasis on sacred use and value.",
  "practical_significance": "Onyx reminds readers that God’s worship in Scripture included beauty, skill, and costly materials offered in reverence. It can encourage thoughtful stewardship and the honoring of God with what is best.",
  "meta_description": "Onyx in the Bible: a precious stone mentioned in Eden, the priestly ephod, and other Old Testament passages about sacred beauty and value.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/onyx/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/onyx.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}