Reference: Ring
Easton
Used as an ornament to decorate the fingers, arms, wrists, and also the ears and the nose. Rings were used as a signet (Ge 38:18). They were given as a token of investment with authority (Ge 41:42; Es 3:8-10; 8:2), and of favour and dignity (Lu 15:22). They were generally worn by rich men (Jas 2:2). They are mentioned by Isiah (Isa 3:21) among the adornments of Hebrew women.
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And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave it her, and went in to her; and she conceived by him.
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in clothes of byssus, and put a gold chain on his neck.
And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from those of every people, and they keep not the king's laws; and it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have charge of the affairs, to bring it into the king's treasuries. read more. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
for if there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel,
Fausets
tabaath, "to impress with a seal." (See EARRING.) Used as "a signet" (Ge 38:18, chothem), worn on the hand, or suspended, as the Arabs do, by a cord from the neck. Pharaoh's transfer of his ring from his finger to Joseph betokened his investing him with royal authority (Ge 41:42; a device, as the beetle or the owner's name, was engraven on it, Ex 28:11). So Ahasuerus in the case of Haman (Es 3:8-10), and Mordecai (Es 8:2). In Lu 15:22 it is the father's token of favor, dignity, and sonship to the prodigal; Roman slaves wore no gold rings. We are no longer slaves, but God's free sons when we believe, and receive the Holy Spirit as the pledge of sonship and earnest of sharing the Father's glory (Ga 4:3-7). Rich men (especially Romans of the equestrian order, whose badge the ring was) wore many rings on the left hand (Jas 2:2). Greek "golden-ringed," not merely with one ring.
Christians derived the usage of the wedding ring from the Jews. The ring was treasured much, and so symbolizes what is most precious to us (Jer 22:24, Jehoiachin's popularity is alluded to); the signet ring was worn on the right hand (contrast Hag 2:23). A costly sacrifice to the Lord (Ex 35:22). Song 5:14, "his hands" bent are compared to "rings" in which "beryls" are set, as the nails in the fingers; compare as to our names being "sealed" upon His heart, Song 8:6, and palms, Isa 49:16. The bride desires herself to be a signet ring on His arm. God in turn seals us with His signet (Re 7:2-4), "I will make thee as a signet" (Hag 2:23), i.e. an object of constant regard, as the ring is ever before the eye. Christ the Antitype is always in the Father's presence, ever pleasing in His sight; so we, through Him our representative. The signet represents legally the owner; so Christ wields the Father's delegated authority (Mt 28:18; Joh 5:22-23).
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And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave it her, and went in to her; and she conceived by him.
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in clothes of byssus, and put a gold chain on his neck.
According to the work of an engraver in stone, as the engravings of a seal, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; surrounded by enclosures of gold shalt thou make them.
And they came, both men and women; every one who was of willing heart brought nose-rings, and earrings, and rings, and bracelets, all kinds of utensils of gold: every man that waved a wave-offering of gold to Jehovah.
And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from those of every people, and they keep not the king's laws; and it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have charge of the affairs, to bring it into the king's treasuries. read more. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
His hands gold rings, set with the chrysolite; His belly is bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires;
Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah.
Lo, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
As I live, saith Jehovah, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet upon my right hand, yet will I pluck thee thence;
In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts.
In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts.
And Jesus coming up spoke to them, saying, All power has been given me in heaven and upon earth.
But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
for neither does the Father judge any one, but has given all judgment to the Son; that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who honours not the Son, honours not the Father who has sent him.
So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the principles of the world; but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law, read more. that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship. But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So thou art no longer bondman, but son; but if son, heir also through God.
for if there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel,
And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads. read more. And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Hastings
Smith
Ring.
The ring was regarded as an indispensable article of a Hebrew's attire, inasmuch as it contained his signet. It was hence the symbol of authority.
Rings were worn not only by men, but by women.
We may conclude from
that the rings contained a stone engraven with a device or with the owner's name. The custom appears also to have prevailed among the Jews of the apostolic age.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in clothes of byssus, and put a gold chain on his neck.
And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
for if there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel,