'Stones' in the Bible

He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place.

Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound.

If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.

“Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of Israel’s sons:

Engrave the two stones with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. Mount them, surrounded with gold filigree settings.

Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord as a reminder.

Place a setting of gemstones on it, four rows of stones:The first row should bea row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;

The 12 stones are to correspond to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone must be engraved like a seal, with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

Then they mounted the onyx stones surrounded with gold filigree settings, engraved with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal.

He fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The 12 stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

the priest must order that the stones with the contamination be pulled out and thrown into an unclean place outside the city.

Then they must take different stones to replace the former ones and take additional plaster to replaster the house.

“If the contamination reappears in the house after the stones have been pulled out, and after the house has been scraped and replastered,

It must be torn down with its stones, its beams, and all its plaster, and taken outside the city to an unclean place.

The people walked around and gathered it. They ground it on a pair of grinding stones or crushed it in a mortar, then boiled it in a cooking pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a pastry cooked with the finest oil.

At the time you cross the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must set up large stones and cover them with plaster.

Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.

When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster.

Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God—you must not use any iron tool on them.

Use uncut stones to build the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God on it.

Write clearly all the words of this law on the plastered stones.”

and command them: Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”

so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

you should tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”

The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

Joshua also set up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this day.

Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan,

and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’

Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Today the Lord will trouble you!” So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them,

just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it.

There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.

Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.

At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

“When someone pursues you and attempts to take your life, my lord’s life will be tucked safely in the place where the Lord your God protects the living. However, He will fling away your enemies’ lives like stones from a sling.

He threw stones at David and at all the royal servants, the people and the warriors on David’s right and left.

So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei was going along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he cursed David, and threw stones and dirt at him.

If he retreats to some city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag its stones into the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.”

They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.

The king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.

The temple’s construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard.

The foundation was made of large, costly stones 12 and 15 feet long.

Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood.

She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind.

Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

In addition, Hiram’s fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug wood and precious stones.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah with them.

Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”—

and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.

Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.

The two wicked men came in and sat opposite him. Then the wicked men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.

Then you must attack every fortified city and every choice city. You must cut down every good tree and stop up every spring of water. You must ruin every good piece of land with stones.”

They destroyed the cities, and each of them threw stones to cover every good piece of land. They stopped up every spring of water and cut down every good tree. In the end, only the buildings of Kir-hareseth were left. Then men with slings surrounded the city and attacked it.

They were archers who could use either the right or left hand, both to sling stones and shoot arrows from a bow. They were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin:

So David gave orders to gather the foreigners that were in the land of Israel, and he appointed stonecutters to cut finished stones for building God’s house.

So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, stones for mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble.

Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.

The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim.

The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind.

Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

In addition, Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then he built Geba and Mizpah with them.

He made skillfully designed devices in Jerusalem to shoot arrows and catapult large stones for use on the towers and on the corners. So his fame spread even to distant places, for he was marvelously helped until he became strong.

Hezekiah had abundant riches and glory, and he made himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and every desirable item.

Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts.

with three layers of cut stones and one of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.

before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

White and violet linen hangings were fastened with fine white and purple linen cords to silver rods on marble columns. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of red feldspar, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones.

For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field,and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

His roots are intertwined around a pile of rocks.He looks for a home among the stones.

as water wears away stonesand torrents wash away the soil from the land,so You destroy a man’s hope.

and consign your gold to the dust,the gold of Ophir to the stones in the wadis,

For Your servants take delight in its stonesand favor its dust.

For wisdom is better than jewels,and nothing desirable can compare with it.

a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;

The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;the one who splits trees may be endangered by them.

He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones,and planted it with the finest vines.He built a tower in the middle of itand even dug out a winepress there.He expected it to yield good grapes,but it yielded worthless grapes.

“The bricks have fallen,but we will rebuild with cut stones;the sycamores have been cut down,but we will replace them with cedars.”

Therefore Jacob’s iniquity will be purged in this way,and the result of the removal of his sin will be this:when he makes all the altar stoneslike crushed bits of chalk,no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.

“Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted,I will set your stones in black mortar,and lay your foundations in sapphires.

I will make your fortifications out of rubies,your gates out of sparkling stones,and all your walls out of precious stones.

Your portion is among the smooth stones of the wadi;indeed, they are your lot.You have even poured out a drink offering to them;you have offered a grain offering;should I be satisfied with these?

I will bring gold instead of bronze;I will bring silver instead of iron,bronze instead of wood,and iron instead of stones.I will appoint peace as your guardand righteousness as your ruler.

Go out, go out through the gates;prepare a way for the people!Build it up, build up the highway;clear away the stones!Raise a banner for the peoples.

“Pick up some large stones and set them in the mortar of the brick pavement that is at the opening of Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes. Do this in the sight of the Judean men

and tell them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will place his throne on these stones that I have embedded, and he will pitch his pavilion over them.

He has walled in my ways with cut stones;He has made my paths crooked.

They dropped me alive into a pitand threw stones at me.

How the gold has become tarnished,the fine gold become dull!The stones of the temple lie scatteredat the corner of every street.

They will take your wealth as spoil and plunder your merchandise. They will also demolish your walls and tear down your beautiful homes. Then they will throw your stones, timber, and soil into the water.

The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They exchanged gold, the best of all spices, and all kinds of precious stones for your merchandise.

You were an anointed guardian cherub,for I had appointed you.You were on the holy mountain of God;you walked among the fiery stones.

Through the abundance of your trade,you were filled with violence, and you sinned.So I expelled you in disgracefrom the mountain of God,and banished you, guardian cherub,from among the fiery stones.

Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.