Reference: Seal, Signet
Hastings
The existence of seals is attested for the early dynasties of Egypt, and for an equally remote period in the history of Babylonia. The first mention of a seal in the OT is in connexion with the patriarch Judah, who fared forth with his staff in his hand and his seal hung round his neck by a cord (Ge 38:18 RV), precisely as was the custom of every Babylonian gentleman in the days of Herodotus (i. 195). The seals hitherto found in Palestine show little initiative on the part of the Hebrews in this branch of the fine arts, the great majority plainly showing the predominant influence of Egypt, or to a less extent of Babylonia.
As regards material, almost every variety of precious stone was used for this purpose, although ordinary limestone, and even baked clay, were used by those who could afford nothing better. An almost equal wealth of form is attested by the extant seals. Thus the scarab and the scaraboid forms were distinctive of Egypt, as the cylinder was of Babylonia. Other seals, again, were conical in shape, while the square form is not unknown.
Most of the extant seals bearing evidence of a Hebrew origin, however, are oval in outline. This was also the usual form for seals intended to be set in the bezel of a ring. In this case it was customary to wear the ring on one of the fingers of the right hand (Jer 22:24; cf. Ge 41:42). The distinctively Jewish type of seal is marked by two features: (a) the absence of figures, Divine or human, in the field, and (b) the presence of two parallel lines, set close together, which cross the field longitudinally, and divide the inscription into two parts. The legend, as a rule, contains the name of the owner, preceded by the preposition signifying 'belonging to'
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And he will say, What the pledge which I shall give to thee? And she will say, Thy seal, and thy cord, and thy rod which is in thy hand: and he will give to her, and will go in to her, and she will conceive by him.
And Pharaoh will remove his signet ring from his hand, and will give it upon Joseph's hand; and will put upon him a white garment, and will put a gold collar about his neck.
And she will write letters in the name of Ahab, and seal with his seal; and she will send the letters to the old men, and to the nobles who were in his city dwelling with Naboth.
And upon the seelings, Nehemiah the Tirshatha, son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
It shall be turned as clay to the seal; and they shall stand as clothing.
The sin of Judah was written with a style of iron, with the nail of diamond: being graved upon the table of their heart, and to the horns of your altars.
I live says Jehovah, for if Coniah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, shall be the seal upon my right hand, I will pluck thee off from thence.
Great of counsel, and vast of doing: for thine eyes being opened upon all the ways of the sons of men to give to each according to his ways, and to the fruit of his doings:
And one stone was brought and set upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his signet ring, and with the signet ring of his nobles, that the will shall not be changed upon Daniel.
Seventy seventy were divided upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to close the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in eternal justice, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the holy of holies.
And thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run through and knowledge shall be multiplied.
And they, having gone, rendered the tomb secure, having sealed the stone with the watch.
Work not for food perishing, but food remaining to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you: for him God the Father sealed.
If to others I am not sent, but surely I am to you: for the seal of my sending are ye in the Lord.
In whom ye also, having heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation: in whom also having believed, ye were sealed by the holy Spirit of solemn promise,
And grieve ye not the Holy Spirit of God in which ye were sealed to the day of redemption.
In the body of his flesh by death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable before him:
And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see.
Morish
Stones on which words, letters, or symbols are engraved. Anciently these were pierced, and by a cord or chain were hung from the arm or the neck, or they were set in rings and worn on the finger. The design was impressed on pieces of clay which were attached to official documents, which in the East are not considered authentic without being sealed. Ex 28:11; Es 8:8,10; Job 38:14; Da 6:17. The seal was also used to ensure security, or to preserve the sanctity of things not to be revealed. Isa 29:11; Da 12:4,9; Mt 27:66; Re 20:3; 22:10.
A covenant was sealed by Nehemiah and those with him. Ne 10:1. The believer, in crediting what God says of man, and of God's salvation, virtually attaches his seal (vouches for the fact) that God is true. Joh 3:33. "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his God's side; and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity man's side." 2Ti 2:19. This is an illustration of a double-seal turning on a pivot, of which either side could be used.
The roll in Revelation 5 had seven seals, so arranged that by breaking one seal a certain portion could be unrolled; and each seal was broken in succession until the whole was revealed.
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The work of a stone engraver, the engravings of a signet, engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel: surrounded with textures of gold thou shalt make them.
And upon the seelings, Nehemiah the Tirshatha, son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
And write ye for the Jews as is good in your eyes, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring: for the writing which was written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's signet ring, none to turn back.
And he will write in the name of the king Ahasuerus, and seal with the king's signet ring; and he will send letters by the hand of runners on horses riding the courser, the mules, sons of mares:
It shall be turned as clay to the seal; and they shall stand as clothing.
And the vision of all will be to you as the words of the book being sealed, which they shall give to him, to him knowing writing, saying, Read now, this: and he said, I shall not be able, for it was sealed.
And one stone was brought and set upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his signet ring, and with the signet ring of his nobles, that the will shall not be changed upon Daniel.
And thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run through and knowledge shall be multiplied.
And he will say, Go, Daniel: for the words being shut up and sealed even to the time of the end.
And they, having gone, rendered the tomb secure, having sealed the stone with the watch.
He having received his testimony has fixed a seal that God is true.
Truly the firm foundation of God has stood, having this seal, The Lord knows them being his. And, Let every one naming the name of Christ remove from iniquity.
And he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and affixed a seal above him, that he should no more deceive the nations, until the thousand years be finished: and after these things he must be loosed a little time.
And he says to me, Thou mayest not seal the words of the prophecy of this book: for the time is near.